NILOA is very proud to recognize its members for their positive contributions to the sport of lacrosse, and to recognize the schools which we officiate for upholding all we believe to be right about the sport we love.
Bernie Ulman Award
The Bernie Ulman Award recipient shall be an individual who has contributed to the continued success of intercollegiate lacrosse officiating and when applicable has made a meaningful contribution to the game of lacrosse.
Bernie Ulman Award Recipients
1994 - Charles Libby
1995 - William E. Scroggs
1996 - Harvey Cohen
1997 - Caleb R. Kelly, Jr.
1998 - Steven B. Stenersen
1999 - Phil Butafucco
2000 - Mitch Tullai
2001 - Eric Rudolph
2002 - Robert Duggan
2003 - John Hill
2004 - Craig “Tick-Tock” Tillman
2005 - Bob Sandell
2006 - Bob Patterson
2007 - Bob Schweitzer
2008 - Fred Zensen
2009 - Bob Schulte
2010 - Mike O’Malley
2011 - Chuck Cohen
2012 - John Gibbons
2013 - Chuck Winters
2014 - Dan Coronel
2015 - Ed Schreiber
2016 - Greg Simon
2017 - Keith MacFie
2018 - Brad Scibak
2019 - Wally Petry
2020 - J.D. Doyle
2021 - Phil DiDomenico
Frenchy Julien Award
The Frenchy Julian Award recipient shall be an active or past member of the NILOA, or prior to the formation of the NILOA an intercollegiate lacrosse official, who has contributed to the continued success of the NILOA and, when applicable, has made a meaningful contribution to the game of lacrosse.
Frenchy Julien Award Recipients
1994 - Henry “Hank” Molloy
1995 - Matt Swerdloff
1996 - Mike Collver
1997 - Jake Curran
1998 - Al Blau
1999 - Roy Condon
2000 - Jim Carroll
2001 - Mel Tomalty
2002 - Richard Tamberrino
2003 - Craig Brown
2004 - Bob Mauney
2005 - Bob Durland
2006 - Tim Cullen
2007 - Walt Munze
2008 - Jim Carboneau
2009 - David Seidman
2010 - Ray Buckle
2011 - John McGrath
2012 - Gary Alabaster
2013 - Bob Curcio
2014 - Butch West
2015 - Warren Kimber
2016 - Bob Schwalb
2017 - Eric Evans
2018 - Steve Miller
2019 - Noel Turner
2020 - Tom Sutton
2021 - Kevin O'Leary
"Jim 'Ace' Adams Team Sportsmanship Awards"
JIM 'ACE' ADAMS
Ace Adams attended St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, Maryland, where he was a four-year letter winner on the varsity lacrosse team. He then went on to college at Johns Hopkins University, where he played lacrosse as a midfielder, football as an end and quarterback, and basketball as a forward.
Adams played on the Blue Jays' national championship teams in 1947, 1948, and 1950. The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association named him an honorable mention All-American midfielder in 1948. The following season, the USILA named him to the USILA first team, and in 1950, to the third team. Adams participated in the 1949 and 1950 North/South Collegiate All-Star Games.
Adams began his coaching career at the St. Paul's School, where he served as the head lacrosse and football coach from 1951 to 1953. He also taught five classes each day, and from 1952, also served as the school's athletic director. After his stint at St. Paul's, Adams began working as an insurance salesman. He also continued playing lacrosse with the Mount Washington Lacrosse Club in Baltimore from 1951 to 1956. In 1957, he served as the club's head coach.
In 1958, he became the head coach of the Army lacrosse team at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, after its previous head coach, F. Morris Touchstone, died of a heart attack.
Adams coached the lacrosse team from 1958 to 1969 and also worked as an assistant athletic director. In his first season, he led the Cadets to a perfect record and Army was selected as the 1958 national champions. Against Duke, Adams played 33 different players in a failed attempt to hold down the score. Army won, 21–2. I
n 1961, in the first nationally televised lacrosse game, Army upset Navy, 10–8, to capture a share of the national championship alongside the Midshipmen. That season, Adams was awarded the F. Morris Touchstone Award as the USILA Coach of the Year. In 1969, the Cadets again defeated Navy to clinch a share of the national co-championship in Adams' final game at Army. The result was a 14–4 rout at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in front of 16,056 spectators.
