"That’s what she (and he) said" – Highlights from the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation’s Hall of Fame Dinner

November 18, 2024

It looked like it would be a long afternoon last Sunday when ten inductees were introduced at the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation’s annual Hall of Fame dinner. The banquet room at Drumlins Country Club was packed with friends, family, and Upstate lacrosse legends – not to mention lacrosse junkies like this guy…

ULF President David Alexander welcomed everyone with some impressive numbers: 164 HOF inductees, 7 teams, and 3 contributors, all recognized over the past 35 years.

The emcee for the afternoon was Mario Sacco, sports anchor for News Channel 9. He introduced the recipients in the following order, and I took notes highlighting their acceptance speeches.

Tim O’Hara

Tim enjoyed All-American honors at both West Genesee HS and Syracuse University. When he was finished at SU, he left as the fourth-leading scorer in program history. He started his speech by reaching into his pocket for his glasses, but then admitted, “I don’t need my glasses; I didn’t write anything!” He thanked everyone for his HOF honor, and said “I love Central New York lacrosse.” He reminisced about his early days and falling in love with the game. “I drank the Kool-Aid,” he explained. “I spent hours playing wall ball – practice and practice and practice.” He commented about the maintenance needed on wooden sticks – the damage done on rainy days, and using popsicle sticks to re-shape the gut wall.

He finished his short speech by summarizing that “Upstate Lacrosse is just fabulous” and concluded by saying, “Raise your glass… a toast to good health!”

Mike Abbott

Mike is the fourth member of his family to be inducted into the Upstate Hall of Fame – his grandfather (Larry), father (Tom), and brother (Matt) were inducted in 2002, 2006, and 2021, respectively. He earned All-American honors at Nottingham HS and later at Cortland State, where he also helped win an NCAA D-III national championships in 2006. Since then, he’s spent the past 19 years coaching – at Cortland, Colgate, and UPenn.

The theme of Mike’s speech was gratitude, naming many different people who helped him throughout his career. He mentioned his Mom, his sister Melissa, the Mercers (his neighbors), the F-M youth program, Syracuse University, referees (as per “a contractual obligation”), his coaches, and teammates. He particularly singled out former Cortland head coach Steve Beville, who gave him his first taste of college coaching. Mike finished his speech by also thanking his wife Katie and son Max for their love and support.

Mike Branski

Mike began by calling out to longtime teammate, friend, and officiating partner Spike Decker, saying, “Spike, you’re right. This is intimidating!”

He played for his father, HOFer Matt Branksi, at Watertown HS before earning All-American honors at Cortland State in 1982. He coached briefly before getting into officiating in 1990. Since then, he has worked state playoffs, NCAA playoff games, and international championships.

Mike addressed the many coaches in the crowd, saying, “For years, I listened to you. For the next five minutes, it’s my turn!” He told stories about his late Dad, and the backyard battles with his brothers Mark and Tim and sister Cindy; he thanked his wife Kate and his daughter Elizabeth, and fellow Watertown lacrosse official Joe Escudero for encouraging him to start reffing. “He told me and Spike, ‘I showed you the ski slopes; I didn’t know you’d go to the Olympics!’” His final takeaway was the many relationships with refs, players, and coaches.

Brittany Brigandi

After an All-American scholastic career at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, Brittany went on to star at LeMoyne College, where she earned IWLCA Midfielder of the Year and NE-10 Player of the Year honors. After college, she worked for STX, Spectrum, and ESPN, and today is the Vice Principal of her alma mater, CBA.

She told the audience that “it’s surreal, and such an honor” to be inducted, and thanked her friends and family for pushing her and encouraging her to never give up. She especially thanked former teammates Kara Cannizzaro and Cathy Helmer for their love and support when she was going through rough times. She summed up her speech saying, “Lacrosse has taken me around the world; I hope young girls find the courage of the dream.”

Kara Cannizzaro

A two-time All-American at Cazenovia HS, Kara continued her lacrosse career at the University of North Carolina, where she set scoring and other statistical records and led the Tar Heels to their first NCAA championship. She was named Championship Game MVP, won the Honda Award for the national player of the year, was a Tewaaraton finalist, and was nominated for an ESPY Award.

In her acceptance speech, Kara thanked her family, especially her sister Chris and her brothers, Sean and Connor. She said how she is proud to be from Central New York, and that “it took a village” for her to get where she did. She also thanked her coaches – club, scholastic, and college, and explained that, in her current position at UNC (where she is assistant athletic director for NIL and Leadership), she deals with student-athletes from all over the country, and she finds time and time again that “We come into contact with elite athletes from all over, but Upstate student-athletes consistently show a resilience, a toughness, and a grittiness” like no others.

