Does anyone here have any information on the extinct sports of Johnnies past? I can barely find any information what so ever on St John's football let alone the Varsity Hockey team that supposedly played from 1980-1992. Does anyone have any photos of either team? Or any information what so ever on the Hockey team, like where did they play? Anyways I'm not doing a research project or anthing like that I'm just curious, and I never knew or considered Hockey a St Johns sport until I came across them on Hockey DB.
St John's Hockey and Football
- Thread starter redfanUp9
- Start date
I had the good fortune of being a part of the hockey team during my years at SJU in the mid-80s. Grew from a club team to a sanctioned Div. 3 program in the early 80s and was killed after Title IX was introduced in the late 80s/early 90s.
Team played/practiced out of a rink in Freeport. Plenty of talented hockey players from Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens who made up a reasonably competitive roster against northeast schools like Villanova, Iona, Quinnipiac, Lehigh, et al. Some of the schools moved on to become excellent D1 programs – Union, Penn State (a club team at that point), Quinnipiac – have all competed at the highest levels of D1 in recent years.
Buzz Deschamps coached through most of the program's history. Buzz played in the Rangers system and for the LI Ducks in the mid-60s and lived on Long Island working as a hockey equipment rep to NHL teams. His kids were pretty talented hockey players and spent time with the program through the years.
If you want more info, drop me a PM...
Team played/practiced out of a rink in Freeport. Plenty of talented hockey players from Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens who made up a reasonably competitive roster against northeast schools like Villanova, Iona, Quinnipiac, Lehigh, et al. Some of the schools moved on to become excellent D1 programs – Union, Penn State (a club team at that point), Quinnipiac – have all competed at the highest levels of D1 in recent years.
Buzz Deschamps coached through most of the program's history. Buzz played in the Rangers system and for the LI Ducks in the mid-60s and lived on Long Island working as a hockey equipment rep to NHL teams. His kids were pretty talented hockey players and spent time with the program through the years.
If you want more info, drop me a PM...
L J S A
Well-known member
Great info. Didn't know St. John's ever had a hockey team.
If you send Marillac a PM he might be able to give you info on the football program in its later years. I do remember Anthony Russo was one of the best running backs in D3 history, but that's pretty much the extent of my memory of the program.
If you send Marillac a PM he might be able to give you info on the football program in its later years. I do remember Anthony Russo was one of the best running backs in D3 history, but that's pretty much the extent of my memory of the program.
Also RB Dennis Bligen who if memory serves had a cup of coffee with the Jets. Also had one real good place kicker. And a transfer QB from Hofstra who was pretty good. Remember in one off my freshman classes at SJU we had to introduce ourselves and give our career aspirations. One kid said he was going to play in NFL. He was an O lineman and all he was was fat.
Redzone
Active member
Graduated Uniondale HS in 1970.
Was recruited by St Johns for Football by my former Jr High Coach Bill Whalen (Lawrence Road JHS) who was to be an assistant as I recall. He and the Head Coach whose name I do not recall visited my home.
It was to be the first year for the program and was pretty much a club program at that time.
I ultimately did not go to St Johns. Parents were cocerned about daily commute and lack of dorms.
Was recruited by St Johns for Football by my former Jr High Coach Bill Whalen (Lawrence Road JHS) who was to be an assistant as I recall. He and the Head Coach whose name I do not recall visited my home.
It was to be the first year for the program and was pretty much a club program at that time.
I ultimately did not go to St Johns. Parents were cocerned about daily commute and lack of dorms.
tom in salem
Well-known member
Did you go to Louisville?
NorCal Johnny
Member
I remember that St John's had a bowling team in the late 60's, they used a bowling alley at the corner of Union and Utopia.