Class of 2023

 The Ohio Lacrosse HOF Class of 2023

• Joe Breschi - Coach, The Ohio State University
• Kevin Ferry - Coach, Mariemont High School
• Brett Harper - Player, Upper Arlington High School and University of Maryland
• Christy Finch Leach - Player, Hudson High School, Northwestern University
• Joel Miller, Player, Worthington Kilbourne HS and University of North Carolina
• Pat O'Brien - Contributor, Medina and North Coast
• Megan Mirick Weber - Player, The Ohio State University

Joe Breschi's coaching philosophy is summed up in three words....

FAMILY • ACADEMICS • LACROSSE

There is no doubt that Joe Breschi raised the profile of Buckeye lacrosse across the nation. In Breschi's 11th season at OSU, the Buckeyes enjoyed their most successful campaign in history. Ohio State won its first NCAA Tournament game by defeating No. 8-seeded Cornell 15-7 in the NCAA first round on the Big Red's home field. The Buckeyes shared the GWLL regular-season title and reached the finals of the GWLL Tournament.

Four Buckeyes were named All-Americans in 2008, including second-team attackman Kevin Buchanan, who was also the fifth pick in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse draft. Four Buckeyes were GWLL first-team selections in 2008, and another four were second-team choices. He coached Ohio State players to 128 academic All-Big Ten honors and 217 Ohio State Scholar-Athlete awards in his 11 seasons at Columbus. Breschi was a three-time GWLL coach of the year selection in 1999, 2003, and 2004.

Breschi was more than just the Ohio State coach during his time in Columbus. He gave countless hours to help grow the game in Ohio, making time for meetings with high school coaches and players at clinics and camps around the state. Lacrosse in Ohio is stronger because of Joe Breschi’s time here. 

His 15 years as the head coach of the North Carolina Tarheels includes an NCAA National Championship in 2016, and he recorded his 150th win with the Heels this season. 

Kevin Ferry has recorded 175 wins as the Mariemont High School Girls Lacrosse coach where he has coached for 15 seasons. Ferry who was part of the first season of lacrosse at Archbishop Moeller High School his senior year, first coached at Mariemont from 2005-2013. Since his return to the program in 2018, Mariemont has been one of the elite programs in the State of Ohio. The Warriors won State Championships in 2018, 2021 and 2022. He was named NFHA Ohio Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2022. He has been named the Cincinnati Enquirer Div. II Coach of the Year four times. His winning percentage through 2022 is 75%.  He has served on the USA Lacrosse All American Committee. Kevin is also very active with Youth Lacrosse in the Cincinnati area hosting both summer and winter clinics.  He is the Latin teacher at Mariemont High School and a member of the American Classical League. 

Brett Harper was top defender and LSM at Upper Arlington High School from 1997-99. His teams won both the Midwest and OHSLA Championships in ’97 and ’98 and the Midwest in 1999. He was selected as an All-American in 1999 and played in both the Ohio High School and North/South All Star games. Brett was the Ohio Player of the Year, Midwest Player of the Year and was the winner of the Larry Harmon Outstanding Defenseman award. He took his outstanding defensive skills to the University of Maryland  where he was a three year starter and was named a college All American in 2003 as a player and was also named USILA Scholastic All American.  He was the Terps Captain in 2003 and lead them to a Final Four appearance. At Maryland he received the Daniel Slafkosky Coaches Award for the “Best Work Ethic Over a Career.” After graduation, Brett served as an Assistant Coach for Upper Arlington from 2004-2010. He founded the Big Sky Lacrosse Camps in Columbus. 

Brett, his wife Sarah and their two sons live in Upper Arlington. 

A decorated student-athlete, at both Hudson High School and Northwestern University, Christy was the consummate  defender with speed, power and agility. She helped lead the Wildcats to four straight national championships from 2005 to 2008. Finch was named as the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) National Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, earning first-team All-America honors in each season. Northwestern posted an 83-3 overall record and was a perfect 43-0 at home during her career. As a senior Leach was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the top male and female collegiate lacrosse players in the country. She received both the Big Ten Medal of Honor and the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2008.

Prior to becoming the Head Coach at Stetson University, she was an assistant at Ohio State, Leach administered and organized all aspects of recruiting, while supervising the rest of the coaching staff, in addition to developing tactics and in-game strategies. Over the last four seasons, Ohio State was consistently ranked in the Top 20, including a No. 10-ranking during the 2014 season. 

  Joel Miller started his career at Worthington Kilbourne High School as a midfielder. He was selected as a high school All American in 1998 and played in the North/South All Star game. He help the Wolves to OHSLA Regional Championships from 1996-98. He was the Kilbourne Single Season record holder for both points and scoring. He was a member of the USA Lacrosse U-19 team in 1999 that won the World Championship in Adelaide, Australia. 

He took his considerable skills to the University of North Carolina, where he was awarded the Jay Gallagher Award as the Tarheels Most Valuable Freshman.  He led the Tarheels in both Take-aways and ground balls in both his Freshman and Sophomore years, before suffering a career-ending injury.

Joel remains involved in the game as a coach with the New Albany Youth Lacrosse program.  Joel and his wife Hilary and their three sons live in New Albany. 

  Since his playing days at Ohio State, Pat O’Brien has been “Mr. Lacrosse” in northeastern Ohio. He became an NCAA and OSHLA official in 1981. He started boy’s lacrosse programs at Walsh Jesuit High School and Medina High School. During his time at Medina his teams were in the “Final Four” five straight years, culminating with the D-2 State Championship in 2003, In 2007 he began working with the Medina Youth Lacrosse program. From 2005-2008 he severed the OHSLA as a Deputy Commissioner for the North region. When the sport was recognized by the OHSAA, Pat continued to serve as a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Advisory Board and was the Certified Officials Assigner, a position he still holds today. 

In 2017 he was named the USA Lacrosse North Coast Chapter “Man of the Year” and in 2019 he was inducted into the North Coast Chapter Hall of Fame. Pat continues to be a fixture at clinics and camps throughout the State of Ohio. Pat’s love of the game can be summed up in one line from his HOF Application form. “If not for lacrosse and all of the gifts it has given me, I wouldn’t have been the person I am today.” Pat O’Brien, a former Ohio State “walk-on” who became a three year letter winner and starter has been a major contributor to the growth of lacrosse in Ohio for over 40 years.  Pat and his wife Gayle currently live in Medina,

  Megan Mirick Weber is one of the most decorated OSU women’s lacrosse players in the program’s history. A four-year letterwinner, as a senior Mirick was the American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Year and the program’s first first-team All-American. She was also a finalist for the Ohio State University Lacrosse Player of the Century award. Mirick concluded her career with the most goals (143) in Ohio State history and second in career scoring (182). She also had the most goals (53) and third-most points (59) in a single season. During her time at Ohio State, she was a three-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and an Academic All-American Lacrosse Conference honoree. Mirick joined the Ohio State coaching staff following her playing career. She was inducted into the Ohio State University Hall of Fame in 2008.

  The Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction banquet will be held on June 10, 2023 at the Ohio Union on the Ohio State University campus.  The banquet is open to all lacrosse fans.  In addition to honoring our Class of 2023, the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame will also continue its tradition of honoring Ohio's boys and girls  High School All Americans.

Banquet tickets are $65 and must be purchased online. 

The 2023 Banquet is SOLD OUT