Husson golfers prefer team accomplishments Individual accolades mean less to talented Braves

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Husson College’s Bruce MacGregor was named this year’s Sunrise Conference golf coach of the year. Ask him and he’ll acknowledge that. But then he’ll quickly tell you he had nothing to do with it.

“We’ve had very talented young men and very good people,” MacGregor said of his golfers.

The talent is evident when their record is considered. In the last three years, the Braves have won 325 head-to-head matches. This season they were 112-9.

Team captain Corey Pion, in four years with the Braves, has won 400 head-to-head matches.

But what pleases the golfers most is their record as a team.

They recently won the New England Division III championship for the second year in a row. Not only were they the top Division III school but they placed fifth overall behind four Division I schools.

“It’s remarkable,” Husson golfer Joe Finemore said. “I came here as a freshman and we were good. We had a lot of success as a team. Last year was just phenomenal. We’ve been fortunate to get great players. We’re all good players. We all could be the number one on the team.”

A look at the numbers seems to bear Finemore out. Vassalboro’s Pion, the team’s only senior, was medalist at this year’s Sunrise tournament at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro and at the Terrier Invitational hosted by Thomas College at The Samoset Resort in Rockport.

Corey Poulin, a junior from Jackman, was medalist at various tournaments five times during the course of the year and like Pion played his way onto the Sunrise Conference all-star team.

Freshman Ross McGee of Fairfield earned All-New England honors as well as all-conference and was the Sunrise Conference rookie of the year.

Junior Shane Ross of Pittsfield tied for medalist at the Maine Maritime Tournament and Finemore joined Ross on the All-New England Division III team.

MacGregor, who began a second stint coaching the team in 1994, also points out that last year’s Husson team was the first team from NAIA Region X to be ranked, when the Braves showed up in the poll at No. 20.

Additionally, last year’s team had an accumulative grade point average of 3.6.

“These are all Maine kids that are getting ranked nationally. Consider the disadvantages of living in the Northeast in this sport we play. It’s been a very rewarding experience. It’s like watching an artist perform because they’re very skilled and very competitive,” MacGregor said.

But perhaps their best accolades came from their opponents.

“Last year at the nationals, people saw how our team was. We’re all about team,” Finemore said.

Players from other teams approached Husson team members and complimented them on the way they handled themselves.

“A lot of them would say they wished they were like us,” Finemore said. “They would tell us how their number one, two, three players were all about just winning individually.”

And whether he wants to accept it, MacGregor receives the credit from his players.

“Coach brings that out of us very well. He stresses the importance of the team. It’s especially important for young kids to see it’s not about the glory. It’s about the friendships that come out of it,” Finemore said.

Saint Joseph’s Hall to induct 8

Michael Johnston, who played on five different teams during his stay at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, is among eight people who will be inducted into the Saint Joseph’s College Athletic Hall of Fame next month.

Mary Lou Kimball Brown, Danielle Bouchard, Arlo Pike, John Monahan, Steve Schuler, Cindy Kamszick, Johnston and Michael Fiorillo will be honored Nov. 9 during ceremonies in the Alumni Lounge at the Alfond Center.

The reception begins at 6 p.m., with dinner scheduled for 7. The induction ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Call Sue McAuliffe at 207-893-7890 to obtain tickets.

Johnston (’74) played golf, ran cross country, played tennis, competed in baseball and was a basketball starter. He was St. Joseph’s first 1,000-point scorer with 1,129 and was an All-America honorable mention.

Kimball Brown (Class of 1989) amassed 1,584 points and 1,171 rebounds and 116 blocked shots, placing her among the Monks’ all-time basketball greats. Bouchard (’95) was a 1,437-point scorer at St. Joseph’s and holds the single-season record with 621 points.

Pike (’87) was one of the fastest baseball players for the Monks. He is the all-time stolen bases leader with 61 and ranks among the program’s leaders in average (.356), hits (166) and doubles (31).

Monahan served as St. Joseph’s director of admissions and financial aid, foreign student advisor, varsity baseball coach and assistant basketball coach during a six-year term. Schuler (’95) was among the Monks’ most exciting basketball players. The All-America honorable mention scored 1,454 points and is the only player in St. Joseph’s history never to lose a home game.

Kamszick (’97) was a stellar soccer and softball performer for the Monks. She finished her career as the program’s top goal-scorer with 45. As a senior, she batted a team-high .414 and won 10 games as a pitcher with a 1.94 earned run average.

Fiorillo (’86) ended his basketball career as the No. 5 scorer all-time with 1,672 points. He was twice a first-team all-league pick and served as a captain on the Monks’ winningest team ever (26).