A prolific scorer whose records stand as a tribute to his
excellence, Tom Ryan has melded style with substance to become
synonymous with the sport of lacrosse in the United States.
Ryan burst onto the scene as a first-year in the spring of 1990
under longtime coach Mort LaPointe. The rookie scored 37 goals and
26 assists to rank third on the team in points as the Polar Bears
capped off their coach’s 21- season career with a 15-2 record
and an ECAC Championship game victory over Williams that included
three goals from Ryan.
Under new coach Tom McCabe in 1991, Ryan continued his scoring
prowess, leading the team with 78 points and following it with a
77-point campaign in 1992 to earn Snively League All-Star
recognition.
Elected as a co-captain for his senior season, Ryan capped off his
career with an incredible year. He set the Bowdoin single-season
record with 56 goals and 97 points, scoring an impressive 5.71
points per contest. Bowdoin started 2-5, but ended the year with
ten consecutive victories, including a 14-11 victory over
Middlebury to win the ECAC Championship. Ryan again netted Snively
League All-Star recognition and was named as a U.S. Intercollegiate
Lacrosse Association All- American for his efforts.
His career marks are staggering. Ryan finished his career as the
leading scorer in New England lacrosse history, totaling 315 points
and setting new school records with 169 goals and 146 assists. Even
more impressive, in the 15 years since he finished his career, his
assists mark still stands while no Polar Bear has come within 75
points of his career scoring total.
After leaving Bowdoin, Ryan became a staple in U.S. professional
lacrosse, enjoying stints in Major League Lacrosse with the New
Jersey Pride and becoming a star in the indoor National Lacrosse
League. Playing for the Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia
franchises, he retired in 2002 having scored 202 points in 95
career games. He played for the National Lacrosse League Champion
Philadelphia Wings in 2001, and was on the U.S. National Team in
2002 that claimed the Heritage Cup over Canada.
Upon his retirement, Ryan entered the world of coaching, where he
served as an assistant for the Division I women’s teams at
Towson University and Loyola College. He was also an assistant
coach for the men’s team at Connecticut College, where he
earned his master’s degree in psychology.
In 2006, Ryan was tapped to be the coach of the U.S. National Team
at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, where the team claimed
the bronze medal. In 2007, the NLL announced that an expansion
franchise had been granted to the city of Boston, and that Ryan had
been named head coach. The team will begin play during the 2008 NLL
season.
Born in Ogdensburg, New York, Ryan graduated from Hugh C. Williams
High School in Canton, New York. He graduated from Bowdoin with a
degree in psychology.
