Unbeknownst to many of today’s lacrosse fans, well before the United States began its domination of international women’s lacrosse, which now extends through four decades and includes winning nine of 11 world championships since 1982, the teams from the other side of the Atlantic reigned supreme.
Under the sponsorship of the United States Women’s Lacrosse Association (USWLA), one of the precursors to USA Lacrosse, the first U.S. squad travelled abroad in 1935, competing against established club teams during a tour in England.
That practice of international competition continued for the next several decades with additional U.S. teams travelling overseas for exhibition tours, or hosting visiting teams from primarily England or Great Britain. Traditionally, the Europeans always had the upper hand.
In 1973, the Americans finally had a breakthrough, defeating the visiting Brits for the first time. That milestone simply served as the foundation for what transpired two years later.
The 1975 U.S. Touring Team, featuring 15 players who were mostly recent college graduates, virtually balanced the ledger for the Americans, finishing with a perfect 13-0 record and beating both England and Great Britain on their own soil, a landmark achievement at the time.
“We had an amazing group of women who were just dedicated and focused,” said Leigh Buck Friedman, the leading scorer for the 1975 U.S. team and one of eight members who have been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. “We all just jelled amazingly well. We were a unified group.”
While finishing undefeated during its six-week tour of England and Great Britain, the Americans outscored their opponents by a cumulative score of 187 to 27 and posted four shutouts among the 13 victories. They capped their historic tour on October 25 with an 8-6 victory over a British all-star team in a nationally televised contest.
“By far and away, we were the most skilled American team the U.S. had ever put on the field,” said head coach Kathy Heinze.
The 17 members of that 1975 squad, including Heinze and umpire Dottie Hayden, have remained joined as one since their groundbreaking achievement. Reunions and celebrations through the years allow the team members to share their pride and memories, but more importantly, to celebrate life together.
“It’s so much more than lacrosse now,” Hayden said. “We pay attention to what’s happening in each other’s lives.”
What began as reunions for milestones like the 10th anniversary in 1985 and the 25th anniversary in 2000 have now given way to a completely difference cadence. After the 25th anniversary, the teammates started meeting in three year intervals. That eventually shortened into two-year cycles, and now, the group rarely misses a year without coming together.
“We have such a deep appreciation for each other that we knew we had to gather more frequently,” said Sally Wilson Owen, who was the team’s only goalie. “We consider each other to be sisters.”
They celebrated the 50th anniversary of their accomplishment with a reunion in September.
“This year, we reviewed a lot of materials from 1975 and discussed not only the significance of our victories but also the unique composition and personality of this team that made those possible,” said Connie Lanzl, who served as team captain.
From the beginning, this was a group that jelled very quickly, beginning with weekend practices and a training camp before embarking on the overseas tour.
“I think what made our group special was that we all knew our place on the team, and everybody did all that they could to fill their role,” Friedman said.
While one evening at each year’s gathering is dedicated to sharing memories and reminiscing about the 1975 tour, these days the ladies spend as much time catching up on the latest news about kids and grandkids and families. Mary Ann Smeltz has become the group’s unofficial secretary, circulating updates amongst the teammates throughout the year.
In recent years, the ladies have replaced games of catch with their wooden sticks to tossing the bags in corn hole, but they still enjoy incorporating some exercise and competition into their time together. Many also gather by Zoom on Tuesday afternoons throughout the year to share yoga or Pilates workout sessions, led by Janice Rensimer.
“It keeps us tied together,” Owen said. “We’re a group of people who just meshed together.”
Today, they still remain steadfastly proud of their landmark achievement of 1975, as they should, but seemingly just as proud of the sincere bond that has held them together for five decades.
“It’s unusual to have a group of people who are committed to each other on this level,” Hayden said. “We have friendships for a lifetime.”
