Worcester, Mass. (October 28) -- The Assumption
College Department of Athletics and Recreation held its annual
Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony recently at the Hagan
Campus Center. The class included four former standout
student-athletes and a former head coach that captured nine
Northeast-10 Conference championships.
The 2013 Hall of Fame class consisted of Demitri Beekman
’93 from men’s basketball, Anne
(Mingolelli) Burgholzer ’00 from field hockey,
Stephen Connolly ’91 from ice hockey,
Susan (Dailey) Malanga ’83 from
women’s basketball and former men’s tennis head coach
John Ippolito.
Demetri Beekman ’93 was one of the
top men’s basketball players in Assumption College history
after his record-setting four-year career for the Greyhounds. The
all-time NCAA Division II assists leader, Beekman registered 1,044
assists in 119 career games. In addition, he is second all-time at
all levels of NCAA basketball in assists, trailing only Bobby
Hurley from Duke University. The 1991 Northeast-10 Tournament Most
Valuable Player, Beekman was a Northeast-10 All-Conference First
Team selection in 1992-1993. In addition, he was a Northeast-10
Second Team All-Conference honoree in 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 and
was the 1989-1990 Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year. A three-time
team captain, he helped lead the Hounds to a pair of NCAA
Tournament berths and two 20-win seasons during his career. Over
his four years, Assumption posted an overall record of 72-50.
Anne (Mingolelli) Burgholzer ’00
was a four-year member of the field hockey program and is the
all-time leading scorer with 92 points in 81 career games. A team
captain as a senior, she posted 34 career goals and 24 career
assists and was a 1999 Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference
selection. She is fourth in career games played at 81, second in
goals with 34, third in assists with 24 and her 35-point season in
1999 is tied for the third-highest in Assumption field hockey
history.
Stephen Connolly ’91 was a
four-year standout for the Assumption ice hockey team. The 1989
Team MVP and 1990 team captain, he finished his career with 147
points on 57 goals and 90 assists, which ranks him eighth all-time
in career points. As a junior, Connolly posted a 50-point season
that included 31 assists and a pair of six-point games. He posted
three five-assist games while ranking sixth all-time in assists
with 90 and 12th all-time in goals with 57.
Susan (Dailey) Malanga ’84 was a
four-year standout for the women’s basketball program. A
former Rev. Armand Desautels, A.A. Memorial Award winner as the
1984 Assumption College Premier Student-Athlete of the Year, she
was a team captain as a senior. She finished her career with 965
points, 801 rebounds, 185 blocks, 117 assists and 113 steals. She
also shot 40.6 percent from the field for her career and hit 556
career free throws.
John Ippolito led one of the most
dominant eras of any sport in Northeast-10 Conference history as
his men’s tennis teams captured nine straight Northeast-10
Championships during his 10 years as the Assumption College head
coach. A five-time Northeast-10 Coach of the Year, Ippolito’s
teams posted an overall record of 187-41 for a winning percentage
of .820 and advanced to nine straight NCAA Tournaments. His teams
were even more impressive in Northeast-10 play, posting a record of
101-13 for a winning percentage of .886. At one point, the Hounds
posted 117 straight victories under Ippolito. He also coached 24 of
the 25 winningest players in Assumption College history, including
four-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year and Northeast-10
Conference Hall of Fame member Sean Kenney.
For the latest on Assumption College Athletics, follow the
Hounds via social media on Twitter, Facebook
and YouTube. For
more information, contact the Office of Athletic Communications at
508-767-7240.
