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2013 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 807
Commending the William and Mary ice hockey team.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 8, 2013
Agreed to by the Senate, February 14, 2013

 

WHEREAS, led by head coach Ken Felix, captain Matt Levey, and assistant captains Chris Crisalli and Austin Yager, the William and Mary ice hockey team celebrates its 25th anniversary during the 2012 - 2013 season; and

WHEREAS, The College of William and Mary is the second-oldest college in America, chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of England, and is one of only eight institutions of higher education in the United States designated a “Public Ivy”; and

WHEREAS, the William and Mary ice hockey team (the Tribe) is currently a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division III and the Atlantic Northeast Division of the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference (BRHC); and

WHEREAS, in the spring of 1987, Timo Budow founded the Tribe as an official sports club; after obtaining approval from recreational sports director Denny Byrne, Timo Budow secured start-up funding from the college and started the recruitment process on campus; and

WHEREAS, with a small but committed group of players, the Tribe began its inaugural season in the fall of 1987 as members of the Virginia Open Hockey League; and

WHEREAS, in 1995 Christopher Doumas reignited the program and led the Tribe as it competed in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL); and

WHEREAS, the Tribe entered the 1998 - 1999 season in Division II of the ACHA and as a member of the ACCHL; and

WHEREAS, then-captain Jonathan Ball spearheaded a major development in the program’s evolution, hiring the Tribe’s first full-time, non-student head coach; and

WHEREAS, beginning in the fall of 1998, veteran hockey coach Phillip Morris helped the Tribe become a competitive collegiate program; Nathan Brown was named the team’s first assistant coach, focusing on defense and goaltending; and

WHEREAS, in 1999 the Tribe finished in third place at the Leatherneck Invitational Tournament at the United States Naval Academy; and

WHEREAS, in the 2000 - 2001 season, the Tribe went 10 - 0 for an undefeated regular season and won the Dan Cup Tournament in North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the Tribe continued its success the next season, winning the Iceplex league championship in 2002; and

WHEREAS, the Tribe joined the BRHC for the 2002 - 2003 season; and

WHEREAS, during the 2003 - 2004 season, the Tribe placed second in the Mary Washington Invitational tournament; and

WHEREAS, after having coached for more than three decades, including nine seasons at The College of William and Mary, Phillip Morris retired as head coach of the Tribe in 2007; and

WHEREAS, beginning in the 2007 - 2008 season, Ken Felix, a former assistant coach, became the Tribe’s second head coach in the program’s history; and

WHEREAS, the Tribe finished first in the Atlantic Northeast division during the 2010 - 2011 regular season, advancing to the BRHC playoffs for the second time in the program’s history; and

WHEREAS, the Tribe defeated Liberty University in the semifinal and The Citadel in the final to win its first BRHC title; and

WHEREAS, in 2011 Tribe alumni Will and Judson Payne, inspired by former head coach Phillip Morris, launched the Royal Blueliner Society as the Tribe’s official nonprofit booster club and alumni organization; and

WHEREAS, for the 2011 - 2012 season, the Tribe placed first in the Atlantic Northeast division of the BRHC, clinching a playoff spot; and

WHEREAS, in 2012 the BRHC named Ken Felix as the league’s Coach of the Year and the Tribe’s goaltender, Ben Huff, as Most Valuable Player; and

WHEREAS, since 2007, the Tribe has had 13 players receive Academic All-American honors from the ACHA, including five in 2012; and

WHEREAS, since the Tribe joined the BRHC, nine different players and coaches have been named to the All-BRHC team, also including five in 2012; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Tribe is due to the support of the players’ and coaches’ family members and friends; the hard work and dedication of the players, coaches, managers, student officers, scorekeepers, recreational sports directors, and support staff; and the encouragement of the students and administration at The College of William and Mary; and

WHEREAS, W. Taylor Reveley III, president of The College of William and Mary, has been the team’s biggest fan, attending late evening games, fighting for increased funding, and inviting the team into his home; and

WHEREAS, past and present Tribe hockey players show their appreciation for Jenny Morris and Becky Felix, whose devotion to their husbands and dedication to the team every step of the way will not be forgotten; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Morris, the uniting force that kept the young Tribe ice hockey team together and the man to whom so many players owe their thanks for providing selfless leadership and loyal friendship over the years, died on January 17, 2013; and

WHEREAS, for 25 years, the student-athletes on the Tribe have displayed the same work ethic, dedication, and commitment on and off the ice; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the College of William and Mary ice hockey team on the occasion of its 25th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to head coach Ken Felix, the family of former head coach Phillip Morris, team founders Timo Budow and Christopher Doumas, team president Austin Yager, 2012 - 2013 team captain Matt Levey, The College of William and Mary President W. Taylor Reveley III, and the Royal Blueliner Society as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the William and Mary ice hockey team’s long tradition of success.