Past Hall of Fame Inductees

 The Ohio Lacrosse HOF Class of 2025

Kelly Gallagher Kusche – Tampa University

Cheryl Connolly Lewis – Denison University

Steve Nazaruk – Denison University

Elissa McCarthy Tessier – Denison University

Terry Saylor – Cleveland Heights

Dave Breschi – Denison University

Bear Davis – Ohio Machine 

Kelly, an exceptional player for Dublin Scioto ‘02 and Washington College ’06 went on to coach in college, cutting her teeth as an assistant with a number of institutions. In 2012 she landed the University of Tampa Head Coach position and quickly, as Tampa’s first coach, guided her team to a successful inaugural season in 2014, and she’s been with the Spartans ever since…winning! 

By her sixth season she had led her team to winning a program-best 14 games as it finished 14-4 in ‘19. She also led her team to a top 5 national ranking, climbing as high as No. 3 (5/3/19) and a 5-1 Sunshine State Conference record in capturing their first-ever SSC tournament championship. She was honored as the 2019 SSC Coach of the Year, her second consecutive season receiving this honor. She’d go on to earn another in ’23. Her team made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament that year, finishing the season ranked No. 7 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.

In 2024, Coach Gallagher helped guide Tampa to new heights, leading the program to a National title. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 19-3 and ranked as the nation’s top team which were both program bests. Kelly and her staff were named the IWLCA South Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year. Seven of her players were named IWLCA All-South Region, and four achieved All-American status.

In addition to coaching, Kelly currently serves as the IWLCA President. 

Cheryl, an accomplished high school player at the Berkshire School in Massachusetts, came to Ohio in 1990 to join Big Red…Denison University, where she was a four-year letter winner in both field hockey and lacrosse. She helped her lacrosse team win four straight NCAC Champions ‘91-‘94. In that time, Cheryl was an IWLCA Brine All Region, Brine All American, NCAC 1st Team selection in ’93 and ’94 and the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year ‘94. She became an All-American Honorable Mention in ’93, and 1st Team in ’94, playing in the North/South All Star Game in ’94. She holds Denison University’s record for Most Goals per season, Highest Goals per game average, and Most Points per season. She was inducted into Denison University's Hall of Fame in 2010.  

Steve was a four-year letter winner for the Denison men’s lacrosse team between years ‘70-73. As a senior he led the team in scoring with 32 goals and 25 assists while helping the squad to a 12-3 record, and he was 3rd in scoring in Midwest. He earned All-American status that season and was an All-Midwest first-team selection at attack. Nazaruk’s teams won 54 games in four seasons and were two-time Midwest Champions.

Nazaruk went on to serve as an assistant coach with the Big Red from ‘75-‘80 and was a board member with the US Lacrosse Foundation form ‘88-‘89. He is founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Denison Lacrosse Alumni (DLA), which was formed in 2004 to provide alumni support to the Denison men’s lacrosse program. He is also the founder of the Denison Grand Masters lacrosse team. He was inducted in Denison’s HOF in 2008.

Elissa, a standout high school player out of Pennsylvania, attended Denison University and continued her outstanding play there from ‘95-‘99. She led her team to NCAC Championships in ‘96 and ‘99 and an NCAA appearance, and captained her teams for three years. She was 1st Team NCAC her Sophomore through her Senior years, and is #9 in career points, #6 in assists for a season and #10 in assists for career at Denison. She was honored as an All American in ’98 and ‘99. The Ohio Lacrosse HOF is not the only HOF, as she is a member of Denison University’s Class of 2009 HOF.  

 Terry has been involved with lacrosse for over 40 years, as a player at Ohio State and as a coach at Cleveland Heights lacrosse since 1986. He coached the boy’s team until 1994 and then took over the girl’s program. His girls team amassed a 271-217-11 record, having been District Champions in ’02, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, and ’12, and a state Championship in ’06!  Terry was named Midwest Lacrosse and Warrior Coach of the Year – North in 2002 and Plain Dealer Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year 2015.

Beyond his coaching success, he has contributed to the game considerably in other ways. He’s been a Cleveland Heights Lacrosse Board Member since ’97, a Board Member Greater Cleveland Sports Commission 2012-2014, a Regional Vice President State of Ohio OSLCA/OHSGLCA since ’08, Committee Chair USL All American Committee 2013-2019, Committee Chair USL/USAL National Tournament 2015 – current, Board Member USL/USAL North Coast Region 2014 – current, Committee Chair North Coast Steering Committee 2015- current, and he has conducted many clinics over the years. He was inducted into the North Coast Chapter of USA Lacrosse’s Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bear Davis is a three-sport athlete from Hilliard High School and a 1995 inductee into the Hilliard Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1993, he played varsity football and club lacrosse at Wilmington College before launching a coaching career that would span high school, college, and professional levels.

He began coaching at Wilmington High School, leading the team to a Division III state runner-up finish in 1998. From there, Bear moved into college coaching, first as a graduate assistant at Marietta College, then as the founding head coach at Wheeling Jesuit University—establishing the first NCAA varsity lacrosse program in West Virginia. Under his leadership, the team climbed into the USILA DII Top 10 in 2003.

In 2005, Bear became the first head coach of the new NCAA Division I program at Robert Morris University in Western Pennsylvania, guiding the team into the USILA Top 20 in both 2010 and 2011. From 2012 to 2014, he coached at Archbishop Spalding High School in Maryland.

In 2013, Bear returned to Ohio to become the head coach of the Ohio Machine, a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) franchise. Taking over a last-place expansion team, he built a perennial contender—leading the Machine to four playoff appearances from 2014 to 2017, two MLL championship game appearances, and ultimately capturing the franchise’s first MLL Championship in 2017. He was a three-time MLL Coach of the Year nominee (2015–2017) and head coach for the MLL All-Star Games in 2017 and 2018, including a victory over Team USA.

Most recently, Bear served as the offensive coordinator at Hilliard Davidson High School, helping guide the program to three consecutive regional final appearances. In 2023, he was recognized as the Ohio High School Lacrosse Man of the Year.

Off the field, Bear continues to elevate the sport as Executive Director of the Urban Lacrosse Academy, introducing lacrosse to inner-city youth, and as Executive Director of All Ohio Lacrosse LLC, supporting the Central Ohio Youth Lacrosse League’s operations and growth.

The Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame has a long standing tradition of honoring Ohio's High School Boys and Girls All Americans at our annual Induction Banquet.  It has long been the motto of the HOF, "Where the past meets the present and the future".  All Americans are the guests of the HOF.

The Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction banquet will be held on August 2, 2025  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 2025, 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. 

For Ticket Information Click: https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/39044

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