Duke Lacrosse Update - Duke University Athletics

DUKE LACROSSE 

2007 – 2013 

ON FIELD ACCOLADES 

CLASSROOM ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

BLUE DEVILS IN THE COMMUNITY

DUKE LACROSSE ON THE FIELD ACCOLADES 

The Duke men’s lacrosse team began the 2013 season facing high expectations and 

ranked sixth nationally. The Blue Devils opened the season playing five contests in 

February, including two against top 10 opponents. The 2013 campaign kicked off with a 

doubleheader in Durham against the No. 9 Denver Pioneers and the Jacksonville 

Dolphins. Duke split the weekend, losing to Denver 14-12 before rebounding the 

following afternoon by beating Jacksonville 21-9. The next weekend the Blue Devils 

hosted another doubleheader against the then-No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and 

Mercer. Once again the Blue Devils went 1-1 for the weekend, dropping their first contest 

to Notre Dame by a score of 13-5, and recovering to even their record to 2-2 by cruising 

past the Bears 15-3. The Blue Devils rounded out the month of February with its first 

road to trip of the season against the University of Pennsylvania at historic Franklin 

Field. The Penn Quakers broke open a close game by outscoring the Blue Devils 5-1 in 

the fourth quarter to upset the then-No. 14 Duke squad 14-9. 

After starting the season 2-3, the Blue Devils played host to the top-ranked Maryland 

Terrapins who were 4-0 coming into the contest. The Blue Devils faced a 9-3 deficit at 

halftime and never overcame the slow start in the 16-7 setback. Sitting at 2-4, head coach 

John Danowski decided to make some personnel changes by starting Kyle Turri in goal 

and introducing some young faces to the lineup. The following weekend Duke welcomed 

defending national champion Loyola to Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils held the 

Greyhounds to eight goals behind Kyle Turri’s nine saves and outscored the Greyhounds 

by one to earn the 9-8 victory. Duke resumed its ACC schedule with the eight-mile trip 

down the road to Chapel Hill to face the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Brendan 

Fowler dominated the faceoff “X”, winning 17-of-23 faceoffs to lead the Blue Devils to 

an 11-8 victory. Arguably a turning point of the season, this victory marked the second 

victory over a top-10 team in a week and brought the Blue Devils’ record back to .500. 

With victories over the Greyhounds and Tar Heels under its belt, Duke started to roll as it

acked up wins over Towson, Marist and Georgetown by a combined score of 50-22. 

March ended with a road trip to Boston where the Blue Devils used a furious fourthquarter 

rally to beat a tough Harvard squad, 12-11. 

The Blue Devils, red-hot and riding a six-game win streak, started April ranked seventh 

in the country and ready to tangle with the High Point Panthers. Junior attackman Josh 

Dionne and senior midfielder David Lawson led the Blue Devils by scoring three goals 

each to guide Duke to a commanding 17-6 victory. Duke closed out its ACC regular 

season schedule with a much-anticipated game against the Virginia Cavilers at Koskinen 

Stadium. Once again Dionne led the charge with five goals. Jake Tripucka tallied a career 

high seven points, while Fowler dominated the “X” by winning 19-of-30 faceoffs to help 

secure a thrilling 19-16 victory at home. The Blue Devils hit the road again the following 

week to face Danowski’s alma mater, Rutgers. Jordan Wolf led the Blue Devils with five 

goals, while nine other players contributed to the 17-6 victory. 

2013 ACC Tournament 

The Blue Devils entered the ACC Tournament ranked fifth in the country and on a ninegame 

win streak. Duke was set to take on the equally hot No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels 

in front of a hostile crowd in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Blue Devils started slow and entered 

halftime trailing 13-6 after a devastating second quarter where Duke was outscored 9-4. 

Trailing by as many as nine in the third quarter, the resilient Blue Devils never hung their 

heads and clawed their way into the lead before falling 18-17. Duke finished out the 

regular season schedule in Milwaukee, Wis., where it faced the Marquette Golden Eagles 

in front of 4,200 exuberant fans. Duke jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the first quarter and 

never looked back en route to a 19-3 victory. 

2013 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament. 

The Blue Devils earned the No. 7 seed in the tournament pool and once again were 

selected to host to the defending national champion Loyola squad. After a grueling 66 

minutes of lacrosse, freshman attackman Case Matheis scored with 1:40 remaining in the 

second overtime to propel seventh-seeded Duke to a 12-11 double overtime victory. The 

quarterfinal featured another rematch for the Blue Devils with the Notre Dame Fighting 

Irish on the horizon in its backyard of Indianapolis, Ind. Senior captain David Lawson put 

the team on his back and tallied a career-high five goals to lead Duke to a thrilling 12-11 

comeback victory over No. 2 seed Notre Dame in front of 7,749 fans at Lucas Oil 

Stadium. The win launched Duke to its seventh straight championship weekend 

appearance and ninth overall in program history. The championship weekend field was 

set and Duke was poised for its second NCAA Championship run. The Blue Devils were 

pitted against a high-scoring Cornell team that had outscored its opponents 32-16 in the 

NCAA Tournament. Sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Turri played arguably the best 

game of his life, making a career‐best 16 saves to help Duke land a spot in the NCAA 

Men’s Lacrosse championship game with a heart‐stopping 16‐14 victory over 

Cornell. The 2013 title game appearance marked the fourth in program history and 

third under head coach John Danowski.

