Concordia Journal Home > Archives > September 25, 2008 issue >

Sports Hall of Fame gains inductees 

By Alyce Pumphrey

"Go Stingers go" may still be joyously echoing in the John Molson reception room of Molson Breweries in Old Montreal. On Sept. 19, approximately 100 delighted guests gathered there for the Concordia Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet.

Bob McDevitt, former CBC sportscaster and Concordia Journalism lecturer, served as Master of Ceremonies for this three-hour gala. Since 1995, Concordia has annually honored outstanding athletes and builders of its athletics program.

This year’s inductees are the 1973-1974 SGW Georgians Men’s Basketball Team, the 1973-1974 Loyola Tommies Women’s Hockey Team, athletes Frances Williams, S BSc 56, and David Dies, S BSc 64, S BA 67, and builders Thomas Lane, L BComm 58, and Carl Ohlson, L BSc 59.

The 1973-1974 Georgians Basketball Team was the first Sir George team to win the Quebec conference in over 10 years and only the second team to do it in the school’s history. Mike Hickey, Head Coach of that team, said, “This is by far the best team that Sir George ever had.”

Charlie Chambers said he shared a lot of laughs as a member of the 1973-1974 Georgians (which included Patrick Hickey and Randy Phillips—who both are now professional sportswriters). Chambers explained, “It was a team of character and characters.” Hickey appreciates how the Hall of Fame continues to honor athletes from both schools before they united. “It helps keep the tradition of those two very distinct and very fine institutions [Loyola College and Sir George Williams University] alive."

The 1973-74 Loyola Tommies Women's Hockey Team won the Quebec University Athletic Association's championship with a 4-1 victory over McGill. Loyola registered a perfect 6-0 win-loss record in the conference—outscoring their opponents 66-0. Marjorie Ross was the league’s highest scorer with 9 goals and 11 assists in 6 games. The Tommies won the 11th annual Loyola invitational women's hockey tournament with an 11-0 victory over Brown University and an 8-point win over York. It was the first time Loyola won its own tournament. On March 11, 1974, Sports Illustrated wrote about the impressive achievements of the team and its goaltender Janet Norman’s nine shutouts.

Diane Quart shared her appreciation for the pioneering efforts of a fellow inductee—Frances Williams. “You were a builder. And thanks to people like you we were able to play women’s sports at Loyola and Concordia.”

As one of the first females at SGW University to dominate sports, Williams became the first woman to get awarded the Col. E. Gill Trophy, which is annually given to the top athlete at the university. Williams won intramural skiing and badminton singles championships but was most recognized for her skill on the basketball court.

Dies was inducted for his exceptional talents as a hockey player for SGW University. Playing center, he became the all-time leading goal scorer in Georgian history making 99 career goals. The prolific scorer was named MVP of the hockey team in ’63 and ‘64. He was honored with the Col. E Gill Trophy in ’64. He was a part of a lot of firsts in SGW history—he was on the first Sir George team that ever won a hockey championship and on the first Sir George hockey team to ever participate in a national final. Dies added, “I believe I was the first Sir George person ever to compete as a player and coach on a national final in hockey.”

The final two inductees—Lane and Ohlson, were honored because of the work they did in rebuilding the football program and the documentation they prepared to permanently bring back the program to Loyola College Athletics in 1958 after football took a hiatus in 1956 due to what the school administration saw as a lack of funds and a lack of support from the student body. That same year, the Loyola Warriors went undefeated and won the football conference championship.