The Stony Brook Seawolves men's lacrosse team represents Stony Brook University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college lacrosse. The Seawolves are led by Anthony Gilardi, who became the team's head coach prior to the 2020 season after eight seasons at Towson. Stony Brook currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association and plays its home games on Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Although a club team has existed since 1978, Stony Brook established a Division III program in 1983. Stony Brook entered Division I status in 1988. The team's most successful season came in 2010, when they were ranked in the top ten of the polls and appeared in their second NCAA Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals and losing 10–9 to Virginia at home at the doorstep of a Final Four appearance. Overall, the team has won six regular-season titles in its former home of the America East Conference and appeared in three NCAA Tournaments.
Team history
Pre-Division I era (1983–1988) Stony Brook University first fielded a men's lacrosse team in the 1983 season at the NCAA Division III level. Prior to that, a men's club lacrosse team had been started in 1978 by student Frank Ross. John Ziegler was the program's first head coach, going 30–10 over a span of three seasons. Before the 1986 season, Ziegler was replaced by Bruce Casagrande. Casagrande scheduled three Division I teams in 1986 and 1987, and Stony Brook defeated Ohio State 14–6 on March 21, 1987 at Huntington High School. Casagrande led the team during its transition from club status to official NCAA Division I program.
John Espey era (1988–2004) Head coach John Espey took over for Casagrande beginning in 1988. Under Espey, Stony Brook expanded its facilities, recruiting efforts, and strength of schedule in order to build the program. By 1998, the program had achieved full funding status, allowing it to allocate the NCAA maximum of 12.6 scholarships for current athletes. In 2000, Stony Brook joined the ECAC Lacrosse League, but the Seawolves only played two seasons in the conference. Stony Brook joined the America East Conference and played its first season there in 2002.
In the Seawolves' inaugural America East season, the team was picked to finish first in the conference preseason poll. Stony Brook headed into the America East Tournament at 8–6, and beat Hartford and Albany to reach the first NCAA Tournament in program history. In the first round of the tournament, Cornell ran away with a 12–3 victory to end the Seawolves' season with a 10–7 record.
Espey resigned in 2004 after 16 seasons as head coach. In his final two years, Stony Brook was eliminated in the America East semifinals both times.
Lars Tiffany period (2005–2006)
On August 10, 2004, Penn State assistant head coach Lars Tiffany was named as Espey's successor. Tiffany spent two seasons as the Seawolves' head coach and did not return to the NCAA Tournament in either season, losing to Albany in the America East finals in 2005 and in the America East semifinals in 2006. Tiffany left in August 2006 to accept the head coaching job at his alma mater, Brown University, going 18–13 in his two seasons at Stony Brook.
Rick Sowell era (2007–2011)
St. John's head coach Rick Sowell was named Stony Brook's fifth head coach on August 15, 2006. In Sowell's debut, the Seawolves lost at home 15–7 to the #8 Virginia Cavaliers. However, Stony Brook eventually won five games in a row and found themselves ranked as high as #18 in the polls. The Seawolves tumbled out of the rankings after suffering four conference losses, and took the fourth seed in the conference tournament, being blown out 17–5 by Albany in the semifinals to end their season at 8–5.
In 2008, the Seawolves finished 7–7 and suffered another semifinal loss to Albany. The 2009 season saw Stony Brook come closest to returning to the NCAA Tournament since their 2002 appearance, but the Seawolves ended the season at 9–6 after losing to #11 UMBC in the America East Championship.