Championship Monday was set with the No. 7‐seeded Blue Devils prepared to face 

the top‐ranked Syracuse Orange. The Orange did nothing wrong in the first quarter 

to race out to a 5‐0 lead. Unfazed by the five‐goal deficit, the Blue Devils rode the 

play of Fowler at the faceoff “X” to 12 unanswered goals and a 16‐10 victory. 

Eventually named the NCAA Tournament MVP, Fowler won 20‐of‐28 faceoffs for the 

game, while Wolf led the scoring charge with four goals. With the appearance in 

Philadelphia, Danowski became the first coach to appear in seven consecutive 

championship weekends in his first seven seasons at the helm. Coach Danowski also 

joined an elite club of only five active coaches to have multiple NCAA 

championships. 

The 2012 Duke Blue Devils began the spring campaign ranked first nationally for the 

third time in school history. The team played four games in February, downing Rutgers, 

Penn and Jacksonville, while falling to a tough Notre Dame squad in South Bend. Next 

up was a tough two-game road stretch against ACC rival Maryland and eventual NCAA 

Champion Loyola. The Devils lost a pair of hard-fought games in row forcing Coach 

Danowski to again dig deep into his coaching repertoire as games against Harvard, North 

Carolina, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Brown were on the horizon. Duke remained 

committed and started to hit its stride as it ran off five straight victories 

highlighted by a 13-11 home victory over ACC rival North Carolina. 

Next up was soon to be ACC rival and national power Syracuse in the 

Konica Minolta Big City Classic at the home of the NFL’s New York 

Giants and New York Jets. The Blue Devils gutted out a 12-10 win 

over the talented Orange. The fun continued when the Blue Devils 

traveled to Charlottesville to take on top-ranked Virginia on ESPN2. 

Duke jumped all over the Cavaliers and cruised to the 13-5 victory to

head into the ACC Tournament as the top seed. Rolling heading into the ACC 

tournament against Maryland, the Blue Devils edged the Terrapins 6-5 to advance to the 

ACC championship game for the fifth time in six years. North Carolina stood in the Blue 

Devils’ way of a fourth ACC title under Danowski. Duke, after falling behind early, 

rallied to beat the Tar Heels, 12-9 to take home the program’s seventh ACC Tournament 

Championship. The newly-crowned ACC Championships, the Devils earned the No. 3 

seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted 11-time national champion Syracuse. The 

game with the Orange was never in doubt as Duke beat Syracuse to advance to 

Philadelphia to face Patriot League power Colgate. After a shaky start with Colgate 

scoring at will early, the Blue Devils hit their stride in the second quarter and rattled off 

10 unanswered goals en route to a 17-6 victory and a sixth straight championship 

weekend. 

Topping the individual honors for the 2012 season was CJ 

Costabile and Robert Rotanz. Costabile, a four-year starter at 

long stick midfield, dominated the middle of the field and the 

faceoff game. CJ was selected as the ACC Defensive player of 

the year, a first team USILA All-American, the Lieutenant J.G. 

Donald MacLaughlin Jr. award recepient as the nation’s top 

midfielder and a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy. Rob was 

dominant as well, scoring 40 goals, the most all-time by a Duke 

midfielder, as well as collecting All-ACC and USILA All- 

America first team accolades.

The reigning NCAA Champions started the 2011 season 1-2 with losses to Penn and 

Notre Dame, the Blue Devils had the daunting task of taking down a top-ranked 

Maryland squad to open the ACC schedule. Head coach John Danowski made subtle 

changes to the lineup that propelled Duke to a 9-8 overtime victory over the Terps. The 

Devils went on a seven-game tear, including a dramatic come-from-behind victory over a 

Georgetown team that led by five at halftime. Duke ended the regular season with a big 

win over eventual national champion Virginia. Just six days later, a rematch with the 

Cavaliers loomed in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal. It was the Duke seniors leading 

the way with an overwhelming effort as the Blue Devils downed Virginia 19-10. The 

NCAA tournament was next with a school-record sixth straight home playoff game. The 

Devils were not to be denied, fending off a feisty Delaware squad in a 15-14 shootout. In 

the NCAA quarterfinal, a rematch with the defensive stalwart Fighting Irish squad 

awaited the Blue Devils. Following a terrific week of practice, Duke defeated a senior 

laden Irish team 7-5, sending the 2011 Duke Blue devils to championship weekend for 

the fifth straight time. 

Topping the individual player list of accomplishments in 2011 was 

Zach Howell, a senior captain in his third year as a starter on 

Duke’s attack. The unquestioned leader of a young Duke offense 

that averaged over 12 goals per contest, Howell scored a last 

second goal against Maryland to help secure the regular season 

ACC Championship. He garnered USILA All-America Third 

Team honors, USILA Scholar All-America honors, ACC All- 

Tournament Team honors, and was on the Tewaaraton Watch List for the National Player 

of the Year award.

After receiving the No. 1 preseason ranking, the 2010 Duke Blue Devils started with a 

trip to the Walt Disney Resort to play an exhibition game against the eventual US 

National Team. Duke, in a shock to Team USA and lacrosse fans everywhere, was 

victorious that day, winning 9-8 on a last-minute goal from senior Max Quinzani. After 

fighting through early season stumbles the Blue Devils went on a nine-game win streak 

leading into the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils fell to the Cavaliers in the ACC 

Tournament quarterfinal prior to heading into the NCAA Tournament. Duke was selected 

to host its fifth straight NCAA tournament game against perennial power Johns Hopkins. 