Greg Gephardt

A three-sport athlete at Bishop Ludden, Greg attended Nazareth College, where he was a two-time USILA All-American, two-year captain, and led the Golden Flyers to their NCAA D-III national championships in 1992. That same year, he was named D-III Goalie of the Year and USILA Player of the Year.

After graduation, Greg helped as an assistant at LeMoyne, volunteered with the Upstate Chapter of US Lacrosse, and coached with the Baldwinsville Youth Lacrosse Program. He has been named a Legend of Lake Placid, and is a member of the Nazareth Hall of Fame, the Greater Rochester Chapter of US Lacrosse HOF, and the Frontier Field Walk of Fame.  

Jumping into his introduction, Greg explained that he was going to be quick - he had to “keep it short; my son has to catch a flight,” and also joked, “I’m a goalkeeper from Ludden, and I got hit with a lot of lacrosse balls, so I don’t remember a lot.”

He went on to thank coach Bill Webster from Bishop Ludden (especially for talking him out of quitting) and Empire State Games coach Pete Fiorini, and then talked about his experiences at Nazareth. “It wasn’t about championships,” he explained. “It was the guys sitting next to me in the locker room… it’s not about what you do; it’s about who you’re with.” Greg also thanked his parents, his brothers John and Jason, his wife Lynn, and his children – Taylor, Ryan, and Emma.

Russ George

Russ George was a member of the LaFayette varsity team that went undefeated for 47 games back in the ‘60s and is a member of the LaFayette HOF (2017). In addition to a lifetime of coaching lacrosse, Russ played for the NLL Quebec Caribous in ’73-’74, when they won a Nations Cup league championship. He was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse HOF in 2001.

He started his speech by saying how proud he was to have played with some of the greatest, including Travis Cook (Oswego State ’78 and member of seven Halls of Fame). He listed his many stops - Lafayette, Onondaga Minors, Onondaga Sr. B, a “great team” at Oswego State, and the Quebec Caribous (NLL).

Russ talked about how box lacrosse has changed – how he never played the two-way system, how a field lacrosse defenseman once whacked him within an inch of his life before he “escaped,” and how every time a player steps on the floor, he’s tested, and he has to respond to that test. He said he always liked playing defense, and that his Dad told him if you want to play with the big boys, be willing to play defense. He also preferred defense to offense because, “it’s better to give than to receive.”

He mentioned how proud he was to have played for and coached with Louis Jacques, how they brought in non-Natives and taught them to play and love the box game. He mentioned that Gary Gait took his SU team to the Nation’s field house just last week to play box lacrosse, and how much fun his guys had.

Russ finished his speech by saying how proud he was to be a member of the Onondaga Nation, and of the Eel Clan, how proud he was to play the Creator’s Game, and how proud he was to share it.

Alison (Brown) Platz

After a stellar scholastic career at C-NS, Alison headed south to play at Old Dominion University. After graduation, she began a coaching career that included stops at Mercyhurst, Gannon, and Chardon (OH) HS. She is currently a coach and mentor for Maxim Lacrosse.

Alison looked out over the crowd at Drumlins and said, “and I thought coaching a high school team my first year was terrifying…!” She thanked a long list of people who helped her lengthy lacrosse journey, starting with her high school coach, Cindi Wetmore. Then she thanked her Mom – “she saved everything for me” and her Dad – “No one supported me more than my Dad.” She also thanked her husband Scott and their children, Peyton and Drew. Wrapping up her induction speech, Alison said, “this is one of the most humbling things ever.”

Jeremy Thompson

Jeremy Thompson won state titles at Lafayette, JUCO national championships at Onondaga CC, and earned All-American honors at Syracuse University. He has played in the MLL and NLL, and has played for the Haudenosaunee in international competition.

Unfortunately, Jeremy was unable to attend the ceremony, so his Mom Deloris accepted his award and spoke briefly about her son. She said he was “very sorry” he couldn’t be there for his induction, and beyond that, I had a tough time hearing the rest of her short speech. Afterwards, she told Doc Nelson that, “although Jeremy has won 12 championship rings, the award he is most proud of is the NLL’s  Sportsmanship Award” and his Dad Jerome added, “He plays with a good mind.”

2004 LeMoyne College men’s lacrosse team

In 2004, the LeMoyne Dolphins finished the regular season undefeated at 14-0, outscoring their opponents 229-67. After defeating New York Tech in the D-II semifinal, they came from behind to beat Limestone 11-10 in overtime, winning the College’s first-ever NCAA national championship.

