2012 StFX Sports Hall of Fame inductees announced
Antigonish, NS—StFX Athletics is pleased to announce this year’s inductees into the StFX Sports Hall of Fame. Included in this year’s class are four athletes: Marty Lyons (basketball), Peter MacKenzie (hockey), Andrew McConnell (football), Danielle Goulet (rugby, hockey, volleyball); one builder, Lou Bilek (soccer, volleyball) and one team, the 1963 X-Men football team.
This year’s induction ceremony and breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, October 20, 2012 at the StFX Bloomfield Centre MacKay Room. Tickets are on sale for the general public ($40 each) by contacting the StFX Athletic department at 902-867-2152. Inductees will also take part in a Hall of Fame reception Friday, October 19th during the X-Men hockey game at the Charles V. Keating Centre, as well as partaking in a ceremonial kick-off and ceremonial puck-drop at the respective X-Men football and X-Men hockey games on October 20th.
The 2012 StFX Sports Hall of Fame inductees include:
ATHLETE CATEGORY:
Marty Lyons (Basketball, Class of 1971)
Marty Lyons played four seasons with the X-Men basketball team from 1967-71. A center forward, Marty was a consistent scorer and a ferocious rebounder. He finished his career as the all-time leading rebounder in StFX history and now sits sixth overall on the X-Men career rebounding list with 944. Marty made an immediate impact on the X-Men roster in his first season and held the team captain designation for his remaining three seasons of play.
Peter MacKenzie (Hockey, Class of 1977)
Peter MacKenzie manned the StFX blue line for three seasons between 1973-77. One of best defensemen to wear the varsity X jersey, Peter’s on-ice accolades earned him the distinction of being named a CIAU first team All-Canadian on two occasions (1976, 1977). A captain in his final two seasons, he was the 1977 StFX male athlete of the year and helped lead the hockey X-Men to an Atlantic conference championship in 1976.
Andrew McConnell (Football, Class of 1987)
Andrew McConnell earned numerous accolades during his four year career (1983-87) as a defensive lineman with the X-Men football team. A starter in every game over four years, Andrew was a three-time AUAA all-star and was named a first team CIAU All-Canadian in both 1985 and ’86, the same years he received the AUAA lineman of the year award and was nominated for the J.P. Metras award for the outstanding lineman in the country. A three-year captain, Andrew was a key component of the X-Men defense during his time on the StFX gridiron.
Danielle Goulet (Rugby, Hockey, Volleyball, Class of 2003)
After playing volleyball for one season and hockey for two, Danielle Goulet found her niche with the X-Women rugby squad where she pioneered what was to become an athletic dynasty. In her five years at StFX (1998-2003), Danielle won two AUS hockey championships and helped lead her team to four consecutive rugby conference championships. The 2002 AUS most valuable player, she was also a two-time AUS all-star and two-time CIS All-Canadian (2001, 2002). The 2002 and 2003 StFX female athlete of the year was named a CIS tournament all-star in all four national rugby championships she competed in.
BUILDER CATEGORY:
Lou Bilek (Soccer, Volleyball)
The name Lou Bilek is synonymous with men’s soccer at StFX. Lou was the head coach of the X-Men soccer team for 39 seasons, from 1970 through until 2008. Throughout his tenure he coached numerous first and second team CIS All-Canadian athletes and was twice named the CIS Coach of the Year, in both 1988 and 1993. Lou was a four-time AUS Coach of the Year award winner, taking home the conference honor in 1983, 1988, 1993 and 2007. In the always competitive Atlantic conference, he led his X-Men to two consecutive AUS championship in 1993 and 1994. In addition to head soccer coaching duties, Lou was also at the helm of the StFX men’s volleyball team for seven years from 1973-80, where he won two AUS titles in 1976 and 1977. A professor of Human Kinetics at StFX, over his four decades with varsity athletics, Lou has mentored numerous student-athletes and coached in countless games.
TEAM CATEGORY:
1963 X-Men Football Team
Legendary X-Men football coach Don Loney referred to the 1963 X-Men as the ‘greatest overall team’ he ever coached. The team went undefeated in nine conference games (including four shutouts), outscoring their opponents by a 405-21 margin. They went on to defeat Toronto 15-9 at the Atlantic Bowl and with an earlier exhibition win over McGill, posted an undefeated 11-0 record. Prior to the establishment of the Vanier Cup, the Atlantic Bowl victory was the 1963 X-Men’s championship game. The same X-Men squad was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1983.
Team members include: Carl Alguire, Eddie Amaral, Doug Billing, Jim Bowes, Mike Brosseau, Jim Burke, Ken Bussey, Howie Carty, Gary Ceppetelli, Steve Connolly, Ronald Chisholm, Bill Crean, Tom Delaney, Bob Doherty, Joe Franciose, Terry Gilead, Paul Girard, Terry Gorman, John Herold, Phil Hughes, Ben Kuzmic, Joel Lamorre, Wayne Long, Chuck Lyons, Dan McCarthy, Tom McGowan, Jerome MacDonald, Dave Merry, Pat McMenamin, Richard Moloy, Jim Muska, Gord Pranschke, Jon Purcell, Paul Rusyniak, Bruce Racicot, Dick Raymond, Terry Ryan, Guy Roy, Todd Scott, Roger Sevigny, John Shaw, Phil St. John, Gerald Strong, Pete Travis, Jim Ward, Peter White, Dick White, managers John Davis and Jack Ney, assistant coach John ‘Packy’ McFarland and head coach Don Loney.
The StFX Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1976 and exists to honor those individuals who have contributed significantly to StFX sports as athletes, teams or as builders. Those chosen inductees have exemplified the spirit and ideals of Xaverian athletics in their professional and community lives. Induction ceremonies take place every two years.
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