After dismantling the Blue Jays 18-5, it was on to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Princeton, 

NJ to face familiar foe North Carolina. The Blue Devils emerged victorious 17-9 and 

headed to the national semifinals for the fourth straight season to face a tough Virginia 

squad. In what will be remembered as one of the best NCAA Tournament games in 

recent years, the Blue Devils edged the Cavaliers 14-13 with a last-second goal from 

Quinzani. The 2010 campaign ended with Duke’s greatest triumph, a 6-5 overtime 

victory against Notre Dame, giving the Blue Devil’s their first NCAA Championship.

Topping the individual player list of 

accomplishments in 2010 was senior captain 

Ned Crotty. Crotty earned 1 st Team All 

America honors, as well as the Tewaaraton 

Trophy as the nation’s top player. Crotty joined 

Matt Danowski as Duke’s 2 nd recipient, and the 

3 rd coached by John Danowski. 

After being picked to finish last in the ACC, the 2009 Blue Devils won a share of the 

regular season title. The team added the ACC Tournament trophy to the case by defeating 

Virginia in the opening round and the host Tar Heels in the championship game. The 

Blue Devils took a 15-3 record into the NCAA Tournament first round against Navy. 

Duke cruised past the Midshipmen 14-5 to set up another meeting with rival North 

Carolina in the quarterfinals. Duke outplayed an excellent UNC squad 12-11 for a third 

straight trip to the national semifinals and would face eventual champion Syracuse. The 

2009 campaign finished with five top-10 wins, a top three strength of schedule, and a 

ranking of third in the coaches poll.

Topping the individual player list of 

accomplishments in 2009 was Ned 

Crotty, senior captain playing his first 

year at attack. Crotty was named ACC 

Player of the Year as well as Division I 

Attackman of the Year. He also received 

first team All-America honors and was a 

Tewaaraton Trophy Finalist. 

In the 2008 season, Duke won a NCAA record 18 wins, beating out the previous mark of 

17 wins, held by the 2005 and 2007 Duke squads, Hofstra in 2006, and Virginia in 2006. 

(The 2007 Duke and 2006 Hofstra teams also were coached by John Danowski.) Once 

again the Blue Devils won the ACC regular season and tournament championships, 

followed by their second consecutive NCAA semifinal appearance. Duke also was 

awarded the ACC Team Sportsmanship Award, which was voted on by all ACC teams. 

Throughout the 2008 season, 10 of the 20 Blue Devil games played were televised.

Topping the list of individual player 

accomplishments in 2008 were Dan Loftus 

finishing his career in goal with a 42-7 all 

time record (.857%); Zack Greer breaking 

the NCAA goal scoring mark with a 

career-high 206 goals, including a 

national-high 65 goals for the year; and 

Matt Danowski who broke the NCAA 

points record with 353 points and led the 

nation in both points with 97 and assists 

with 56. Danowski and Greer’s records 

made them the third consecutive leading 

point and goal scorers to be coached by 

John Danowski. 

In 2007, Duke posted an overall record of 17-3, captured both the ACC regular season 

and tournament championships, and earned the program’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA 

Tournament. The Blue Devils finished the regular season with the top RPI and strength of 

schedule. Duke also posted a nation-best nine wins over opponents ranked in the top 10 

of the final USILA poll during the 2007 regular season.

Duke’s 2007 individual player accomplishments 

were highlighted by Matt Danowski becoming the 

University’s first National Player of the Year 

honoree for men’s lacrosse. The consensus choice 

as the recipient of the Tewaaraton Trophy and the 

USILA’s Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award, 

Danowski earned the honor after leading the 

nation in both total points and assists. This marks 

John Danowski’s second National Player of the 

Year award winner.

Breakdown of 2007-2013 Awards 

First Team All-America 

2007: Matt Danowski, Casey Carroll, Zack Greer, Nick O’Hara 

2008: Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Nick O’Hara 

2009: Ned Crotty 


2012: CJ Costabile, Robert Rotanz 

2013: Brendan Fowler, David Lawson 

Second Team All-America 

2008: Ned Crotty, Tony McDevitt 

2009: Parker McKee 

2010: Parker McKee, Max Quinzani 

2012: Michael Manley, Jordan Wolf 

2013: Jordan Wolf 

Third Team All-America 

2007: Tony McDevitt, Dan Loftus 

2008: Dan Loftus, Max Quinzani, Brad Ross 

2009: Max Quinzani, Brad Ross 

2010: Michael Manley, CJ Costabile 

2011: Zach Howell, CJ Costabile 

2013: Josh Offit 

Honorable Mention All-America 

2007: Brad Ross 

2008: Parker McKee 

2009: CJ Costabile 

2012: Justin Turri 

2013: Josh Dionne, Will Haus, Jake Tripucka 

Tewaaraton Trophy National Player of the Year Nominee 

2007: Matt Danowski 

2008: Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Tony McDevitt, Nick O’Hara 


2010: Ned Crotty, Max Quinzani, Parker McKee 

2011: Zach Howell 


2013: Jordan Wolf 

Tewaaraton Trophy National Player of the Year Finalists 


2008: Matt Danowski, Zack Greer 

2009: Ned Crotty



Tewaaraton Trophy National Player of the Year 



USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award National Player of the Year 



