Orange All-American and lacrosse Hall of Famer Gary Gait officially resumes his playing career on Saturday, January 10 when he makes his Rochester Knighthawks debut in the team's season opener against the Philadelphia Wings (8 p.m., Blue Cross Arena). When he dons the uniform for the first time since 2005, he will see a familiar face on the sidelines – his brother, Paul.
Gary, who guided the Syracuse women's lacrosse squad to its best season in school history in 2008, announced in October that he was coming out of retirement. Paul was named the head coach of the Knighthawks on December 26, bringing the brothers back together for the first since 2005 when both played for the National Lacrosse League's Colorado Mammoth.
The two have enjoyed tremendous success together. They led the Orange men's lacrosse team to three straight national championships from 1988-90. Each was a three-time All-America First Team honoree and a member of the NCAA 25th Anniversary Men's Lacrosse Team selection.
After their collegiate playing careers, the Gaits moved on to the professional ranks where they won National Lacrosse League(NLL) titles with Detroit (1991) and Philadelphia (1994) and a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) crown with Long Island (2001).
Both Gary and Paul have been recognized for their excellence on the field. They were inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005 and were members of the inaugural NLL Hall of Fame induction class in 2006.