Saint Mary's Sports Legends Enter Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony Honours Field Hockey Team, Team Doctor and Basketball Star
Saint Mary's President Dr. Colin Dodds holds up a drawing depicting the 1977-78 fireld hockey team celebtrating one of their many victories. 
Basketball star Al Brown Jr. told the crowd attending the Hall of Fame induction ceermony the secret to success in sports and in life is to never quit. There is always time for a comeback. 
Members of the 1977-78 Belles react to the unveiling of a team portrait during the Oct. 1 Sport Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The 1977-78 Belles field hockey team became the first women's team to be inducted into the Saint Mary's Univeristy Hall of Fame. 
The family of long time Huskies team physician Dr. David Petrie was on hand to celebrate his induction into the Sport Hall of Fame. |
Never quit.
Don't underestimate the power of teamwork.
Cherish the stories of your past for they may be the foundation of your future.
These were just a few of the lessons athletes from Saint Mary's sporting past shared with an appreciative crowd Oct. 1 as an athlete, a team and a builder were inducted into the Saint Mary's University Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2011 inductees included hoop star, Alfred E. Brown Jr.; 30-year team doctor, Dr. David Petrie; and The Belles, a trailblazing Women's Field Hockey team from 1977-78.
Brown, now a Baptist Minister living in New Jersey, told the crowd that coming to Saint Mary's was one of the best decisions of his life. Although he lives in the U.S., he said every time he travels into Canadian airspace a smile crosses his face.
"Just be able to play was a victory," he told the crowd, noting that at age three he wore braces on his legs and was told by doctors he would never be able to participate in any kind of physically demanding activity.
He persevered and when he got to Saint Mary's he set numerous university and league records. He still holds the university rebounding record with 1237, and set a single game record of 24 rebounds in a CIAU tournament against Western Ontario.
Downplaying his own skills and rebounding ability, Brown said the 1967-68 team may not have been the most talented to ever hit the boards, but it was unified and played with intensity.
"We were an afterthought in the league. Dal was heavily favoured, but we beat them and went to nationals where we almost took everything. I like to say we were the mouse that roared."
Kathy Mullane, a Hall of Famer and coach of 77-78 Belles Field Hockey Team, said with more rookies than veterans on the field, few predicted the team would be able to get past the reigning national champs at Dalhousie.
With hard work and determination, they not only beat Dalhousie, they came within one game of becoming national champions,
"I actually think of the team as national champions because we lost by just one goal, but we had two goals that were called back on infractions of rules that were dropped the following year."
Belles team Captain Joan Langley said she was unsure what secret ingredient made the team so successful, "but after spending a few hours with the girls again this weekend, it's clear we've still got it."
The Belles was the first female team inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Several members of the Petrie family were on hand to celebrate the late Dr. David Palmer's induction. His son David Alan Petrie, told the crowd would have been humbled with the entry to the Hall.
He recalled attending many games at Saint mary's and watching his face light up when someone's would pop out from the dressing room and say "Hey Doc, we need you."
Paul Puma, Chair of the Hall of Fame Steering Committee, took time to remind the crowd of two other recent notable sports accomplishments: Quarteback Chris Flynn's induction into the Football Hall of Fame and basketball star Will Njoku's induction into the Nova Scotia Hall of fame.
Profiles of the newest members:
The Belles
Women’s sport was still fighting to earn respect when the Saint Mary’s University Women’s Field Hockey Team took to the field in September 1977.The team was only in its fourth year of play, but the Belles came out flying, holding first place in their division until a loss in the final game of the year to Dalhousie, the defending AUAA and National Champs.
Undaunted, they entered the playoffs with enthusiasm and knocked off University of New Brunswick Red Sticks before exacting revenge on Dalhousie by capturing the AUAA Championship with a penalty shot goal late in the game.
The team went to the National finals at McGill, beating some of the toughest teams in the country, but ultimately finishing third.
In the post-season, they traveled to England where they played demonstration games and served as ambassadors for the University and the province.