USILA Attackman of the Year 


2008: Zack Greer 


USILA Defensemen of the Year 

2008: Nick O’Hara 

Lt. J.G. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award (Top Midfielder) 


NCAA All-Tournament 

2007: Ned Crotty, Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Nick O’Hara 


2010: Max Quinzani, CJ Costabile, Michael Manley, Zach Howell 

2013: Brendan Fowler, David Lawson, Jake Tripucka, Jordan Wolf 

NCAA Tournament MVP 

2013: Brendan Fowler 

ACC Player of the Year 




ACC Coach of the Year 

2007: John Danowski 



ACC Defensive Player of the Year 

2012: CJ Costabile* 


*Co-Defensive Player of the Year 

All ACC

2007: Casey Carroll, Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Nick O’Hara 

2008: Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Max Quinzani, Tony McDevitt 

2009: Ned Crotty, Max Quinzani 

2010: Ned Crotty, Parker McKee, Max Quinzani 

2011: CJ Costabile, Jordan Wolf 

2012: CJ Costabile, Robert Rotanz, Jordan Wolf 

2013: Brendan Fowler, David Lawson, Jordan Wolf 

ACC All-Tournament 

2007: Bo Carrington, Casey Carroll, Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Dan Loftus 

2008: Ned Crotty, Matt Danowski, Zack Greer, Dan Loftus, Tony McDevitt, Parker 

McKee, Nick O’Hara, Max Quinzani. 

2009: Mike Catalino, CJ Costabile, Ned Crotty, Zach Howell, Mike Manley, Max 

Quinzani, Steve Schoeffel 

2010: Max Quinzani 

2011: Zach Howell, CJ Costabile, Dave Lawson, Dan Wigrizer 

2013: Brendan Fowler, Jordan Wolf 

ACC Tournament MVP 


2008: Dan Loftus 


ACC Rookie of the Year 

2008: Mike Manley 

ACC Player of the Week: 

2007: Zack Greer (2/26), Matt Danowski (3/4), Ned Crotty (3/19), Brad Ross (4/16) 

2008: Zack Greer (2/19, 4/18), Sam Payton (3/4), Dan Loftus (3/18), Max Quinzani 

(4/15), Ned Crotty (4/22) 

2009: Justin Turri (3/15), Ned Crotty (4/12) 

2010: Zach Howell (2/15), CJ Costabile (4/18) 

2011: Defensive: Dan Wigrizer (3/8, 4/19); Offensive: Jordan Wolf (3/8, 3/20), Rob 

Rotanz (4/19) 

2013: Defensive: Brendan Fowler (2/11), Chris Hipps (3/12), Kyle Turri (3/19); 

Offensive: Jordan Wolf (3/12), Jake Tripucka (4/16) 

ACC Annual Leaders 

Total Points 

2007: Matt Danowski, 96 


2009: Ned Crotty, 78 


Goals 

2007: Zack Greer, 67 

2008: Zack Greer, 64 

2009: Max Quinzani, 46 

2010: Max Quinzani, 68 

Assists 





Saves 

2007: Dan Loftus, .614%

LOWES Senior Class Award 

2007: Tony McDevitt, Nominee 

2008: Brad Ross, Finalist 

2010: Max Quinzani, Finalist 

2011: Tom Montelli, Finalist 

2012: CJ Costabile, Winner 

Duke University Senior Student-Athlete of the Year 




Blue Devil Weekly Blue Devil of the Year 



Towerview Magazine Dukies of the Year 

2007: David Evans, Colin Finnerty, Reade Seligman 

ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year 




ACC Male Athlete of the Year (McKelvin Award) 

2010: Ned Crotty

DUKE LACROSSE IN THE CLASSROOM 

ACC Honor Roll 

This award recognizes student-athletes who compile at least a 3.0 grade point average for 

the year. Duke University has had the most student-athletes on the ACC Honor Roll from 

2007-2012. The Blue Devils placed 25 men’s lacrosse student-athletes on the 2012 ACC 

Honor Roll, while 28 men’s lacrosse student-athletes earned recognition in 2011. In 

2010, 26 Duke Players earned their spot on the ACC Honor Roll. The Blue Devils placed 

30 student-athletes on the 2009 ACC Honor Roll, including the entire junior and graduate 

student classes. In 2008, 36 student-athletes represented Duke on the list. For the 2007 

year, the Duke men’s lacrosse team had 33 student-athletes selected for the Honor Roll. 

Since 2001, the Blue Devil lacrosse program has placed 325 student athletes on the list. 

Academic All-ACC Team 

To be eligible, student-athletes must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the 

previous semester and maintained a 3.0 cumulative average during his academic career. 

In 2013, Duke student-athletes earned nine spots on the Academic All-ACC Team. The 

Blue Devils placed 12 or more on the squad for six consecutive years leading up to the 

2013 campaign. Fourteen Duke players received the award in 2012 and 2011, 

respectively. In 2010, Duke placed 15 players on the All-ACC Academic team, while the 

other three ACC schools combined for 14 spots overall. Max Quinzani earned his fourth 

straight honor, joining Michael Catalino ’09 as the only players at the time to accomplish 

the feat. The 2009 Blue Devils led the conference in All-ACC Academic picks with 12 

student-athletes. In 2008, Duke led the ACC with 13 selections. Duke was well

epresented on the 2007 Academic All-ACC squad with 15 selections while the three 

other league schools combined for 15 picks. 

