Hall of Fame
2022 Hall of Fame Inductees
Travis Preble
Travis was a teammate of mine during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 campaigns and the best player I played with during my career. From the moment Travis set foot on the ice at Bird Arena he was the #1 defenseman on our team. His skating ability, hockey sense, and shot along with his grittiness made him a nightmare for opposing teams to play against. When Travis joined our defense corps, we went from a team that could make it to the national championship game to a team that could win the national championship game. Travis elevated everyone on the teams play through his intensity in practice and in games. Travis was a key piece of our 2004 ACHA National Championship team and solidified his stature as an elite ACHA defenseman by twice being selected to represent Ohio University on Team USA at the 2005 and 2007 Winter World University Games. Travis was a great teammate, and he is deserving of a place int the Hall of Fame.
-Paul Guthrie
Steve Betsko
He was a role player. He was a leader. He represented the University and program with “Lead by Example” effort. His character was evident every time he stepped on the ice in games or practices. You always knew Steve was there to put out 100% effort and he made sure everyone else was putting out that same effort whether they wanted to or not. Steve played many years for Ohio University. Back in those days, the league was less stringent in making sure no one player played more than 4 years. Steve was a freshman for the 1978-1979 team and this team was loaded with seniors. The next year (my freshman year) 1979-1980, Steve was integral in not only transforming many new freshmen into Ohio University style Hockey players but also helped lead this team to a MCHL league and tournament championship all the while being awarded the MCHL tournament MVP. Steve went on to play on a total of six teams and continued to drive those teams to successful seasons including 2 more MCHL tournament championships, one more MCHL League championship, and was awarded assistant captain on two of those teams. From a teammate standpoint, Steve was one of those players that, at times, drove us nuts. He was always driving his effort to extreme levels. He didn’t know how to play at half speed. Every practice, every game, everything Steve did was to full speed, and it forced you to play at that level. Steve seemed to enjoy wind sprints and conditioning and while Steve will tell you he didn’t like them any more than anyone else, if you were on the ice, you would see Steve putting out the effort every drill and every play. A bit like the military, “Thank you sir, may I have another”. This attitude transferred directly into our play, and it forced us to be a better team and get the best out of all of us. I nominated Steve as a candidate because he best represents Ohio Hockey, not because he scored more goals than anyone else, not because he led the team in points, but because he best represents the hard work, effort, and commitment to winning that has made Ohio University Hockey great for over 50 years. Players like Steve are the real reason we have a reputation of being a strong, tough to beat program at Ohio University.
-Lex Tisdale
Mike Pokorney
Mike was a dynamic player and a prolific goal scorer. It's a rare beast that allows you to simply put the puck in their vicinity and they'll figure out how to get it in the net. A considerable portion of his time at OU as a player was on a team considered independent, where regional or national notoriety is significantly harder to develop. In addition to his talents as a player, he was and is a good teammate, and a good person, with a solid work ethic that was observed and imitated by others. Make no mistake about the difficulty associated with transitioning OU Hockey from national prominence to club status, and back. Mike, his coaches, and his teams, were truly unheralded stars in that regard. He also helped the program by creating an additional Pokorney that was a valuable component of another collection of great teams. Let's give a great hockey player an honor that he earned.
-Steve Betsko
Jay Burzynski
Jay was the captain when I came to OU Hockey my freshman year in 1983, Jay possessed all the skill levels necessary in playing the game, a very solid overall defensemen, a very good skater, a very good set of shooting skills (wrist shot, slap hot, backhand, etc.), a very physical player, he was a great team leader not only by example but he also was able to mesh together a new era of OU Hockey that brought in Canadian Graduate students mixed with both new and some existing American players, and at the end of the year placed 3rd in the National Championships in Huntsville Alabama.
I’m not just nominating Jay because of his hockey skills, talents, and his on-ice accomplishments he always demonstrated, but more so for what he did off the ice for both his fellow players and the Athens community as a whole.
Jay spent many hours of his own time during the winter breaks (every year) hosting Hockey schools for the youth of Athens, this included coaching and guiding them as a respected role model, which he understood and knew all about. Jay recruited 3 or 4 of us to assist and through his leadership we taught these kids the fundamentals of hockey, passing, skating/working hard, shooting, team play and more so through 1 on 1 conversations with these kids, life in general, and how to be a good and contributing person for all.
Jay has and always will be committed to giving back, rather than expecting something from someone, he’s worked hard for everything he’s accomplished in life and made not only his peers better people, but all who he comes in contact with, especially with the youth or next generation of people, I’ve seen and personally witnessed this and been a part of it with him firsthand.
It is my greatest hope in all sincerity, that Jay Burzynski will be inducted with the class of 2015, though I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish during my tenure with OU Hockey as a player and such, I more so want to be able to take my daughter Logan (who just turned 5) down to Athens and show her Jay’s place in OU history and tell her about who he was, is, what he stood/stands for, and explain how much of a positive influence he’s been on my life as well. Jay is the perfect candidate from my era and deserves a place in OU hockey history and being placed into the Hall of Fame will do exactly that.
