2024 Hall of Fame Dinner
November 10, 2024 - SPORTSFIVE REPORT: The Greater Rochester Chapter of USA Lacrosse held their thirtith Hall of Fame dinner Friday night at the Harro East Ballroom in Rochester.
Teammates, friends and family along with many members of the Hall of Fame, gathered to induct five individuals, and one team into the Greater Rochester Lacrosse Hall of Fame Class of 2024. They were welcomed by Chapter Past President Scott Schwind.
After dinner, Master of Ceremonies Mike Riordan welcomed the fans and families and introduced sixteen current Hall of Fame members in attendance which included Frank Mangione (2001), Paula Summit (2004), Harry Queener (2004), Paul Wilson (2005), Dave Moore (2006), Bill Meagher (2007), Mark Rice 2008), Mike Simon (2009), Rob Randall (2011), Patty Queener (2012), Scott Schwind (2014), Mike Riorden (2016), Tim Pease (2017), Pat Dutton (2017), Terry Cotton (2018), Jim Paris (2019), and Peter Milliman (2023).
Master of Ceremonies, Mike Riorden began the ceremony and spoke of the loss of Jody Rose last year and how friends set up a "Medicine Game" to honor, heal and celebrate his life. "A few days before he died, a few of us asked what we could do for him, and he replied You know what I would like.... I would like you to have a big party." With over one hundred people registering and eighty showing up, the game was held. Mike pointed out that Dan Witmer, who was present at the HOF banquet, wrote a wonderful "Road Trip Dad" story about that game.
Mike Riorden reviewed each inductee's accomplishments as the audience followed along in the program. The inductees then gave their speeches and received their awards. (program available here). Pictures from the event.
Peter Milliman
Player / Coach
Highlights:
- Attended Brighton High School.
- At Gettysburg, he was a three-time All-American and was second in points (232), fifth in goals (138), and third in assists (94).
- Head Coach Johns Hopkins (2021-Present).
- Head Coach Haudenosaunee Nationals Sixes (2022).
- Assistant Coach US Indoee National Team (2019).
- Associate Head Coach at Cornell (2015-2017).
- Head Coach Russion National Team (2014).
- Assistant Coach at Princeton (2013).
- Head Coach At Pfeiffer (2009-2012).
- Coached at RIT (2006-2008).
- Coached at Siena (Assistant 2007).
- He played for the Rochester Rattlers from 2004-2008.
- He was inducted into the Upstate New York Chapter Hall of Fame in 2018.
Peter was selected for the Class of 2023, but due to a knee replacement, was unable to attend. In his speech, he congratulated all of the other honorees, and then "the most important person is in room", his mother "who is videotaping this." He then went on to list a myriad of people who helped him through the years and "who created many memories through the years. Rochester is a great place to from." He then introduced two of his children, Reese (6) and Lake (4) who had accompanied him to the podium and suggested that they are the future.
Courtney Gibbons
Player / Coach
Highlights:
- At Fairport High School:
- Five year Varsity player.
- Two-time All American (2001-2002).
- Three Year captain.
- Monroe County Co-Player of teh Year (2002).
- Four-time first team All-County.
- Career Stats: 308 goals, 96 assists, 404 points.
- At St. Bonaventure University:
- Four-year starter.
- Two-year captain.
- Program leader in Draw Controls (195).
- Career Stats: 108 goals, 40 assists, 148 points.
Coaching:
- George Mason HS (now Meridian High School Head Coach 2008-2023 Inducted into the George Mason Hall of Fame.
- Virginia 4A State Champions (2017).
- District Champions 2010, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023.
- Coach of the Year: 2010, 2014, 2017, 2021, 2022.
- Assistant Coach at Victor High School in 2007.
Courtney had a long list of people to thank starting with her a family and especially one brother with a short attention span who helped to get her started. She thanked her parents for their great support and for providing so many opportunities. "When it came to sports, you knew just the right balance between supporting us, listening, and giving advice." Lacrosse became her passion in second grade. "Fairport Lacrosse was the reason I fell in love with the sport. We had great coaches who taught us the game and emphasized the importance of hard work, dedication and being a winner." After speaking about her love of the coaching side of lacrosse, she thanked her partner, John, for listening to "my lacrosse talks for the last eleven years and many nights of venting."
Alan McLiverty
Official / Administrator
Highlights:
- Played high school lacrosse at Yorktown High School.
- Thirty years as Boys High School Official:
- 1995-1997 - Central Ne Jersey Association.
- 1997-2000 - Northern California Association.
- 2000-Present - Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association.
- Twenty-five years as Mens College Official (NILOA):
- Pittsford Community Lacrosse Vice President (2009-2011).
- Greater Rochester Chapter of USA Lacrosse:
- Boys Official Liason (2007-2012).
- Vice President (2012-2014).
- President (2014-2021).
- Shootout for Soldiers:
- 2017-Present. Board Member/Organizer/Assignor.