Graduation Success Rate 

From 2007-2012, the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for Duke’s men’s lacrosse team 

was 100%. Duke is the only ACC school to achieve 100% GSR for men’s lacrosse in the 

past six years. 

Academic All-America 

Josh Offit represented the Blue Devils squad on the USILA Academic All-America team 

in 2013. In 2012, CJ Costabile earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America 

Third Team while both Costabile and Robert Rotanz earned USILA Scholar All-America 

awards. From 2008 to 2010, Max Quinzani earned First Team Academic All-America 

accolades awarded by CoSIDA. Ed Douglas earned Second Team ESPN The Magazine 

Academic All-America accolades for his efforts in the 2007 season. USILA Academic 

All-Americans for the 2011 season included Zach Howell and Tom Montelli, while the 

2010 season included Max Quinzani and Parker McKee. The 2009 season included Blue 

Devils Brad Ross and Ryan McFadyen. Brad Ross also received the award in 2008. Tony 

McDevitt and Nick O’Hara received the USILA award in 2007. 

NCAA Elite 88 Award 

The NCAA Elite 88 Award recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative 

grade point average participating at the final championship site for each of the NCAA's 

88 championships. In 2010, Duke’s Matt Anderson received the award after achieving a 

final GPA of 3.818. 

Spring 2013 

Team GPA 3.061 26 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better (55%) 

Team Cum 3.107 

Senior GPA 3.098 

11 players graduated, 2 graduate students finished first year 

of Fuqua Business School 

Fall 2012 



Spring 2012 




7 player graduated, 3 graduate students completed MMS 

program, 1 graduate student finished first year graduate 

school 

Fall 2011 


Team Cum 3.167

Spring 2011 



13 players graduated, 2 players delayed graduation for 


double majors 

1 graduate student completed MMS program * 

1 graduate student completed 1 st year of MMS program 

*MMS – Master of Management Studies in Fuqua School of Business 

Fall 2010 

Team GPA 3.143 30/43 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better (70%) 

Team Cum 

Spring 2010 

Team GPA 3.131 


Seniors Cum GPA 3.45 

Includes 9 Undergraduate degrees and 1 graduate degree 

Fall 2009 

Team GPA 3.241 

Spring 2009 

Team GPA 3.264 30 out of 44 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better (68%) 



6 out of 9 seniors graduated. *3 student-athletes delayed 

graduation to become a double major in 2009-2010. 

Graduate Student GPA 3.456 5 Graduate Students – 4 Masters of Liberal Studies, 1 

Fuqua Business School 

Fall 2008 

Team GPA 3.187 33 out of 44 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better (75%) 


Spring 2008 

Team GPA 3.301 35 out of 45 players earned a 3.0 GPA or better (78%). 



11 out of 12 seniors graduated. *1 student-athlete delayed 

graduation to become a double major in 2008-2009. 

Graduate Student GPA 3.323 5 Graduate Students – 4 Masters of Liberal Studies, 

1 Fuqua Business School 

Fall 2007 


Team Cumulative 3.090

Spring 2007 


Team Cumulative 3.210 

Seniors Cum GPA 3.1935 10 out of 10 seniors graduated. 

Graduate Student GPA 3.588 1 Graduate Student – Masters of Liberal Studies 

Fall 2006 


Team Cumulative 3.213

COMMUNITY SERVICE 

The 2010-2011 Duke men’s lacrosse team generously donated 400+ hours of its time to 

the greater Durham community. The Durham Ronald McDonald House again received 

the majority of its efforts, enjoying home cooked meals and conversation with the players 

on a regular basis during the fall semester. The Durham Bulls Haunted House and Duke 

Children’s Hospital Radiothon are now regular staples in the community service calendar 

for the men’s lacrosse team. Both events bring a lot of smiles and laughter to both 

participants and teammates. Highlighting this year’s effort was the Project Homeless 

Connect event. This event served as a one-stop shop aimed to fulfill the needs of 

homeless families. Many county agencies and services were onsite and provided food 

stamps, social security, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, employment, health and 

vision screenings, haircuts and other services. The team also enjoyed spending time with 

youth baseball players at the Miracle League of the Triangle games. 

The 2009 – 2010 season brought another opportunity for the Blue Devils to reach out to 

the greater Durham community. Once again, the majority of the team’s 400+ hours was 

spent with families in need at the Ronald McDonald House. Players spent countless hours 

preparing meals, visiting with families and sick children, and assisting in fundraisers for 

the local Durham house. The annual Durham Bulls Haunted House and Duke Children’s 

Hospital Radiothon also benefited from the Blue Devils outreach. The players continued 

to expand the game of lacrosse through the local youth by reaching out to the Durham 

Eagles Football program. On a rainy day in September, approximately 65 elementary to 

middle school aged football players attended a free clinic at Duke. The boys enjoyed an 

instruction led by 5 th -year senior Devon Sherwood. Other Duke players provided 

individualized instruction on lacrosse basics before bringing the group to a BBQ lunch 

and the Duke vs. North Carolina Central football game.

