Hall of Fame
Jeffrey M. Reinhart was a four-year starter on the No. 1 midfield line during the winningest four-year period in men’s lacrosse history.
A skilled six-foot, 185 pounder from Londonderry, NH, Reinhart joined the program in its third season on the intercollegiate level in 1998 after spending one semester by Division I Hofstra University. Playing three seasons with E-Club Hall of Fame teammates Shannon Sligo and John Rubano and under E-Club Hall of Fame coach Rick McCarthy, Reinhart helped the Warriors to the winningest four-year period in program history which included their first three post-season tournament berths, four unbeaten conference regular seasons and three conference playoff titles.
As a senior captain in 2001, Reinhart was named honorable mention USILA All-America and as a participant in the prestigious USILA/STX North-South Senior All-Star Game, ECAC New England Division III and Little East Conference Player-of-the-Year, All-New England by the ECAC and by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA), Eastern’s Male Athlete-of-the-Year and team co-MVP.
In 66 career matches, Reinhart totaled 122 goals, 69 assists and 191 points. He graduated ranked second all-time in points and third in goals and assists, and through 2015, ranks sixth in points, seventh in goals and eighth in assists. In Reinhart’s career, Eastern averaged 14 wins per year – the most in any four-year stretch in the program’s 20-year history – winning 56 of 66 regular-season matches (84.8 percent) and all 23 matches in Pilgrim League and Little East Conference regular-season competition. At Thomas Nevers Field, Reinhart’s teams won 31 of 32 matches, including the final 27 after an overtime loss in 1998 in the fifth home match of his career.
Reinhart improved his offensive output every season at Eastern, from 18 goals and nine assists as a freshman to 46 goals, 35 assists and a season-record 81 points (since broken) as a senior, when he ranked 24th nationally in Division III with an average of 4.76 points per match in sparking the
Warriors to a No. 3 national rank in scoring offense. Reinhart led Eastern in goals as a senior despite seeing limited time in four blowout conference losses late in the season, when he took only 16 total shots in four games where the Warriors averaged 22 goals.
In Reinhart’s sophomore year in 1999, Eastern qualified for its first post-season tournament, losing its ECAC opener by ten goals to Williams College. The next season, the Warriors routed Tufts University – which would go on to win three national titles in the last six years – for its first post-season victory before losing in overtime to Williams in the ECAC semifinals. That team – considered by many as Eastern’s best ever – outscored its opponent by a 4-to-1 margin, with its three losses coming to Division II national power New York Tech by four goals on the road and in overtime at Springfield College in the Pilgrim League championship game and in overtime to Williams at a neutral site in the ECAC semifinals.
With the top midfield line of Reinhart and juniors Anthony Coletti and Marc DiGiovanni running rampant in 2001 – the trio combined for 113 goals and 54 assists – Eastern opened the season with a program-record 11-match winning streak which still stands. The team finished the season 15-2, the losses coming by two goals each on the road against national powers Washington College (MD) in the regular season and Springfield College in the Warriors’ first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Springfield was ranked No. 1 in New England and No. 5 nationally prior to that post-season game and needed a 19-save effort from its goalie after building a 7-3 halftime lead.
