SPARKS, Md. - US Lacrosse has named the 1965 Navy men's lacrosse team and the 1975 U.S. Women's Touring Team as the winners of its 2018 Team of Distinction Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions and impact to lacrosse made by an entire team during a specific era of participation. Members of both teams will be officially honored on Friday, September 28 at the US Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland during the annual Hall of Fame Weekend festivities.
The 1965 Midshipmen are considered by some to be Navy's all-time dominant college squad. In addition to completing a second straight undefeated season with a 10-0 record and winning the sixth of eight straight national championships, the '65 team also had seven players recognized as All-Americans, including four first-team selectees Jimmy Lewis (attack), Brian Lantier (midfield), Neil Henderson (midfield) and Pat Donnelly (defense). The season finale was played in front of an estimated 14,000 fans as Navy posted an 18-7 win over Army to complete its perfect season.
Hall of Fame coach Willis Bilderback piloted the squad, while fellow Hall of Famer Lewis became the first college player to win the Turnbull Award (best attackman) in three consecutive years (1964-66).
"The difficulty was not whether to choose the 1965 Navy team as the US Lacrosse Team of Distinction, but which Navy team to choose during this decade-long dominance of college lacrosse," said Dom Starsia, chair of the US Lacrosse Men's Game Hall of Fame Task Force, which made the selection. "This 1965 team finished undefeated, included the Schmeisser Award winner for outstanding defense (Pat Donnelly), the Kelly Award winner for outstanding goalie (Dennis Wedekind) and the Turnbull Award winner for outstanding attack (Jimmy Lewis). Congratulations to a Navy team that defined excellence in every way."
Primary criteria for the US Lacrosse Team of Distinction Award include the following:
• Impact and contribution to the game of lacrosse.
• An extraordinary winning streak.
• National or World Championships won.
The US Lacrosse Men's and Women's Game Hall of Fame Task Forces make the selections for the award, although selection does not constitute election into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Selections are approved by the organization's Board of Directors.
Created in 2016, the US Lacrosse Team of Distinction Award has been previously awarded to the 1950 Johns Hopkins University men's lacrosse team and the 1969 U.S. Women's Touring Team.
### Go Navy ###