In the 2008 – 2009 season, the Duke Blue Devils completed 360 hours of community 

service. The majority of the team’s efforts focused on the Ronald McDonald House of 

Durham, spending close to 200 hours at the 

house where they cooked and served several 

meals and participated in various fundraising 

activities to help support the house. The Duke 

Children’s Hospital Radio-thon and the 

Durham Bulls Park Haunted House also saw 

help from the Duke men’s lacrosse team in 

2008-2009. The Duke Blue Devils proudly 

welcomed 7-year old Cameron Jackson as a 

new team member in 2009. The Friends of 

Jaclyn foundation paired Cameron with the 

team for support as he continues to recover 

from brain cancer. (www.friendsofjaclyn.org) The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was 

inspired by 14-year-old Jaclyn Murphy, who was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma in 

March 2004 at age 11.The program organized by her parents matches a child with a 

college or high school sports team based on geographic location. 

Throughout the 

2007-2008 season, 

the Duke team 

completed close to 

400 hours of 

community service. 

In the fall of 2007, 

the Blue Devils 

participated in 

cooking and serving 

meals at the 

Durham-based 

Ronald McDonald 

House and Urban 

Ministries Soup Kitchen, took part in a 5K run that benefitted the Duke Physical Therapy 

Program and spent numerous hours coaching lacrosse at various local youth clinics. 

Other volunteer efforts included tutoring, answering phones during the Duke Children’s 

Hospital Phone-a-thon, and spending time with local nursing home residents. The Blue 

Devil’s efforts were recognized in a New York Times article, printed on 5/18/08. 

(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/sports/othersports/18duke.html?_r=1&ref=sports& 

oref=slogin) The Duke squad also sponsored a U.S. Army unit in Iraq through America 

Supporting Americans (www.asa-usa.org). The sponsored unit was Headquarters & 

Headquarters Company, 3 rd Battalion, 8 th Cavalry Regiment, 3 rd Brigade Combat Team, 

1 st Cavalry Division in Anaconda, Iraq.

Cemented as one of the top coaches in college lacrosse, John 

Danowski has helped lead the Duke men's lacrosse team to 

unprecedented success during his seven-year tenure. Danowski 

was introduced as Duke's eighth head men's lacrosse coach on 

July 21, 2006 and quickly led the Blue Devils to some of the 

most successful lacrosse seasons in school history and to a pair 

of NCAA Championships in four seasons. 

In Danowski's seven years at the helm of the Blue Devil 

lacrosse program, he has compiled an impressive 111-29 

record in leading Duke to six ACC regular season titles and 

four ACC tournament titles, seven appearances in the national semifinals, three in the 

NCAA title match and ultimately to the 2010 and 2013 national titles. A winner of 80 

percent of his games at Duke, the individual awards Blue Devil players have garnered is 

equally impressive. In only seven seasons, Danowski helped mentor 44 All-America 

selections, 22 All-ACC choices, two Tewaaraton Trophy winners, two USILA 

Attackman of the Year award recipients, a USILA Defenseman of the Year, a USILA 

Midfielder of the Year and 11 USILA Scholar All-America picks. 

Danowski, second among active coaches with 330 career victories, etched his name in the 

NCAA lacrosse records book in 2013 as he became the 11th head coach to win multiple 

national titles after he guide the Blue Devils to the NCAA crown with a 16-10 win over 

top-seeded Syracuse. 

Duke finished 2013 with a 16-5 record and a share of the ACC regular season title after 

starting the year 2-4 and falling out of the rankings. Under Danowski's expertise, the Blue 

Devils righted the ship and won 14 of its final 15 games of the season. The longtime head 

coach also became the first coach to lead his team to seven consecutive championship 

weekend appearances in his first seven seasons at the helm after Duke upended Notre 

Dame, 12-11. 

Duke landed seven players on the USILA All-America squads with Brendan Fowler and 

David Lawson leading the way with first team honors. Fowler also garnered the ACC 

Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the ACC in faceoffs and ground balls, 

while Lawson and Jordan Wolf joined him on the All-ACC squad. It marked the second 

straight season Duke had won the Defensive Player of the Year honor. 

After starting the year 2-4 and with reigning NCAA Champion Loyola and perennial 

power North Carolina on the horizon, the Blue Devils won nine straight to move back 

into the top 20 en route to taking home the ultimate prize. Duke won 14 of its final 15 

games of the season with the lone loss coming to No. 1 North Carolina. 

Following one-goal victories over Loyola and Notre Dame, the Blue Devils held off a 

feisty Cornell squad to earn a chance to play on Memorial Day for the third time under 

Danowski. After getting off to a slow start against top-seeded Syracuse, Fowler took over 

at the faceoff X, winning 13 straight draws to spark a 13-2 run that put Duke ahead 13-7.

Fowler won 20-of-28 faceoffs overall and was named to NCAA Championship's Most 

Outstanding Player. Wolf, Jake Tripucka and Lawson joined Fowler on the All- 

Tournament Team. 

Danowski's efforts were recognized nationally as he was picked as one of five nominees 

for the 2013 ESPY Coach of the Year. Duke's 111 wins since 2007 are the most by any 

program in that span. In addition, Danowski is just one of five active coaches to have 

won at least two NCAA titles in his career. 

The 2012 campaign was a memorable one for many reasons. The year saw Duke capture 

its fourth ACC Tournament title in six years, advance to the NCAA semifinal for the 

sixth consecutive season and Danowski win his third ACC Coach of the Year honor. 

The Blue Devils finished the season with a 15-5 record and earned both the ACC regular 

season and tournament crowns. Despite starting the season 3-3, Duke went 10-1 in the 

months of March and April to enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed. 