After his daughter graduated from high school in 1969, Adams wanted to work close to where she attended college. They considered the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University, eventually choosing Penn because it offered a free tuition and $14,000 salary for its lacrosse coach.
Adams was the head coach at Penn from 1970 to 1978, which was a significant change from Army. Adams guided the Quakers to several top-10 rankings, including the No. 4 position in his final year.
Adams was then hired as Virginia's head coach. He remained in that position at Virginia from 1978 to 1992. During his tenure there, he led the Cavaliers to 12 NCAA tournament appearances and four semifinals appearances. Twice they finished as runners-up to the national championship. At the time of his retirement from coaching in 1992, he had the most wins of any active Division I lacrosse coach.
Adams was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1975.
Thru all of his coaching years Coach Adams taught his players how to be gentlemen, and to respect the game, your opponent and the officials. This was his true contribution the game.
Jim "Ace" Adams Award for Sportsmanship
The Jim "Ace" Adams Award for Sportsmanship is administered through each region/district and may be given to an institution serviced by the NILOA within the region/district. The recipient institution will be judged on behavior of coaches, players, fans, and facilities available to officials and administration of cooperation with officiating crews.
"NILOA Membership Awards"
NILOA recognizes its members who have served the sport of lacrosse as officials as their careers endure the test of time.
2021 Awards:
2020 Awards:
2019 Awards:
2018 Awards:
2017 Awards:
60-Year Award
Bill Mason
55-year Award
Al Blau
45-Year Award
Bruce Crawford
40-Year Award
Rob Wyman, Jay Liegy
35-Year Award
Mike Ferrarini, Kevin Colley
30-Year Award
Dan Murphy, John Price, Anthony Pironti, Andrew Still
25-Year Award
Mike Coleman, Gene Brown, Evan Carlson, Tucker Sargeant
20-Year Award
John Talmo, Mathew Croteau, Jason Costello, Tom Diamond, Bob Graham, Ray McDonald, Harold Buck, Russ Ramsey, Mark Harrison, Joe Cronin, Juarez Newsome, Jim Elliott
2016 Awards:
45-Year Award
Bob McLaughlin, Bob Paterson, Dave White, Jim O'Hara, Skip Spensieri, Ted Murphy
35-Year Award
Bill Devine, Buzz Lynn, Coz DeLillo, Dave Ellison, Dave Seidman, Hank Molloy, Jamie Stowell, John Sheehan, Keith Markey, Nick Tropiano, Steven Villareal, Tom Abbott, Tom Carr
30-Year Award
Bill Russell, Brian Mauney, Dick Pepper, Gary Gorman, Greg Grosgebauer, Jeff Thompson, Mark McCarter, Pete Weaver
25-Years
Craig Rogers, D Ray Tucker, Jim Shaler, Kevin Forrester, Mike Jennings
20-Year Award
David Thompson, Giovanni Possumato, Kevin Curley
2015 Awards:
50-Year Award
Nate Foote
45-Year Award
Roy Condon, Bruce Backus, Parker Simonds, Rod Korba, John Titus, Fred Zensen, Michael Flattery
40-Year Award
Bob Duggan, Paul Keating, Patrick Collura, Ron Ryback, Brad Scibak, Bill Ball, Mark Goldsmith
35-Year Award
Marty Topham, Gary Alabaster, Kevin Cooley, Tim Goodall, Kevin Woods, David Sloan, Anton Shulski
30-Year Award
Bob Curcio, Dennis Sayer, Bob Sutherland, Ken Rizzo, William Cumming, Guy Grosgebauer, Donald Gallagher, Robert Bowery, Fran Tarpey
25-Year Award
Kevin O'Leary, James Stewart, John Stiso, Michael Donnellan, Pete Almasy, Keith Runk, Jay Ferrell, Ty Wilkinson, Steve Dahl, J. D. Noll
20-Year Award
Mickey Blanchfield, Christopher Bynum, Bob Durland, Tim Lunn, Douglas Mauck, Chris Menzel, Don Phelan, Chris Brescia