-Rod Alt
Anne Oberlin- Meritorious Service
Anne has served on the Blueline Boosters Board since 2007. For many of those years she was President of the Board. She has organized and coordinated several the activities that have helped the team, including arranging for food for the road trips of the team. She has been a great conduit of information between the D2 team and the Blueline Boosters. She has organized many of the outreach activities of the Boosters: the annual awards picnic; the season beginning meet the team even; worked with the OU Alumni Association to provide support for our annual alumni events, including the Hall of Fame week-ends: and organized the annual Senior Night. Even after her long term as board president ended, she has continued to be an active board member. She is certainly a shining example of what “Meritorious Service” means.
-Marvin Fletcher
2020 Hall of Fame Inductees
Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore served as an advisor for the Ohio University Ohio Hockey team for 18 years. Jim retired in December 2005 as the executive director of the Division of Campus Recreation. He was instrumental in the transitional process of the program from a varsity to a club sport. Jim helped Ohio become a founding member of the American College Hockey Association (ACHA) and has been a part of four national championships. When asked what it means to be inducted into the OHIO Hockey Hall of Fame, Jim replied, “It is a tremendous honor. The hockey program is very important to me and I feel privileged to have been part of the program for almost 20 years.”
Paul Marshall
Goaltender Paul Marshall currently holds eight goaltending records at Ohio University. They include, most career wins (72), most single season wins (29), lowest career goal against average (2.04), highest career save percentage (.922), most career shutouts (15), tied for most single season shutouts (6), most career saves (2395), and highest single season saves (933).
Marshall also earned numerous awards during his tenure at OHIO Hockey, including earning a spot on the USA Hockey National University Team that competed in the Winter World University Games in Harbin, China in 2009. He was also named the Central States Collegiate Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player in the 2009-2010 season.
Former head coach and Hall of Fame class member Dan Morris noted, “It is a thrill for me to see Paul Marshall selected to be inducted into the OHIO Hockey Hall of Fame. Paul was a tremendous talent, outstanding leader and ferocious competitor. His talent at the goaltending position gave us a chance to win every night. It was truly an honor to coach Paul at OHIO. His selection as the 2010 Player of the Year further solidified his spot as one of the greats to play hockey for the Bobcats. His induction to the OHIO Hockey Hall of Fame is well deserved.”
Tyler Pilmore
Tyler Pilmore was an outstanding two-way player for OHIO during the 2009-2013 seasons. He accumulated many league awards during his time here consisting of 2010 ACHA All-Rookie Team, 2011 ACHA 3rd Team All-American, 2011 Member of the US National Team at the World University Games in Turkey, 2012 ACHA 2nd Team All-American, and 2013 ACHA 1st Team All-American. As well, Tyler holds the OHIO Hockey records of Career Leader in Assists (161) and Ohio Bobcat Career Leader in Points (227). Tyler was a CSCHL Regular Season Champion in 2010, where his team currently holds the record for most wins in a season (34). Tyler was also a two-time CSCHL Tournament Champion in 2011 and 2013 as a captain. You can find these banners hanging from the rafters of Bird Arena.
Nick Rostek, a former teammate, stated that “Tyler was unbelievably relentless on the ice. His determination and work ethic were something I had never seen before. His legs never stopped moving when he was on the ice. He was an incredible leader who was constantly working to better himself and the team. He never took a day off, he never made excuses and was always willing to do whatever was necessary to help the team succeed. He was the type of player that you wanted to play with and the type of person you wanted to be around. Tyler pushed others to be better and he brought out the best of those around him on and off the ice. He was just an extremely respectful, humble person and a talented, hardworking hockey player who is very deserving of this honor.”
After his time with OHIO Hockey, Tyler went on to play professionally in the East Coast Hockey League for the Wheeling Nailers and the Toledo Walleye. He also played for the Peoria Rivermen of the SPHL.
Bill Roen
Bill Roen was an outstanding two way player for OHIO from 1994-1998. So outstanding in fact, he was named First Team All American defenseman in 1996-1997 and then a First Team All American forward in 1997-1998. As a player Bill helped OHIO Hockey to three consecutive ACHA National Championships from 1994-1997.
Craig McCarthy stated, “Bill has been one of the best defensemen to play in the ACHA. He had all the attributes of a great player. His speed and strength were a commanding force in our defensive zone. His hockey IQ brought considerable aspects to our offensive game. Numerous games Bill was the most dominant player on the ice. Bill’s leadership on-and-off the ice was critical during the championship years.” Roen finished his career with OHIO with 46 goals, 99 assists and 145 points in 121 career games.
Send nominations to Head Coach, Lionel Mauron, at mauron@ohio.edu and Blueline Booster Alumni Chair, Lex Tisdale, at five4fighting@columbus.rr.com.