The team members were: Joan Selig (who led the league in scoring), goaltender Sherry Conrad (who became known as zero lady for achieving nine shutouts in 12 games) , and veteran players Irene MacPhee, Nancy Collins, Wanda Williams, Darlene Mossman, Kathy Ells, Anne Murphy, Susan Kober, and Vivian Mancini. Rookies on the team included Monica Mackenzie, Cindy Norton, Dianne Chiasson, Judy Power, and Martha Hayes. The coach was Kathy Mullane and Team Manager was Bonnie Thurber.
The honours for the team were many. Selig and Collins were named to the Atlantic All-Star and All-Canadian teams. Conrad was also an All-Canadian player. Selig was chosen as Team MVP and Collins was Female Athlete of the Year. Selig, MacKenzie, Conrad, Norton, Chiasson and Mossman went on to play for Nova Scotia in provincial action. Selig, MacKenzie and Conrad played on the Canadian national team.
In the same way that they played a key role in breaking ground in pursuit of excellence during their field hockey days, many members of the team have gone on to successful careers in business, education and sports.
Dr. David Palmer Petrie: Team Doctor (Football, Hockey)
For more than 30 years, Dr. David Petrie paced the sidelines at Huskie football games, hoping his services would never be required. The team doctor loved "his boys" and when of necessity his skills were needed, he provided excellent care "and a degree of motivation in both sports and life."
Born in Montreal, he completed a Bachelor of Arts at UNB and then graduated from McGill Medical School in 1964. From there he went on to complete a Fellowship in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Toronto before moving back to the Maritimes and starting practice in Halifax in 1970.
Dr. David Petrie had a passion for sports. He was an accomplished athlete who played basketball and golf at the university level. During his professional career, he combined his medical calling and his passion for sports by serving as the team doctor for the Halifax Voyageurs, the Citadels, and his beloved Saint Mary's Huskies.
A common presence on the sidelines at Huskies Stadium, the basketball court, and the arena, Dr. Petrie became Team Doctor in the early 70’s and continued until his retirement in 2009. He was on the sidelines during several national championships.
Away from the field Dr. Petrie was an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon and professor of medicine. He specialized in joint anthroplasty (replacement) surgery, orthopaedic trauma, fractures and other injuries and had an ongoing interest in sports medicine. In honour of his work with Saint Mary's varsity athletes, Dr. Petrie received an Honorary Degree from the University in 2001.
A member and former President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, Dr. Petrie was also a founding member of Hip Hip Hooray, a charitable walk that has raised over ten million dollars for orthopaedic research, education and patient care. He passed away in 2009.
Alfred Brown Jr.
Al Brown Jr. was the king of the rebound and a cornerstone to the success of the basketball team during the 1966-1970 seasons. When the six-foot, six-inch New Jersey native wasn't jumping high into the air, he was scrambling along the floor looking for a loose ball to convert into points.
Respected for his leadership, basketball prowess and character, Brown set numerous university and league rebounding records. He still holds the university rebounding record with 1237, and set a single game record of 24 rebounds in a CIAU tournament against Western Ontario that still stands today.
During his four seasons, the Huskies' conference record was a commendable 41-11 with two conference championship appearances and an appearance in a CIAU championship game in 1968. In the 1968 season he averaged 16.4 rebounds a game, an accomplishment that led him to be the first Saint Mary’s player to make the CIAU All-Star team.He was a member of the conference All-Star teams in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
In addition to playing basketball, Brown ran youth basketball camps in Cherry Brook on Saturdays and served as a member of the Canada Games Lacrosse Committee. Acclaimed coach and athletic icon, Bob Hayes once wrote that Brown had exceptional qualities both on and off the court. “You epitomize what coaches all hope their student-athletes would be...you were one of the outstanding athletes in the 60’s in this country.”
After graduation, Brown received a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University in New Jersey and served for 30 years as a pastor. He has served on numerous faith committees and worked as Assistant and Associate Director of Student Aid at Kean College, New Jersey. He currently works as Assistant to the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Kean University, Union, New Jersey.
This page last modified Monday, 03-Oct-2011 10:10:58 ADT