The Canisius athletic department announced today (Dec. 5) that Andrea Bunten ’05 – softball, Kevin Downey ’05, MBA ‘07 – men’s basketball, Bryan Worosz ‘05 – hockey, Becky Zak ‘06 – women’s basketball and the 1963 men’s basketball team have been chosen as the 54th induction class to the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, James Lauffenburger ’60, PhD, widely considered as the father of modern football at the College, will be presented with the Rev. Paul J. Dugan, S.J., Award, an honor that recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to Canisius athletics.
The Canisius Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, when the men’s basketball team plays host to Saint Peter’s in the Koessler Athletic Center. Game time is set for 2 p.m. The annual Hall of Fame Day will begin with a special “Induction Brunch” from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., in the Montante Cultural Center. The cost is $25 per person and includes a buffet brunch, coffee, tea and a ticket to the basketball game. Those interested in taking part in the “Induction Brunch” are asked to RSVP to the Canisius Office of Alumni Engagement by calling 1-800-201-4952 or register online by clicking here. The deadline to R.S.V.P. is Feb. 17, 2017.
To be eligible for the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame, a former student-athlete must have completed his/her eligibility 10 years prior to induction, be a graduate of the College, been acclaimed as an undergraduate as one of the outstanding athletes in the history of the school and, since graduation, the student-athletes’ life must have continued to reflect favorably on the College. Non-athletes may be inducted if they have made outstanding contributions to Canisius College athletics.
The Canisius Sports Hall of Fame, which began in 1963, now boasts 192 individual members and five teams with the addition of this year’s group.
Andrea Bunten ‘05
One of six players in MAAC history to be named the MAAC Softball Championship MVP twice (2004 and 2005), Bunten is the Canisius softball program’s career leader in strikeouts after she fanned 663 batters from 2002-05. The Gilroy, California native appeared in 104 games in the circle for the Griffs and earned 42 wins with 10 saves and a 2.03 ERA in 506 innings of work. Named the 2005 MAAC Pitcher of the Year, Bunten set a school record with 238 strikeouts in 2004, and she currently holds the program record for 9.12 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. A member of three MAAC Championship teams (2002, 2004, 2005), Bunten was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team two times, and she is one of three pitchers in Canisius history to throw multiple no-hitters during her career on Main Street. She is the 17th former softball player to be enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame.
Kevin Downey ’05, MBA ‘07
A three-time All-MAAC Selection and a two-time team captain, Downey is the 54th former men’s basketball player to be inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame. One of seven players in the program’s 113-year history to score more than 1,000 points while recording more than 400 rebounds and 250 assists, the Livonia, New York native played in and started all 116 games during his career as a Griff. He scored 1,583 points from 2002-06, and he joins Canisius Hall of Famers Bill O’Connor, Mike Macaluso, Ray Hall and Craig Wise as the only five players in school history to lead the team in scoring average three or more times. He currently ranks seventh in scoring (1,583), third in 3-point field goal makes (185), fifth in assists (404) and eighth in steals (147). His is one of five players in school history to earn All-MAAC honors in multiple seasons and he was also recognized for his work in the classroom as well, earning MAAC All-Academic honors three years in a row.
Bryan Worosz ‘05
The only goaltender in Canisius history to earn First Team All-Atlantic Hockey Conference honors and a two-time team MVP, Worosz is the 11th former hockey player to be enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame. He played in 110 games from 2001-05, and he ranks second in the school’s Division I history with 42 career victories. His 2,771 saves are third-best in program history and his goals against average of 2.82 also ranks third in the program’s record book. In his senior season, the Brantford, Ontario native led Atlantic Hockey with a 2.43 goals against average and a .919 save percentage to lead Canisius to a second-place finish in AHC’s regular-season standings, which matches the best finish in school history.
Becky Zak ‘06
The only MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship MVP in school history, Zak was the driving force behind Canisius’ 2005 MAAC title run, which made the Griffs the first program in Western New York to earn a berth into the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. A member of the program’s famed 1,000-career point club, she ranks 18th in scoring with 1,136 points and her 474 assists are sixth-best in school history. The Pine Beach, New Jersey native hit 153 career 3-pointers in her 111 games, which ranks seventh in the school’s record book, and she is one of five players in school history to shoot better than 35 percent from behind the arc for her career. A two-time All-MAAC First-Team honoree (2005 and 2006), she is one of two players in Canisius history to earn MAAC All-Tournament accolades multiple times. She is the 13th former women’s basketball player in school history to be added to the Sports Hall of Fame.
The 1963 Men’s Basketball Team
The 1963 men’s basketball team is the fifth team to be voted into the College’s Sports Hall of Fame. The 1963 edition of the Griffs went 19-7 overall and advanced to the NIT Final in Madison Square Garden, where the team lost to eventual champion Providence. Led by Canisius Hall of Famer Bill O’Connor, the Blue and Gold won six of their first 10 games that season, which was highlighted by wins over St. John’s, UMass, Boston College, St. Bonaventure and a road victory at Syracuse. Coached by Canisius Hall of Famer Bob MacKinnon, the 1963 team was the second team in school history to earn a berth into the NIT, where the team scored wins over Memphis and Villanova. A total of five members of the 1963 edition of the Griffs are already inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, including O’Connor, MacKinnon, Tom Chester, Frank Swiatek and Patrick Turtle.
James Lauffenburger ’60 PhD
Considered the father of modern football at Canisius, Lauffenburger is the fourth winner of the Rev. Paul J. Dugan, S.J., Award, presented annually to individuals whose acts or efforts have significantly benefitted Canisius athletics. On a fall night in 1966, Lauffenburger, a physics professor at the College, took a group of Canisius students to Hyde Park in Niagara Falls, New York, for a historic game of touch football between Canisius and Niagara. That game helped lead to the creation of the Canisius club football program, which officially returned to campus in the fall of 1967. “Doc” oversaw the club program for eight years, where the team posted a 27-24-1 record, before retiring in 1975 as the football program progressed to the NCAA Division III level. Lauffenburger’s impact on the football team was illustrated for years to come, highlighted by the annual awarding of the Lauffenburger Award, presented annually to the Canisius football player who best exemplified the spirit of Canisius football and its gridiron program.
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