| Reg Morelli | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 10, 1935 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Died | November 11, 2020 (aged 84) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Played for |
North Dakota Fighting Sioux St. Paul Saints Warroad Lakers | ||
| Playing career | 1957–1965 | ||
Reginald P. Morelli (December 10, 1935[1] – November 11, 2020) was a Canadian ice hockey center, who was judged the Most Outstanding Player of the 1959 NCAA Tournament.[2]
Career[edit]
Morelli was a scorer for North Dakota when he joined the varsity squad in 1957. As a sophomore, he produced more than a point-per-game pace, helping the Fighting Sioux win their first WIHL championship (tied) as well as qualify for their first NCAA tournament. After beating Harvard in the semi-final, they lost to Denver in the final, and so finished runners-up in 1958.
Although the WIHL collapsed that summer, UND qualified for the 1959 NCAA tournament on the strength of an 18–10–1 record, having defeated Denver during the season series. The Fighting Sioux escaped an ignominious fate with an overtime win over St. Lawrence in the semi-final, before turning their attention to Michigan State in the final.
The Spartans scored first, but a 3-goal reply from the Sioux put them firmly in charge, with Morelli assisting on the first goal. The Spartans responded in the third scoring twice to tie the game, sending the championship match into overtime for the second time in history. Just over four minutes into extra time, Morelli sent the puck past a sprawling Joe Selinger to win UND the NCAA Championship. Morelli was named the Most Outstanding Player and made the All-Tournament First Team.[3]
As a senior, Morelli's scored 34 goals and 65 points in 31 games, setting a program record for points that stood until 1979.[2] He was named in both the All-WCHA First Team[4] and AHCA All-American West Team.[5]
Morelli continued to play hockey for several years after graduating, winning the Turner Cup as a member of the St. Paul Saints in 1961. He was inducted into the UND Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977,[6] and saw both his son Matt and grandson Mason play collegiate ice hockey.[7] Morelli died on November 11, 2020, at the age of 84.[8]
Statistics[edit]
Regular season and playoffs[edit]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1957–58 | North Dakota | WIHL | 30 | 9 | 25 | 35 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | North Dakota | NCAA | 24 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | North Dakota | WCHA | 31 | 34 | 31 | 65 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | St. Paul Saints | IHL | 72 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 16 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1963–64 | Warroad Lakers | Independent | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Warroad Lakers | Independent | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 85 | 60 | 72 | 132 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors[edit]
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA All-Tournament First Team | 1959 | [3] |
| All-WCHA First Team | 1959–60 | [9] |
| AHCA West All-American | 1959–60 | [5] |
References[edit]
- ^ Player Death Index - 2020, Society for International Hockey Research
- ^ a b "North Dakota Hockey 2018-19 Media Guide" (PDF). North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ^ "WCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- ^ a b "1959-1960 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "Hall of Fame - 1977 Inductees". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ "Three Generations, Two Teams, One Love of the Game". National Collegiate Hockey Conference. January 17, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ "UND mourns passing of key hockey figure Reg Morelli".
- ^ "WCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
External links[edit]
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database