University of New Hampshire Athletics
A Look Back at the 1985 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Champions
5/19/2020 1:32:00 PM | General, Women's Lacrosse
DURHAM, N.H. – Thirty-five years ago on this date – May 19, 1985 – the University of New Hampshire women's lacrosse team won the NCAA women's Division I national championship with a 6-5 victory against the University of Maryland.
That title capped an 11-3 season for the Wildcats, who were coached by Marisa Didio '78 and captained by Robin Balducci '85 (UNH's field hockey head coach) and Sarah Kittredge '86. That 1985 title team scored 163 goals (11.64 goals per game) and limited the opposition to 76 (5.43 goals/game).
CLICK HERE to watch players and coaches talk about that 1985 team, 35 years later.
In 1984, the UNH women's lacrosse team won the ECAC title, advanced to the NCAA tourney and finished with a 12-3 record. Many of those same players came back to Durham in the fall and played on the field hockey squad – also coached by Didio – that went 16-3-1 and lost in the NCAA second round.
There was a solid foundation for the 1985 women's lacrosse team. But most of the Wildcats were converted field hockey players. Not experienced lacrosse players akin to those at powerhouses Maryland, Temple and Penn State.
After a 15-9 loss to Maryland in the second game of the season, UNH won six consecutive games to improve to 7-1. The Wildcats then battled valiantly against the other two powers, but came up short against both Penn State (11-9) and Temple (4-3).
New Hampshire responded with a convincing 16-5 win against Loyola, and then dispatched UMass for the second time in the 1985 season with a 6-4 victory.
The 1985 tournament was just the fourth in NCAA history and only four teams received an invitation. Temple, the defending national champion, was the top seed with an unbeaten 17-0 record. Maryland, which lost to Temple in the '84 title game, was seeded second at 14-1. Penn State also earned a bid with a 14-3 record.
Those three teams were considered locks to advance to the NCAA tournament. And the fourth bid – it went to New Hampshire.
The Wildcats avenged its regular-season loss to highly-favored Temple with a dominant 7-3 victory. In the other semifinal, Maryland outlasted Penn State, 12-11 in triple overtime.
The championship game matchup was set, and once again the 'Cats were the underdogs.
UNH, with a nothing-to-lose attitude, was determined that there would not be a repeat occurrence of the regular-season matchup. The championship game was low scoring, as Anne Sherrer gave the Wildcats a 6-5 lead and the defense, anchored by Balducci in goal, preserved that one-goal lead the last seven minutes to become NCAA champions.
A feat never done before – or since – by a New Hampshire team.
In 1994, the 1985 women's lacrosse team, as well as Marisa Didio and Barb Marois, were enshrined in the inaugural class of the Wildcat Winners Circle (Hall of Fame for UNH women's athletics prior to the unification of the men's and women's athletic departments).
Since then, Sandy Vander-Heyden and Karen Geromini were inducted in 1995, Robin Balducci followed in 1998, Pauline Collins received the honor in 1999, and Katey Stone was enshrined in 2014.
1985 UNH women's lacrosse: NCAA CHAMPIONS
Front row: Sue Dooley '88, Karen Geromini '88, Sarah Kittredge '86, Robin Balducci '85, Emily Brown '89, and Mary Ellen Claffey '86.
Middle row: Lynne Viscio '86, Anne Sherrer '87, Kate Dumphy '88, Katey Stone '89, Patti Drury '88, Mary Rogers '86, and head coach Marisa Didio '78.
Back row: Heidi Pike '85, Wendy Crowe '87, Pauline Collins '87, Suzie Haynes '86, Sandy Vander-Heyden '87, Heather Reynolds '86, Barb Marois '86, and Laura Thompson '88.
That title capped an 11-3 season for the Wildcats, who were coached by Marisa Didio '78 and captained by Robin Balducci '85 (UNH's field hockey head coach) and Sarah Kittredge '86. That 1985 title team scored 163 goals (11.64 goals per game) and limited the opposition to 76 (5.43 goals/game).
CLICK HERE to watch players and coaches talk about that 1985 team, 35 years later.
In 1984, the UNH women's lacrosse team won the ECAC title, advanced to the NCAA tourney and finished with a 12-3 record. Many of those same players came back to Durham in the fall and played on the field hockey squad – also coached by Didio – that went 16-3-1 and lost in the NCAA second round.
There was a solid foundation for the 1985 women's lacrosse team. But most of the Wildcats were converted field hockey players. Not experienced lacrosse players akin to those at powerhouses Maryland, Temple and Penn State.
After a 15-9 loss to Maryland in the second game of the season, UNH won six consecutive games to improve to 7-1. The Wildcats then battled valiantly against the other two powers, but came up short against both Penn State (11-9) and Temple (4-3).
New Hampshire responded with a convincing 16-5 win against Loyola, and then dispatched UMass for the second time in the 1985 season with a 6-4 victory.
The 1985 tournament was just the fourth in NCAA history and only four teams received an invitation. Temple, the defending national champion, was the top seed with an unbeaten 17-0 record. Maryland, which lost to Temple in the '84 title game, was seeded second at 14-1. Penn State also earned a bid with a 14-3 record.
Those three teams were considered locks to advance to the NCAA tournament. And the fourth bid – it went to New Hampshire.
The Wildcats avenged its regular-season loss to highly-favored Temple with a dominant 7-3 victory. In the other semifinal, Maryland outlasted Penn State, 12-11 in triple overtime.
The championship game matchup was set, and once again the 'Cats were the underdogs.
UNH, with a nothing-to-lose attitude, was determined that there would not be a repeat occurrence of the regular-season matchup. The championship game was low scoring, as Anne Sherrer gave the Wildcats a 6-5 lead and the defense, anchored by Balducci in goal, preserved that one-goal lead the last seven minutes to become NCAA champions.
A feat never done before – or since – by a New Hampshire team.
In 1994, the 1985 women's lacrosse team, as well as Marisa Didio and Barb Marois, were enshrined in the inaugural class of the Wildcat Winners Circle (Hall of Fame for UNH women's athletics prior to the unification of the men's and women's athletic departments).
Since then, Sandy Vander-Heyden and Karen Geromini were inducted in 1995, Robin Balducci followed in 1998, Pauline Collins received the honor in 1999, and Katey Stone was enshrined in 2014.
1985 UNH women's lacrosse: NCAA CHAMPIONS
Front row: Sue Dooley '88, Karen Geromini '88, Sarah Kittredge '86, Robin Balducci '85, Emily Brown '89, and Mary Ellen Claffey '86.
Middle row: Lynne Viscio '86, Anne Sherrer '87, Kate Dumphy '88, Katey Stone '89, Patti Drury '88, Mary Rogers '86, and head coach Marisa Didio '78.
Back row: Heidi Pike '85, Wendy Crowe '87, Pauline Collins '87, Suzie Haynes '86, Sandy Vander-Heyden '87, Heather Reynolds '86, Barb Marois '86, and Laura Thompson '88.
UNH Women's Lacrosse vs Binghamton 4-19-25
Saturday, April 19
UNH Women's Lacrosse vs Cornell Highlights 3-31-25
Monday, March 31
UNH Women's Lacrosse vs Bryant 3 29 25
Saturday, March 29
UNH Women's Lacrosse vs UMBC 3-21-25
Friday, March 21