Accepting the team’s Hall of Fame honor was Dan Holdridge, a senior on that championship team. He congratulated the other inductees and thanked the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation for the HOF nod – but he didn’t stop there. Dan went on to thank referees; Ron, the Dolphins’ bus driver back in 2004 (“He gave us motivational speeches like no one else”); assistant coaches; head coach Dan Sheehan; and even team athletic trainer, Mike Wilson (“Whenever we needed Willy, he was there for us”).

Dan credited the 2004 Dolphins with being a true Upstate team – 31 of the 34 players on the roster hailed from Upstate New York. “That team was not special,” Dan explained. “What we were was hungry, and we were one.”

In closing, Dan had two requests of those seated in the ballroom. “Reach out to an old teammate, neighbor, or friend.” Then he pledged the LeMoyne team’s support to “help feed the hungry –  lacrosse is a gift to be passed along,” promising to help enable ten players from the Onondaga Valley Lacrosse Association to play the game – and asked others to do the same. “Stay hungry,” he concluded.

The afternoon moved along faster than I had expected, and sure enough, the event lasted from 1-5 PM, just as advertised. It was great seeing so many familiar faces, and chatting about Lake Placid, Oswego State, reffing, Witmer Solutions, Brian, Eric – and the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation, of course.

The food was very good, the sound system was effective, and the room was packed. Congrats to ULF President David Alexander, Board member Doug Rowe, and everyone else connected to the induction ceremony for giving Upstate an event and a tradition we can all be proud of.

Thanks for reading. Please consider subscribing at roadtripdad.com to receive weekly RTD newsletters via email. It’s free – really! No fine print; no catches.

In the meantime, please drive carefully, everyone – and put down those cell phones! Volunteer. Donate blood. Get your shots; get your boosters. Love your neighbor. Help someone in need, and always take care of your crew! 

But most importantly, stay safe, stay smart, and stay kind.

- Dan Witmer 

daniel.witmer@oswego.edu

Dan is currently the author of four books. The Best of Road Trip Dad – The Laker Lacrosse Collection  is an accumulation of 45 articles written for www.JustLacrosseUpstate between the years 2012 and 2018, about the history and traditions, the people, and the stories of the Oswego State men’s lacrosse program. … and piles to go before I sleep – The Book of Wit is his memoir describing his 33-year career teaching HS English and coaching at Hannibal Central School. His third book, The Best of RTD – A Lacrosse Coach’s Handbook contains more than 55 weekly Road Trip Dad blogs spanning 2012-2020, featuring Xs and Os, highs and lows, and even some Dos and Don'ts, and plenty of advice for coaches of all levels. His latest book, The Best of Road Trip Dad – On the Shoulders of Giants: Upstate’s Lacrosse Founders and Legends, profiles more than 50 icons who helped grow the game in Upstate NY. All four books are available at www.amazon.com.

Dan grew up in Lynbrook, NY before coming to Oswego State to earn his teaching and coaching certifications. He then taught English at Hannibal High School for 33 years before retiring in 2015.

In addition to coaching the Oswego State Laker men’s lacrosse team part-time from 1982-2010, Dan also coached JV and varsity girls’ soccer at Hannibal for 16 years, girls’ ice hockey at Oswego HS for 8 years, and boys’ JV and varsity lacrosse at Oswego HS for 12 years. 

Dan is now in his 18^th year assisting Summit Lacrosse Ventures with their various tournaments, especially the annual Lake Placid Summit Classic, and he worked for 3d Lacrosse for three years as well. He has served on the staffs of the 2014 FIL World Games in Denver, the 2015 FIL Indoor Championships in Syracuse, the 2018 FIL World Games in Netanya, Israel, the 2022 U21 World Championship in Limerick, Ireland, and the World Lacrosse Championships in San Diego in 2023. He was the game ops staff director for the World Lacrosse Men’s and Women’s Box Championships in Utica in September of 2024. This year he created Witmer Solutions LLC, a lacrosse event staffing and internship offering service that he hopes will get his foot – and others’ – in the door at lacrosse events worldwide. 

Dan served as the Community Service Coordinator for the Oswego State athletic department from 2010-2023 and has been a certified lacrosse referee for the past seven years. He has also been the Volunteer Event Organizer for the annual St. Baldrick’s fundraiser in Oswego for the past 18 years, raising more than one million dollars for childhood cancer research.

In 2023, he returned to the Oswego State coaching staff as an assistant coach, where he currently serves as defensive coordinator and alumni liaison.

Dan and Sue Witmer live in Oswego, while their sons Brian and Eric are currently living in Prague and Denver.

The hope is for many more road trips to come.