Duke upened perennial power Syracuse in the opening round before cruising past Colgate 

in the quarterfinal to earn a berth in the NCAA semifinals for the ninth time in program 

history and making Danowski just the second NCAA Division I men's lacrosse coach in 

history to advance to championship weekend in each his first six seasons at the helm of a 

program. 

The individual accolades flowed in for the Blue Devils as well in 2012 as CJ Costabile 

catpured a myriad of ACC and national awards. The long stick midfielder was named the 

ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, captured the Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. 

Award as the nation's top midfielder and became Duke's first winner of the Lowe's Senior 

CLASS Award. 

Senior Robert Rotanz etched his name in the Duke records book, becoming the first 

midfielder in program history to register 40 goals en route to earning USILA All- 

America first team honors. In addition, Jordan Wolf joined Costabile and Rotanz on the 

All-ACC team to become the first Duke player to garner All-ACC honors in his first two 

seasons. 

Overall, Duke landed five players on the All-America squads, while Costabile and 

Rotanz both earned Scholar All-America recognition. Always excelling in the classroom, 

Duke led the ACC once again with 14 All-ACC Academic selections. 

Under the keen eye of Danowski in 2011, the Blue Devils advanced to their fifth straight 

and seventh overall national semifinals and finished with a 14-6 overall record. Duke 

captured the ACC regular season title, going 3-0, which included a win over future 

NCAA Champion Virginia. The Blue Devils defeated Notre Dame, 7-5, to move into the 

NCAA Semifinal against Maryland.

He was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after 

capturing the regular season crown. Danowski mentored two All-ACC selections in 

Costabile and Jordan Wolf, while six Blue Devils captured All-America recognition. 

Justin Turri earned second team honors and Costabile, Zach Howell and Tom Montelli 

garnered third team accolades. Wolf and Robert Rotanz both brought in honorable 

mention nods. 

Off the field, Duke once again was the leader in the ACC. The Blue Devils led all squads 

with 14 players on the All-ACC Academic Team. Overall 27 players were named to the 

ACC Academic Honor Roll, nearly twice as many as the next closest ACC men's lacrosse 

program. Howell and Montelli both were selected as USILA Scholar All-Americans, 

marking the fifth straight year Duke has had at least one recipient of the award. 

In 2010, Danowski and the Blue Devils etched their names in the NCAA record book 

when they captured the program's first NCAA Championship with a 6-5 overtime victory 

over Notre Dame. With the departure of many top players, Duke followed 2010 with a 

thrilling 2011 season. 

The preseason No. 1 pick in 2010, Duke finished with a 16-4 overall record, winning 14 

of its final 15 games. Under Danowski's leadership in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue 

Devils outscored their opponents 55-32 and outlasted both Virginia and Notre Dame in 

heart-stopping one-goal victories on championship weekend. 

Much as he had done the previous three seasons, Danowski masterfully guided the 2010 

squad through the ups and downs of a season and tutored some of the top players in 

Division I lacrosse. Under his watchful eye, senior attackman Ned Crotty cemented 

himself as one of the top Blue Devil players in program history en route to winning the 

2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, the top prize in college lacrosse, and being selected No. 1 in 

the Major League Lacrosse draft. 

In all, Danowski coached five All-America selections in 2010 with Crotty taking home 

first team honors for the second straight seasons. The Blue Devils landed three players on 

the All-ACC squad and five on the NCAA All-Tournament Team under the longtime 

coach's tutelage. In the annual Major League Lacrosse draft, Duke set a benchmark with 

three players going among the top four picks as Crotty went No. 1, Max Quinzani at No. 

3 and Parker McKee in the No. 4 spot. 

Arguably, one of Danowski's best coaching performances came in the 2009 season after 

the departure of the NCAA leading scoring duo of Matt Danowski and Zack Greer. The 

Blue Devils surprised some as they ran their way to a 15-4 record, an ACC title and a bid 

to the NCAA Semifinals. 

Under the guidance of Danowski, Crotty introduced himself as one of the top attackers in 

the country as he garnered the USILA's Attackman of the Year award as well as the ACC 

Player of the Year honor.

Danowski mentored five All-Americas, two All-ACC honorees as well as the USILA's 

pick for attackman of the year in 2009. The squad was also highly successful in the 

classroom as 12 players earned a place on the All-ACC Academic Team. Twenty-eight 

players overall achieved a 3.0 grade point average for the 2008-09 academic year to lead 

all ACC lacrosse programs and Max Quinzani picked up his second career ESPN The 

Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America award. 

In 2008, he guided the team to an 18-2 overall record, the ACC regular season and 

tournament championships and the squad's second consecutive appearance in the national 

semifinals. He coached nine All-Americas, including three first-team honorees, the 

USILA Player of the Year as well as the USILA's picks for attackman and defenseman of 

the year. 

The Blue Devils achieved an equal amount of success in the classroom under Danowski's 

watch as 15 players earned a spot on the ACC All-Academic Team and Quinzani 

collected ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Duke also 

garnered the ACC Sportsmanship award during the 2008 season. 

In his first year at the helm of the Blue Devil program, Danowski guided Duke to the 

finest season in school history. The Blue Devils went 17-3, captured both the ACC and 

regular season championships, earned the program's first number one seed in the NCAA 

Tournament and advanced to the national title game. 

For his efforts, he was named the ACC Coach of the Year as well as the Person of the 

Year by US Lacrosse. The 2007 campaign yielded four first team All-America honorees 

while attackman Matt Danowski was the consensus national player of the year. 

