ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Three-time All-American and Navy lacrosse's all-time leading scorer Jeff Long will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Saturday along with Cherie Greer Brown (Virginia '94), Todd Curry (Syracuse '87), Patricia Price Genovese (coach), Kevin Lowe (Princeton '94), Jennifer Miller O'Donnell (official), Mark Millon (Massachusetts '93) and Jessica Wilk Strosberg (Maryland '90). The 52nd class will be honored at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md. For more information on the inducation ceremony, log on to www.uslacrosse.org(.)

"This honor is really about surrounding myself with great people - all of my teammates, my coaches, my family and my friends," said Long. "Any success that I have achieved is merely a reflection of others and the roles they've played in my life."

A member of the Class of '77, Long is the 13th Navy player to be inducted into the National Hall of Fame and the fourth in the last four years. One of the youngest Navy players in the National Hall of Fame, Long played for legendary coach Dick Szlasa, who under his direction, led the Mids to 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1973-82).

"Jeff was one of the most competetive athletes whom I have ever coached," said Szlasa. "He was an extremely unselfish player and was just as happy with an assist as he was with a goal. Jeff is a truly deserving inductee into the National Hall of Fame and I am pleased with his selection."

Long came to the Academy as a highly-decorated player out of Rochester, N.Y. where he garnered all-league recognition four years and was a two-time All-American while playing at Irondequoit High School. He continued that success at the Academy where he would flourish as one of the nation's premiere attackmen over a four-year span.

As a freshman in 1974, Long produced 38 points on 19 goals and 19 assists and led the Midshipmen to a 7-5 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. Though Navy would drop a tough 11-9 decision to third-ranked Washington & Lee in the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament, that squad has been remembered as the last Navy team to defeat Johns Hopkins. The Mids outlasted the Blue Jays, 13-12, and it was the heroics of Long that secured the win, as the rookie scored his only two goals of the game in the closing minutes of action.

A year later, Long garnered Third-Team All-America recognition after pacing the Midshipmen with 61 points on 27 goals and 34 assists. The Mids (10-5) would once again receive a postseason bid as the third-ranked team, but after defeating Penn (17-6) and upsetting Cornell (15-12), Navy found itself playing for the program's first NCAA title. Turning in 14 points among the three tournament games, including nine assists, Long remains Navy's record holder for single-season points and assists in NCAA Tournament play.

As a junior, Long provided the direction that led Navy to wins in each of its first seven games en route to a 10-3 record and a date to play Maryland in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Long increased his role as a play-maker even more, dealing out 43 assists throughout the year.

Among his best performances during his collegiate career was against Hofstra on April 17, 1976, where he dealt out a program-record nine assists, a mark that was later tied by Bruce Seitz (in 1983) but still stands today. By year's end, Long again led the Mids in scoring with 59 points and was acknowledged by the coaches for his efforts by being named a Second-Team All-American.

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2009-11-02