Hall of fame enshrinement is the ultimate individual honor someone can receive. But for three local coaches, the honor is as much a reflection of their programs’ success as it is of their own.
Mari Warner, the girls’ basketball coach at Falmouth High, will be inducted into the University of Albany’s Hall of Fame on Saturday in recognition of her 20-year career as the school’s women’s basketball coach.
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In January, Bowdoin College coach Nicky Pearson and retired University of Southern Maine coach Paula Hodgdon will be inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Warner will be honored at a luncheon before Albany’s football game against Columbia.
“It’s once in a lifetime that you get the opportunity to be in anything like this,” said Warner, whose brother, Bob Warner, is in the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame. “Those were 20 very special years of my life and for them to recognize that is very humbling. I’m very honored by it.”
Warner coached the Albany program during its transition first from NCAA Division III to Division II, and then from Division II to Division I. She is the school’s all-time leader in women’s basketball coaching victories and compiled a career record of 299-213. She coached there from 1982-2002.
Warner has heard from many of her former players and has told them all the same thing: “My response to them is, ‘You are all part of this Hall of Fame honor.’ This is very much a reflection of the players. They had to buy into what we wanted to do. And they did.”
She still follows the team closely and likes what she sees. “It’s fun to see that they have the same philosophy about family and tradition,” she said.
Of course, now that Falmouth is being coached by a hall of famer, the expectations for that program immediately rise, right?
“Here we go with the big expectations,” said Warner, laughing. “We have a nice nucleus returning. The girls have already set their expectations and it’s going to be a fun year.”
Pearson echoed many of Warner’s statements when talking about her selection to the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
“It is a huge honor, obviously,” she said. “But after a couple of moments to reflect on it, you view it as collective recognition for everything that the players, alumni and assistant coaches did, everything we’ve achieved here. It really is recognition for the program.”
But Pearson deserves much credit for the success Bowdoin has achieved in her 18 years as head coach. The Polar Bears are recognized as perhaps the top Division III program in the nation. They are the defending national champions and have also won titles in 2007, 2008 and 2010. They have made the postseason every year and advanced to the Division III final four seven times.
She was recognized the as national Division III coach of the year after each of the school’s four national titles. The Polar Bears have won the New England Small College Athletic Conference championship a league-record seven times.
After a 4-0 start this season, her record is 270-54. Included in the start this year are 2-1 victories over Amherst, which won the league’s regular-season title last year, and Middlebury, which defeated Bowdoin in the conference championship game last year. “Those are two significant wins for the program early on,” said Pearson.
Hodgdon, now 86 and living in Hollis Center, still keeps tabs on the program that she started in 1967. “I go to a lot of USM games when I’m able to, which is a good number of them,” said Hodgdon. “I like to follow what they’re doing, what the new players are coming up with.”
She coached the Huskies for 31 seasons, compiling a record of 213-173-57. Under her direction, USM played in seven ECAC tournaments, four NCAA tournaments and one NCAA final four (1987).
“I never set out to set any records, or be elected to this or that,” said Hodgdon. “I did what I wanted to do. And I started the program because the women wanted it. It seemed like the right time to do it.”
Still, her selection came as a surprise – at least to Hodgdon.
“This is a very prestigious organization,” she said, of the NFHCA.
“And I’m really thrilled that they selected me because I’m sure that there are a lot more people that had better records than I did. I guess it’s not all about records.”
Pearson and Hodgdon actually coached against each other for a couple of years when Pearson took over the Bowdoin program. So both felt it was fitting that they enter the Hall of Fame together. The third inductee is Boston University’s Sally Starr.
FIELD HOCKEY
Junior midfielder Kelsey Howard of Scarborough is a tri-captain for Bentley, which was ranked 10th in Division II nationally in the preseason but opened 1-2. Howard has played in every game since her freshman season and has two goals and two assists in her career.
n University of Southern Maine freshman Tayla Smedberg of Oxford (Oxford Hills) was named Little East Conference Rookie of the Week and sophomore Amanda Kasbohm of York was named Goalkeeper of the Week.
Smedberg scored the game’s only goal in a victory over Eastern Connecticut. Kasbohm allowed just one goal in two games, both victories, with 13 combined saves.
GOLF
Bentley University junior Malcolm Oliver of Damariscotta (Lincoln Academy) is off to a strong start for the Falcons. In his most recent match, Oliver finished 15th in the Dowling September Shootout with a 74-77-151, to finish second on the team.
Oliver was named the Northeast-10 Conference men’s Golfer of the Week earlier this month after he finished first in the Joe Plante Collegiate Invitational when he shot a 145, capped by a second-day 71. He had 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey in that final round.
n St. Joseph’s College sophomore Michael Caron of Gorham, was named Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Week and freshman Matt Galvin of Derry, New Hampshire, was named Rookie of the Week.
Caron shot the lowest 18-hole score of his career, a 71, in earning medalist honors at the Thomas College Classic at Waterville Country Club. In his first collegiate match, Galvin shot an 83 for third best on the team.
n Southern Maine Community College freshman Ben Chaine of Bridgton (Lake Region) finished third in a home match against UMaine-Augusta and Great Bay Community College. He shot an 81. Earlier this season he was named the Yankee Small College Conference Player of the Week after shooting an 80 at Sable Oaks.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Bentley freshman Ryan Cadorette of Saco (Thornton Academy) continues his strong season for the Falcons. Cadorette finished 17th in the recent University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Invitational with a time of 25 minutes, 47.7 seconds, the second-fastest time by a freshman in the meet. Bentley finished fifth among 34 teams. His top finish of the season came in his collegiate debut when he finished fourth overall in the Shacklette Invitational, completing the 8,000-meter course in 27:23.
MEN’S SOCCER
SMCC freshman goalkeeper Spencer Hoyt of Rochester, New Hampshire, was named Goalie of the Week for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association after earning two shutouts. He leads the conference with 82 saves.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
University of Southern Maine junior Hannah Damron of Windham was named LEC Runner of the Week for the second time this season. Damron finished eighth overall, first among LEC runners, in the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational. She completed the 5,000-meter course in 18:21.05.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Babson senior Jessica DiPhilippo of Falmouth was recently named the ECAC Divison III women’s soccer Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Beavers to three victories by scoring one goal and assisting on three others. Through eight games this year, DiPhilippo has four goals and four assists for the 6-1-1 Beavers. In her career, she has 18 goals and 20 assists.
• Bowdoin College junior Kiersten Turner of Gorham was named NESCAC Player of the Week after scoring two game-winning goals for the unbeaten Polar Bears. She had three goals overall on the week, with her game-winners coming against Bates (1-0) and Middlebury (2-1).
• USM junior goalkeeper Marissa Temple of Grafton, Massachusetts, was named LEC Goalkeeper of the Week. She made 16 saves in a scoreless tie with Salem State and then stopped 11 shots in a 3-0 loss to UMass-Boston. She leads the conference with 87 saves on the season.
• University of New England freshman Becca Murphy of Durham, New Hampshire, was named Commonwealth Coast Conference Rookie of the Week. She scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 victory over Colby.
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