Herkimer Men's Lacrosse

Program History

The sport of lacrosse has deep roots at Herkimer County Community College. Two hundred years after the first recorded game of lacrosse was played in Herkimer, NY, the first lacrosse team was formed at HCCC by Tom LaPuma in 1976. Four years later, Cortland graduate Paul Wehrum took over the program.

Wehrum coached the men's team from 1980-2003, winning 21 consecutive NJCAA Region III championships and eight national titles. Coach Wehrum guided his teams to 59 straight wins setting a collegiate record featured in Sports Illustrated for this accomplishment. Coach Wehrum was the assistant coach for the 1998 USA World Team, winning the Gold Medal in the summer of '98 in what is still considered to be the greatest lacrosse games ever played.

In 1996, Scott Barnard, a captain of Herkimer's first undefeated national championship team in 1992, was hired as an assistant coach responsible for defense. Barnard helped Wehrum lead the 2003 team to a national championship. He then took over the reigns as head coach in 2004. Barnard led the 2005 team to a national championship, the ninth national title for the men's lacrosse program. In the fall of 2006, Barnard moved on to head coach of the men's lacrosse program at Hamilton College.

Former HCCC lacrosse standout Rich Dommer was hired in 2006 to take over as head coach.

Herkimer County and Lacrosse

Thursday, July 25, 1776

.In the afternoon the Indians had a general ball play - which is performed with sticks crooked at the end with which they strike, and the bend filled up with net-work, with these they knock the ball from one to the other. The game is won by one's knocking the ball such a number of times beyond the lines fixed upon the side of the antagonists. At this play were 15 or 20 of each side. The lines fixed were forty of fifty rods apart, and in knocking the ball they showed the greatest dexterity and no less activity and ability of body in continuing to run with great fury over the field for at least two hours, to the reproach of the luxurions whites who are bred in such a delicate and tender manner as to debilitate their constitutions, so as not to be able to endure such laborious exercise for even one half hour. O luxury! Thou general source of effeminacy in mankind, what havoc thou have made among the gayer part of the human race! For spectators at this mighty play were the Colonel, Chaplain and a number of other gentlemen.

Monday, July 29, 1776

.Two grand matches were made up between the Oneydas & Tuscaroras at Ball, or what the Scott's call Golf. Near 100 Dollars worth of ornaments were staked each time, which were gained by the Tuscaroras. The Oneydas had been used to beat them at all set matches for many years till this day. At these matches the Ornaments staked are generally collected from Women who generously give of their wampum, silver, Bead Bracelets, others their Earrings, nose-jewels & Pins. Others gave Necklaces, belts & all kinds of Indian-Ornaments. They are remarkably fair in their play. Nothing that has the appearance of Cheating nor any Wranglers are seen on these occasions.

The preceding excerpts are from the Journal of Lt. Ebenezer Elmer, 3 rd New Jersey Regiment Continental Line. He was stationed at what today is Herkimer, New York, in the summer of 1776 for the purpose of building Fort Dayton.

His writings of the soldiers watching lacrosse during their breaks from building the Fort are the first known accounts of lacrosse in Herkimer County and certainly depict one of the earliest known recordings of any sport being played in America. The actual site of Fort Dayton was at what is currently the historic four corners in downtown Herkimer.