Mike then introduced Al McLiverty, suggesting that he was anticipating a characteristically complete acceptance speech from him and the room was not disappointed as Al started with his introduction to lacrosse the in high school cafeteria and then through the next thirty years. When a senior asked if he had ever seen a lacrosse game and Al said no, the senior said, "you must be a defenseman. I ended up playing in the first lacrosse game I ever saw." After about a fifteen-year break Al saw an advertisement in a New Jesey paper, looking for officials which started his career in officiating. He spoke about his time helping the Pittsford youth lacrosse program and then spoke of his time helping the Chapter in a number of roles. He finished his speech, talking about his continuing interactions with the Shootout for Soldiers (Canandaigua) program which has had raised over four hundred thousand dollars over the years.
Brice Queener
Player / Coach
Highlights:
-At Penn Yan High School:
- NYS Lacrosse Championship (2001).
- All-American (2001).
- Four-time Sectional Championships.
- Five-time Finger Lakes Champions.
- All-time Assists Leader and All-time Midfield Scoring leader.
- At Georgetown:
- Four NCAA quarterfinal appearances
- Played in every game of career.
- Professional Career:
- Associate Head Coach Denver Women (2019-2024).
- Co-Head Coach USA Women's Select U-18 Team.
- Head Coach Southwestern (2018-2019).
- Assistant Coach Fresno State. First winning season.
- Started Womens program at Rhodes College and won two SAA Championships.
- Founded the Womens program at the Hill Academy.
- Assistant Coach at Siena and Binghamton.
- Drafted by MLL Rochester Rattlers.
- Played for Hamilton Nationals including the title game in 2011.
- At Denver, won the first Big-East tournament in program history.
- Made final four in 2022 as the first team west of the Mississippi to do so.
- Coached over twenty NCAA All-Americans while at the Hill Academy.
- Member of the USA Box team (Bowhunter Cup).
- Three-time Lake Placid Champion.
- Three-time Tremper Championship (2019-2020).
- Three-time Wash Park Legend.
Brice started his comments with the statement "We are all #blessed... I have been blessed to be able to play and learn from the best people in the world." Coming from such a dynamic family, where the game has been such a dominant part of their lives, he was greatly affected by the work his mother, hall of famer, Patty Queener, put in to get a lacrosse team for girls. "As a fifth grader, I always thought that I would coach boys lacrosse and football, but I watching what she went through..." he became a women's coach. He picked out high school, and hall of famer, Brian Hobart, stating "he just did an unbelievable job of making kids feel happy and wanting to be there."
Steve Trombley
Equipment Maker
Highlights:
- Never played High School or College lacrosse
- President of Penn Yan Youth Lacrosse League
- Long-time Penn Yan youth coach
- Began making lacrosse goals out of muffler pipe that turned into a lifelime business.
- Inventor of the Lacrosse Bounce Wall.
- Goals used in World Games.
- Over twenty years of goals used in NCAA tournaments.
- Owns several patients for lacrosse training systems
- HotbedLacrosse.Com
- Played in High Peaks Lacrosse games.
Mike Riorden introduced Steve Trombley, noting that the community of Penn Yan and lacrosse happens because there are so many people coming together. "If you drive around in Penn Yan and look in the back yards, you see goals, you see rebounders and buckets of balls. You see all the things that Steve has provided so they can take the knowledge that the Queeners and the Hobarts have given to these kids and to go home and practice." Steve thanked his family and friends noting "we all enjoyed this ride." He stated that "back in the nineties, Harry Queener came into my shop asking for a donation"... and later helped to sell the goals made from bending muffler pipe. After listing many lacrosse friends, he ended with "thanks for having me inducted" and finished with "hard work always pays off."
1996 Nazareth Team
Players / Coaches
Highlights:
Head Coach: Scott Nelson
Assistants: Kevin Cox, Brian Silcott, Joe Francher, Brian Sparks.
Team Members: Trent Brown, Mike Wilde, Garth Magowan, Brian Slaninka, Jeff Pross, Joel DePietro, John Burdett, Neal Powless, Craig DeVoe, Tom Campbell, Derek Goddard, Joe Spada, Scot Heister, Ben Wineburg, James Burdett, Tom Fritz, John Kramer, Brian Rogers, Chris Cooper, Ryan McDermott, Dan Garrett, Brent Rothfuss, Adam Civalier, Kirk Endres, Tim Borchert, Mike DeWall, Carmine Peluso, Brian Mural, Brandon Piccarreto, Chris Nadelen, Terry Goetz, Marcos Santana, Alex Ewing, Sean Kenneally and Chris Corcoran.
Managers: Tom Wjcikowski, Tom Phinney, Andy Capello.
Highlights: Undefeated season (15-0). NCAA D-III National Champions.
- Terry Goetz (All-American) scored the winning goal fourteen seconds into overtime to defeat Washington College.
- Goalie Ben Wineburg was the MVP.
Terry Goetz spoke for the 1996 Nazareth Lacrosse team. "It is not just lacrosse, it is bigger and better than that. We felt that. We felt that in Pittsford, and many Rochester fans treated us like celebrities." He spoke highly of hall of fame Head Coach Scott Nelson. "The bar was set so high for us and it has carried on for the rest of our lives." The standards produced many exceptional leaders and "they are kind, disciplined, and respectful people. That was because of the program that Scott Nelson built."
Other Hall of Fame Stories are available for - 2021 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017- 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008.
