WE WERE A GOOD FOOTBALL PROGRAM -IN L966 WE WERE 6-2 -IN 1967
WE WERE 7-1- AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT 8-0- NOW IT WAS 1968
-THE LAST GAME OF THE YEAR- WE STOOD AT 5-3 - BUT WE WERE
PLAYING TEMPLE- NU PLAYING TEMPLE- YOUR KIDDING ME- ON THE
FRIDAY BEFORE THE GAME TEMPLE HAD SIGNED MULTIYEAR CONTRACTS
WITH PENN STATE AND PITT-THAT WAS THE SUBJECT DE JOUR IN THE
PRESS BOX THAT SATURDAY- THAT PLUS THE SENIOR PASSING
COMBINATION OF QUARTERBACK JOHN WALLER AND SPLIT END JIM
CALLAHAN- THEY HAD CONNECTED FOR AN OUTSTANDING 34
TOUCHDOWNS -THEY HAD BOTH REWRITTEN THE OWL RECORD BOOK-
BUT WITH EIGHT MINUTES TO GO IN THE GAME THE HUSKIES HUSHED THE
CROWD WITH TWO QUICK SCORES TO LEAD 27-13- COULD THIS REALLY
BE HAPPENING- THE OWLS RESPONDED BY RUNNING THE KICKOFF BACK
95 YARDS - THREE MINUTES LATER WALLER HIT CALLAHAN FOR A 90 I)OW YARD SCORE - SCORE 27-26 - THE HUSKIES GO THREE AND OUT- WALLER
HAS THE BALL ON HIS OWN 21 WITH THREE MINUTES ON THE CLOCK-
IMMEDIATELY WALLER LOOKS FOR CALLAHAN- THROWS -BUT BIG
NUMBER 67 JACK FREEMAN STEPS IN FRONT AND RUMBLES INTO THE END
ZONE TO SEAL THE UPSET AND GIVE THE HUSKIES ONE OF THEIR FINEST
VICTORIES EVER- ALTHOUGH THIS WAS JACK FREEMAN'S LAST
FOOTBALL GAME - IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST TIME HE HAD
PLAYED THE ROLE OF HERO - IN FACT MANY WOULD ARGUE HEWAS THE
FINEST MIDDLE LINEBACKER IN HUSKY HISTORY - THE INTERCEPTION AT TEMPLE WAS THE FOURTH FOR FREEMAN THAT SEASON- THE PREVIOUS
YEAR HE HAD CAPTAI NED A DEFENSIVE UNIT THAT WAS SECOND BEST IN
THE NATION- LIMITING OPPONENTS TO 4.3 POINTS AND 41 RUSHY ARDS
PER CONTEST- HEWAS VOTED TEAM MVP AND ALL-NEW ENGLAND IN
BOTH HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR SEASONS - IN SPRINGTIME HE AGAIN
HAUNTED PARSONS FIELD WINNING THREE BASEBALL LETTERS AND
BEING VOTED THE ALL GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE CATCHER ~A SENIOR ~ - BUT FREEMAN CONTRIBUTIONS DID NOT END WITH GRADUATION- HE
RETURNED TO HUNTINGTON AVE SEVERAL YEARS LATER TO SERVE AS
AN ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH FOR EIGHT SEASONS UNDER BO LYONS
AND THEN ANOTHER FIVE YEARS AS A POPULAR ADMINISTRATOR IN THE
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT- HE HAS BEEN A DISTINGUISHED ATHLETIC
ADMINISTRATOR - AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AND
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AND IS CURRENTLY DIRECTOR OF STADIUM
OPERATIONS AT RENTSCHLER FIELD THE HOME OF THE UCONN HUSKIES -
PRESIDENT AOUN MAY I PRESENT FOR INDUCTION INTO THE
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME- JACK FREEMAN- THE GARDNER FAMILY WELCOMED NORTHEASTERN TRACK & FIELD
