The sports club was established in 1983 by former high school lacrosse teammates James Kircher and John Mahoney. They launched the team as freshmen, which they dubbed the Humboldt Hogs (later adopting the Lumberjack title in 1988). The Hogs went on to have a strong inaugural season, missing the playoffs by just one win.
The team operated without a coach, or league until 1985 when it was admitted into Division II of the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL). Since then, several players have earned All-American honors from organizations like the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
Some “Hogs” have taken their skills overseas to play in tournaments in Germany and Austria, and host lacrosse clinics in Italy, according to Tony Silvaggio, a Sociology professor who coached the team for more than a decade. Locally, Men’s Lacrosse hosted tournaments for teams across the Pacific Northwest and for Native Youth. Silvaggio is one of several team coaches to earn Coach of the Year recognitions from the WCLL throughout the team’s history; the award also went to Will Barton in 2013 and Danny Eggert in 2023. This year, the league named four Humboldt players to its All-Conference team.
Lacrosse is one of North America’s oldest team sports. Native people, including the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois people, have played the sport for hundreds of years, according to History. Today, it is known as the fastest game on two feet and one of the fastest-growing sports.
Community and camaraderie help define the game—especially for Humboldt Men’s Lacrosse. Team members have maintained a strong network with current and former players, even competing together at the annual High Sierra Lacrosse tournament in North Lake Tahoe this summer. In 2019, alumni established the Humboldt Lacrosse Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that supports the sport and its regional growth.
Team president and goalie Justin Juarez, a Criminology and Justice Studies student, was drawn to Humboldt because of its lacrosse program. Juarez, who played in high school and later coached the team, aimed to play at the collegiate level.
When he arrived in Humboldt last year, the support he found from his teammates surprised him. “I instantly felt like I was a part of the team, and I was eager to contribute to our squad,” he says.
What also became obvious was alumni's integral role in the Humboldt Men’s Lacrosse program.
“I was really shown this when a full team of alumni showed up to play in the annual alumni game in 2022,” he says. “This was my first alumni game experience, and it was quite memorable as we had a great come-from-behind win.”
On Nov. 4, current and former players reunited for the annual match and to celebrate the team’s 40th anniversary. Not only were the current players able to continue their winning streak, beating the alumni 12-7, they were able to “show the new players what they have to look forward to once they become alumni,” Juarez said.
More than 30 alumni showed up to play and watch the game, including members of the inaugural team. It was live-streamed for friends and family as far away as Australia.
“It was a physical game against the old Hogs but our current squad was able to extend our winning streak to two games against the alumni,” says Gus Johnson, who currently coaches the team alongside Danny Eggert.
The strong performance and a rapidly growing team have Johnson particularly excited for the season ahead. “We have high expectations for our team this coming spring,” he says.
The season kicks off Feb. 17 with a game against UC Santa Cruz at 6 p.m. in the Redwood Bowl. The 2024 schedule will be available here.
