2006 Inductees
1947 Berwick Junior High Hockey Team
It just seemed magical a team of grade nine and ten students, very few practices, and lots of fun. A players dream!
Their arrival at away-games was a sight to behold: the team was made up of eight forwards, two defencemen, a goalie, a coach, and a manager, and half of them would pile out of one vehicle, a big old Ford Coupe. Some of the players thought that the close travel quarters had a lot to do with their development as a tight team, known for its pin-point passing and its speed.
A highly successful season was followed by the Nova Scotia playdowns. The first series was against Kings College of Windsor. The first game of a two-game total-goal series was played in Berwick, with Berwick winning by one goal. The second game was played in Windsor. Berwick won 15-0 and advanced to the Provincial Mainland Championship against Kings County Academy of Kentville.
Game 1 was played in Kentville and an exciting game ended in a 3-3 tie. Game 2 was played in Berwick before a "packed-to-the-rafters" crowd. A thrilling see-saw battle came to a climax late in the game when Clyde Cotter caught sight of a high-flying John Boylan out of the corner of his eye and fed a beautiful pass to him as he broke in on the K.C.A. goalie and scored. It was the winning, and only, goal of the game. Bob Bickerton played a stellar game and recorded the shut-out.
The Provincial Championship was next. Berwick was pitted in a single game against Sydney Academy, a team ably coached by members of the Sydney Millionaires of the Cape Breton Senior Hockey League. Sydney employed a tactic the Berwick squad had not encountered before. They dumped the puck, instead of carrying it, into the offensive zone. As a result, Sydney got off to a fast start that Berwick could not overcome. The final score, 5-3, was Berwick's only loss all year.
Most of the opposition teams were from larger schools, which makes Berwick's achievements so special and deserving of recognition in Berwick's Sports Hall of Fame.
1947 Berwick Junior High Hockey Team Members
Ernest Robb (Coach), C.G. Sutherland (Manager), Bob Bickerton, Johnny Boylan, Lewis Chute, Clyde Cotter, Ronald Doane, Donnie Haley, Harold Hills, Earl Hiltz, Lawrence Kelly, Lorimer Lutz, Jack Pineo
Inducted June 2006