Laurier legends inducted to Hall of Fame

Members of the 2004-05 Wilfrid Laurier University women’s hockey team stood at the front of the Senate and Board Chamber Friday night and addressed the director of athletics and recreation, Peter Baxter.

“You promised us a national champion coach [in Rick Osborne] and you delivered. Thank you for making this team so special,” they said to Baxter.

The 2004-05 Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s hockey championship team was inducted into the Laurier Hall of Fame along with six athletes and a builder.

10 years removed, the women’s hockey team was the first national championship team in the program, picking up the hardware a year after picking up head coach Osborne on the way to an exhibition tournament. The Hawks went through a coaching shuffle in 2003-04 and the following season found themselves capturing CIS gold in a 4-1 victory over the perennial powerhouse the Alberta Pandas.

“It’s so special. You heard person after person talk about how special it is to be part of the Laurier community, not only as a student, but as a student-athlete,” women’s hockey goaltender and inductee Cindy Eadie said.

“To win a national championship with those friends and teammates and people who support you is just the icing on the cake, really.”

Two members of the women’s hockey team, Eadie and Andrea Bevin, were among the inductees, along with Hollie Nicol and Paul Arkilander from curling, Mark Voakes from men’s hockey and Clive Tharby from men’s football. Luke Fusco was inducted in the builder category.

Eadie, one of the most decorated athletes to ever play for Laurier, won three Ontario University Athletics championships and was named the OUA and CIS rookie of the year, OUA player of the year, a CIS first team all-Canadian and an OUA first team all-star in her first outing.

In 2004-05, she also collected CIS first team all-Canadian, OUA player of the year, OUA first team all-star and OUA goalie of the year honours.

Eadie was also recognized with Laurier’s president’s award for top female athlete of the year in her fourth season.

Joining her is Bevin, who won an OUA championship in each of her five years at Laurier and one CIS championship. She was named to the CIS all-rookie team in 2004-05 and won Laurier’s rookie of the year award.

Bevin won CIS first team all-Canadian honours three times and OUA player of the year twice. She finished her career with Laurier’s president’s award.

“It feels fantastic,” Eadie said. “It’s such an honour and, as I said earlier, this group of girls is just fantastic. A highly successful [group] of people and it’s a pleasure to be their teammate.”

Nicol, the first women’s curler to be inducted into the hall of fame, twice guided her rink to a national championship and added one OUA gold medal.

She was a two-time CIS academic all-Canadian and was a recipient of Laurier’s Outstanding Women of Laurier award and the Luke Fusco academic athletic achievement award.

She also won a silver medal at the 2009 Winter Universiade.

Arkilander won a CIS gold medal and was a first team all-Canadian and OUA all-star, and won two OUA titles. He also represented Canada at the 2009 Winter Universiade, where they finished sixth.

The men’s football inductee, Tharby, was a 1987 Yates Cup champion and was named an OUAA (now the OUA) second team all-star, an OUAA defensive MVP and first team all-star en route to CIAU (now the CIS) all-Canadian first team honour.

“To say that Laurier really helped build my character is an understatement. It was an integral part in my development as a person,” Eadie said on behalf of the inductees.

In the builder category, Fusco is inducted after over 40 years of service to the Laurier community. As a former dean of the faculty of social work, he has been a counsellor and mentor of student athletes and helped students balance academics and athletic success.

He has an award named after him, and also worked with many of Laurier’s coaches and athletics staff in providing guidance and continues to remain active in the hiring of coaches and chairing the Hall of Fame committee.

“[The department] really cares about young people who are developing in all parts of their lives,” Fusco said.

“Nobody wants to win more than I do, and nobody wants to win more than the athletic department. We also want the people who we are working with to develop and then succeed later on in life. And we want to be a part of that. And that never ends.”