{"id":109,"date":"2019-07-17T18:17:52","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/2015hall-of-fame\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:17:52","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:52","slug":"2015hall-of-fame","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/2015hall-of-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Hall of Fame Dinner to honor achievements in WCSU athletics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Five Western Connecticut State University<\/a> graduates who left lasting sports legacies at WCSU, two longtime supporters of the WCSU athletic program, and two legendary men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams will be inducted into the WCSU Athletic Hall of Fame at a dinner to be held on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The 12th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremony, sponsored by the WCSU Alumni Association, will celebrate the inductions of former WCSU student athletes in football, baseball, women\u2019s soccer and women\u2019s field hockey, as well as a veteran athletic trainer at WCSU and a local business supporter of WCSU athletics. The ceremony also will mark the inductions of the university\u2019s first men\u2019s football team formed in 1969 and the 2007 women\u2019s soccer team that reached the Final Four of the NCAA Division III national championship tournament.<\/p>\n

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The dinner and ceremony, organized as part of 2015 Homecoming Week events at WCSU, will be at 6 p.m. at the Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury. Admission is $75 per person or $700 to reserve a table for 10. Registrations may be made online at https:\/\/alumni.wcsu.edu\/hall-of-fame<\/a> or by calling the Alumni Association office at (203) 837-8298.<\/p>\n

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WCSU graduates who will be honored for their contributions to WCSU athletics during their competition in intercollegiate sports include:<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tJenna Cappellieri, women\u2019s soccer from 2005 through 2007. Cappellieri, a goalkeeper who posted 17 shutouts, recorded 195 saves, and allowed just 32 goals in 56 games played, capped her three-year career in 2007 with honors as an NCAA Division III All-American. She also was cited for her achievements in the Sports Illustrated \u201cFaces in the Crowd\u201d column. She was selected in 2006 and 2007 for all-conference first team and all-New England honors and as Little East Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tJohn Capodice, baseball from 1989 through 1992. As shortstop for the Colonials, Capdice posted a .368 batting average during his four-year career that remains third-highest all-time at WCSU. He also ranks fourth all-time for runs scored, fifth all-time for hits, seventh all-time for RBIs and eighth all-time for stolen bases. An all-IAC Conference selection in his four years of competition, Capodice served as team captain from 1990 through 1992, earned all-New England honors in 1990 and 1991, and was named a Cape Cod College All Star in 1992.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tSteven Kehoe, football from 1969 through 1971. Kehoe was a member of Western\u2019s first football team in 1969 and served as co-captain when the team achieved varsity status in 1970. Versatile in playing both offensive and defensive lineman positions, he was named the team\u2019s Most Valuable Player and was chosen for the all-New England first team in 1971. He also made the NAIA District 32 first team in 1971 and received the first NAIA All-American Honorable Mention in university history.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tEllen Prunty-Goyda, women\u2019s field hockey from 1982 through 1985. Prunty-Goyda, who served as team captain in her junior and senior years, was named to the New England Field Hockey Association second team in 1982 and 1983 and the association\u2019s first team in 1984 and 1985. As the team\u2019s MVP in 1984 and co-MVP in 1985, she became the first Western field hockey player selected for the National Field Hockey Festival and led the Colonials to their first ECAC New England Tournament appearance in 1985.<\/p>\n

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\u2022\tMichael Toscano, football from 1999 through 2001. As a linebacker for three seasons and team captain in 2000 and 2001, Toscano led the Colonials in tackles for two seasons and averaged 63 solo tackles and 3.3 sacks per year, He was a member of Western\u2019s first football team to achieve an undefeated regular season record at 10-0. He earned honors in 1999 and 2000 as a selection for the Freedom Football Conference first team, the ECAC All-Conference second team and the Hewlett Packard All-American third team.<\/p>\n

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The Hall of Fame induction ceremony also will award Lifetime Support honors to Mark Allen, Western\u2019s head athletic trainer since 1982, and Wes Brown, owner and manager of Chuck\u2019s Steakhouse in Danbury.<\/p>\n

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During his 33-year career at the university, Allen has overseen the growth of the WCSU athletics program to include three full-time certified athletic trainers, a part-time trainer and setup of training rooms at Berkshire Hall, the O\u2019Neill Center and the Westside Athletic Complex. The induction citation noted Allen\u2019s \u201csignificant role in making improvements for the overall care of the student athlete\u201d and development of \u201crelationships with local medical professionals that directly benefit student athletes.\u201d He also was credited with playing a key role in bringing men\u2019s ice hockey to Western.<\/p>\n

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Brown was a member of the Western football team from 1972 through 1975, serving as captain for the 1973 and 1974 seasons. He returned to the team as an assistant coach and linebacker coordinator in 1977. Recipient of the WCSU Alumni Association Appreciation Award in 1990, the induction citation credited Brown\u2019s continued engagement for many years as a local business owner who supports and contributes to a wide range of university programs.<\/p>\n

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The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will honor the university\u2019s first football team in 1969, which included 48 players and a coaching staff of four led by Head Coach Jim Krayeske. The team finished its inaugural season with a record of two wins, two losses and one tie. Induction honors also will be awarded to the 2007 women\u2019s soccer team, which posted a record of 21 wins, three losses and one tie on its way to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III championship round. The team, which won regular season and tournament championships in the Little East Conference, achieved a fourth-place ranking in the NSCAA national poll.<\/p>\n


\n For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (203) 837-8298.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.<\/em><\/p>\n

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