A veteran coach entering his 25th season as a collegiate head coach in 2007, Danowski 

spent 21 campaigns (1986-06) at Hofstra, compiling an overall record of 192-123 (.609) 

with eight conference championships, eight NCAA Tournament bids and 17 final 

national rankings among the top 20 teams in the nation. 

Danowski's impact on the Duke program was immediate as the Blue Devils posted a 

cumulative grade point average of 3.45 in his first semester at the helm. In addition, the 

team provided over 500 hours of community service during the semester, continuing 

Danowski's philosophy of college student-athletes taking advantage of the full 

experience. 

"The coach-player relationship lasts a lifetime - so much more than two hours every 

afternoon," said Danowski, the 1993 NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year who 

led Hofstra to eight conference championships. "It would be a disservice to the young 

men in the Duke program if we didn't care about their futures. To take advantage of the 

opportunity to teach life lessons is a goal of ours.

"I have learned the importance of adapting to the talent you have on the field," Danowski 

said. "You can't put a square peg into a round hole. I am a firm believer in taking what 

you have and finding the best way to be efficient with that group." 

The 2006 season marked Danowski's best in a successful tenure at Hofstra as the Pride 

matched an NCAA single-season record with 17 victories against just two defeats. In 

addition, Danowski's squad captured the Colonial Athletic Association championship, 

finished the regular season ranked number two in the national poll and advanced to the 

NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. The 17 wins and .895 winning percentage also set 

Hofstra single-season team records. 

Danowski guided the Pride to East Coast Conference crowns in 1988 and 1989, and he 

was honored as the NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year in 1993 after leading 

Hofstra to the national tournament for the first time since 1978. The 1995 and 1996 

seasons yielded North Atlantic Conference titles for Hofstra, and Danowski then led the 

Pride to America East Conference championships in 1997, 1998 and 2000. 

Having directed the Pride to a record of 71-16 in regular season conference games with 

nine league MVPs and 90 all-conference picks, Danowski is the only lacrosse coach in 

Hofstra history to win an NCAA Tournament game (4-8 record), including a 2001 first 

round contest in which the Pride rallied from an 11-7 deficit with seven goals in the 

fourth quarter against Virginia en route to a 15-14 overtime win over the Cavaliers. 

Hofstra's first tourney win was in come-from-behind fashion as well as the Pride 

outscored Massachusetts 6-3 in the second half for a 9-8 victory in 1993. 

The Danowski Era at Hofstra produced 34 USILA All-America selections including first 

team choices Brian Spallina (2000), Doug Shanahan (2001), Nicky Polanco (2002), Brett 

Moyer (2006) and Chris Unterstein (2006). In addition, Shanahan was the recipient of the 

Tewaraaton Trophy as the nation's top player in 2001. As well, Hofstra has sent 30 

players to the annual North-South All-Star Game since 1986, with Shanahan (2001) and 

Moyer (2006) earning game MVP honors. Former Hofstra standout Blake Miller, a 

member of the 1998 United States squad that captured the world title and the 2004 MLL 

Offensive Player of the Year, Polanco and Shanahan are currently playing for the United 

States squad at the International Lacrosse Federation World Championships in Ontario, 

Canada. Polanco is a two-time MLL Defensive Player of the Year (2004 & 2005) while 

Shanahan was the MVP of the 2002 ILF World Championships in Perth, Australia. 

Prior to his stint at Hofstra, Danowski spent three seasons as the head coach at Long 

Island University-C.W. Post, helping the Pioneers to a 27-16 (.628) ledger from 1983-85. 

He received his start in coaching in 1982 as an assistant coach at LIU-C.W. Post in 1982. 

With four conference coach of the year awards to his credit, Danowski was inducted into 

the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001. He is a three-time winner of the Joseph 

"Frenchy" Julien Sportsmanship Award (1988, 1989 & 1994) presented by the 

Metropolitan New York Officials Association and received the James Adams

Sportsmanship Award from the National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials Association in 

1994. 

A 1976 graduate of Rutgers University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 

environmental science/education, Danowski was a four-year letterman in lacrosse and 

continues to hold several Scarlet Knight records. He established school single-game 

records for assists (13 vs. Penn State, 1973) and total points (14 vs. Penn State, 1974) and 

a single-season standard for assists with 54 in 1973. He currently ranks second on 

Rutgers' all-time list for assists (120) and is eighth in total points (177). Danowski, who 

helped the Scarlet Knights to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1973 and 1974, was a 

three-time recipient of the program's Sasser Award, an honor presented annually to the 

team's leader in assists. 

Born March 12, 1954 in Bronxville, N.Y., Danowski went on to earn a master's degree in 

counseling/college student development from LIU-C.W. Post in 1978. 

Danowski's father, Ed, was an All-America halfback on the gridiron at Fordham in 1932 

and 1933 who later starred for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The 

elder Danowski led the NFL in passing in 1935 and 1938, earning All-NFL honors in 

both of those seasons, and guided the Giants to league championships in 1934 and 1938. 

He later served as the head football coach at his alma mater from 1946-54. 

Danowski and his wife, Patricia, have two children, Kate, a former lacrosse letterwinner 

and 2005 graduate of Quinnipiac University, and Matt, a 2008 Duke graduate, a former 

captain of the lacrosse program and current assistant coach for the Blue Devils.

Duke Lacrosse Update - Duke University Athletics

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