Voyageurs Induct Class of 2017
Laurentian's ‘Pride and Tradition’ stole the show as another group of gifted blue and gold talent was welcomed into the Laurentian Alumni Voyageur Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
Laurentian welcomed two Athletes, one Team and one Builder to their prestigious Hall of Fame on Saturday night in what was an emotional and enjoyable night for all who attended. Soccer players David McDonald and Cara Murphy (Smith), the 1971-1972 men’s soccer team and women’s soccer coach, Rob Gallo, made up this year’s class of inductees.
McDonald helped guide the Voyageurs to the OUAA title in the 1994-95 season and a berth in the CIAU Championships. In recognition of his play that year, McDonald was named an OUAA 1st Team All-Star, a 1st Team All-Canadian, the CIAU Player of the Year and Laurentian’s co-Male Athlete of the Year, alongside Brad Hann. The following season McDonald was named an OUAA 1st Team All-Star and a 2nd Team All-Canadian.
Murphy (Smith) came to the Voyageurs after first committing to Niagara University of the NCAA and the move paid dividends. An OUA all-star in each of her four seasons (1st Team in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2nd Team in 2005), Murphy was a key piece in the Voyageurs first ever OUA Final Four appearance in 2004. Murphy was recognized on the national stage as well when she was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2007 International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand.
Led by coach Dr. Barry Ward, the 1971-72 Voyageurs finished the regular season with a 4-0-1 record after the regular season. The team headed to Kingston for their first playoff game; a hard fought battle that wouldn’t see a goal until the 47th minute of overtime. From there, the men faced the Western Conference champion, Toronto Metros, in the OUAA Championship game and prevailed 3-2. The OUAA Championship booked their ticket to CIAU Championships, which was played on Laurentian’s campus.
After falling in the first game of the Championships 3-2 to Memorial University of Newfoundland, some favorable scores saw the Voyageurs playing in the championship game on home turf against Montreal Loyola (now Concordia). In a hard fought affair, the Voyageurs prevailed 4-1, claiming Laurentian’s first CIAU championship.
The 1971-1972 Voyageurs men’s soccer roster included head coach Dr. Barry Ward and players Barry Norton, Peter Skytta, Allan Byers, Mario Anselmo, Vincent Panella, Greg Zorbas, Manuel Reis, David McKenney, Nick Czerwinec, Steve Kalotinis, Edegar Gonzalez, Cosma Kirwana, Jean Guibert, Aldred Eugene, Bill Salter and Radovan Bazzul.
Women’s soccer coach, Rob Gallo, will see his name added in the Builder category. Gallo returned to his Alma matter and has been at the helm of the women’s soccer team since their inception in 2000. Entering his 18th year leading the program, Gallo has been named the OUA East Coach of the Year four times in his career; 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2015. In just their fifth season in the league, Gallo led the team to a birth in the OUA Final Four and he has guided the team to playoff appearances in 14 of their first 17 seasons.
Congratulations to the inductees of the 2017 Laurentian Alumni Voyageur Hall of Fame. This year’s induction class is another great example of the ‘Pride and Tradition’ that Laurentian is synonymous for.