Hofstra fielded its first varsity men's lacrosse team in 1949, hiring
Howdy Myers the following season from Johns Hopkins to take over the program. Myers had previously won three national titles with Hopkins. Myers quickly got the program to a high level, where in 1955 Hofstra was 14 and 2, and ranked 3rd in the country. Hofstra defeated Rutgers that season 16-6, to win the Division II national title, Laurie Cox Trophy. In 1971 Myers guided the Flying Dutchmen, as the team was known then, to a 12–4 record a number 10 ranking, as well as an at large bid to the
first-ever 1971 NCAA tournament. Hofstra has made seventeen postseason appearances in the
NCAA tournament reaching the quarterfinals four times, in 1993, 1999, 2001 and 2006. Hofstra closest effort at making the NCAA final four was in 2006, when they lost in overtime to Massachusetts in the
NCAA Quarterfinals, 11–10, after UMass had come back from a 10–5 deficit in the 4th quarter. The Pride were ranked second in the nation in 2006 and received a number three seed in the NCAA tournament. Coached by current Duke coach
John Danowski, Hofstra won 17 straight games losing only their season opener and the quarterfinal match, both to Massachusetts. ==Notable Athletes and Coaches==