ABOUT ARMY CLUB LACROSSE
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Story
Army Club Lacrosse was established in 2024 as a Directorate of Cadet Activities (DCA) Hobby Team at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Originally known as the Hudson Hellfire, the team was founded in Fall 2021 as a cadet-based organization independent of West Point. For three years, the team competed in the National College Lacrosse League (NCLL) as a Division I program in the New York Metro Conference. Hudson Hellfire completed the 2022 Spring Season as an independent NCLL associate member with a record of 6-1. The team officially joined the NCLL in 2023, and was nationally ranked 5th in 2023 and 6th in 2024, earning an invitation to the National Championship Tournament in 2024.
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In September 2021, an "unauthorized QR Code" appeared on Mess Hall slides and flyers around the Cadet Area to gauge interest in forming a competitive club lacrosse team. By October, the team began hosting practices twice a week, and by late November, they traveled to compete against Marist Club Lacrosse in their first game.
As the team moved into the spring of 2022 and faced uncertainty regarding authorization to become a sanctioned club, it adopted the name “Hudson Hellfire.” The group was not permitted to use “Army” without official authorization. The name was inspired by an old West Point moniker, “Hell on the Hudson,” which leaders such as General George S. Patton used in letters written home during Beast.
Often forgotten, many aviators who fought in both World Wars were West Point graduates. The shark teeth that adorn the Hudson Hellfire logo were first painted on the noses of olive green P-40s flown by members of the American volunteer group, “The Flying Tigers,” while fighting the Japanese in China. This symbol quickly gained popularity and became one of the most recognizable and famous pieces of Army Air Force nose art from WWII. To this day, it is still painted on American aircraft and missiles, such as Hellfire missiles carried by Army Apache helicopters. The inspiration for the bomb and olive green color scheme stems from the legacy that West Point graduates established as Army aviators.
The name "Hellfire" was intended to represent the collective challenges cadets faced at West Point and what the team intended to rain down upon its opponents, while also making light of the team’s situation of having to function independently. In the spring of 2022, the team bought pinnies from Amazon and scheduled games against Rutgers, Sacred Heart, Hofstra and others, all within a 75-mile radius of West Point. The team traveled at their own expense to games on weekends when they were not performing cadet duties.
In the fall of 2022, the team benefited from the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and began hosting games at West Point. The players were responsible for organizing referees, scheduling fields, finding medics, handling fundraising logistics, securing clearances for visiting teams, and obtaining insurance—all while managing their academic workload and regular cadet duties. Their efforts paid off as they successfully raised over $20,000, allowing them to purchase uniforms, pay referees, and cover league fees. Additionally, they found a volunteer coach, John Pellino.
After a successful independent fall 2022 season, Hudson Hellfire officially joined the National College Lacrosse League (NCLL) in the spring of 2023 as a Division I team. The team quickly found success, climbing the league’s national rankings from the top 20 to 5th following a victory against Fairfield University. Notably, the cadets organized a historic first trip to Annapolis to compete against Navy’s long-established club team and to support Army’s Division I team as they beat Navy.
In the fall of 2023, Hudson Hellfire hosted Penn College, an NCAA Division III team, marking a historic opportunity for Hellfire to compete against a team beyond the club level. Before the game, cadets from Hellfire gave the Penn team a tour of West Point, visiting Redoubt #4, the Cadet Chapel, the Plain, and Trophy Point. The cadets explained the history of West Point and the functions of daily cadet life, aiming to expand the civil-military relationship between the teams.
In the spring of 2024, Hudson Hellfire achieved a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory against the NYPD lacrosse team. The team also organized a special game for veterans in collaboration with Shootout for Soldiers, a non-profit led by former '05 Army Lacrosse player Erik Mineo. Additionally, Hudson Hellfire competed against the British Royal Marines lacrosse team and hosted Navy’s club team at West Point in April. They concluded the season with a 5-2 record, ranking 6th in the NCLL. Although the team was invited to compete in the National Championship Tournament, they were unable to attend.
The dedication of Hudson Hellfire's leaders and players culminated in May 2024, when the team was officially authorized as Army Club Lacrosse. In its transition from Hudson Hellfire, Army Club Lacrosse aims to sustain the success and momentum it has built since its founding. Although the team may no longer be able to wear its well-known bomb logo, the Hellfire legacy will endure through the team's culture as they don the academy’s historical black and gold.