COACH SHERMAN HART TO THEIR HOME ON RIVER STREET IN TROY NEW
YORK- IT WAS JANUARY OF 1994 AND HART WAS THERE TO WOO THEIR
DAUGHTER DION TO HUNTINGTON AVE- SHE IN TURN WAS BEING WOOED
BY THE LIKES OF MICHIGAN - OLD MISS - ST JOHNS AND BROWN - STEVEN
GARDNER WAS NOT A NUFO AT THIS -HEWAS A HIGH SCHOOL
COUNSELOR- HART DID NOT KNOW IT BUT THE YOUNG BLUE CHIPPER
WHO HAD BEEN ALL EVERYTHING WAS IN LOVE WITH MICHIGAN- AND
HER DAD IN LOVE WITH BROWN -BUT SJr:IEF.MAN TALKED NOT ABOUT J\c.C3. <&Z-e~~ (..::$ ~"" ~ TRACK BUT ABOUT COOPERATIVE EDUCATION- AND IN THE FALL OF 94
DION GARDNER WAS NOT IN ANN ARBOR - NOT IN PROVIDENCE- BUT IN
BOSTON- THE DECADE OF THE NINETIES HAD BEEN GOLDEN FOR
NORTHEASTERN TRACK - GARDNER WAS GOING TO MAKE IT BRIGHTER -
AS A MERE FRESHMAN SHE WOULD WIN THE AMERICA EAST AND NEW
ENGLAND LONG JUMP TITLES -AS A SOPHOMORE SHE AGAIN WON THE
LONG JUMP AT THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE NEW
EN GLANDS - BUT THIS TIME AROUND ADDED THE TRIPLE JUMP TITLES - .
OUTDOORS SHE UPPED THE ANTE WINNING---- THE LONG AND TRIPLE AT
AMERICA EAST - ADDING SECONDS IN THE 100 AND 200 AND A FIRST IN
THE 4XIOO- GIVING HER AN INCREDIBLE 46 POINTS(AND MOST
OUTSTANDING COMPETITOR HONORS AND THE HUSKIES A LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP - JUNIOR YEAR WAS MORE OF THE SAME - THREE MAJOR
TITLES - HER SENIOR SEASON SHE WON THE LONG JUMP AND DASH - TOOK SECOND IN THE 200- EARNED 38 POINTS -THAT ALONE BEAT THREE
COLLEGES- AND OF COURSE GAVE NU ANOTHER LEAGUE CROWN-
OUTDOORS SHE WON THE AMERICA EAST LONG JUMP- TRIPLE JUMP AND
100 PLUS TWO RELAYS- ONCE AGAIN SHE WAS THE OUTSTANDING
PERFORMER AND THE HUSKIES WON THE MEET AND SHE RETIRED AS THE
MOST PROLIFIC SCORER IN AMERICA EAST HISTORY -SHE fiAi:>WON 13
INDIVIDUAL TITLES AND A SLEW OF RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS -IN HER
FOUR YEARS NU WON SEVEN OF EIGHT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND
THREE NEW ENGLAND CROWNS -SHE SET THE NORTHEASTERN INDOOR
AND OUTDOOR LONG JUMP RECORDS -THESE MARKS STILL STAND
TODAY -GARDNER WAS THE CONSUMMATE TEAM PLAYER- ENTERING
FIVE OR SIX EVENTS PER CHAMPIONSHIP- IN HER SENIOR SEASON SHE
SPRAINED HER ANKLE IN THE NEW ENGLAND INDOOR DASH- SHE HAD
ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE 200 FINALS AND AGAINST COACHES
ADVICE HOBBLED THROUGH- EARNING THE TEAM A NEEDY POINT Cc~G'"'¥) HOWEVER HART DID NOT NEED ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO WITH GARDNER
AFTER HER GRADUATION- HE IMMEDIATELY HIRED HER AS AN
ASSIST ANT COACH- PRESIDENT AOUN MAY I PRESENT FOR INDUCTION
INTO THE NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME DION GARNDER
CRICHLOW- THIS WAS IT FOR MIKE GLA VINE- THE LAST AT BAT IN THE BIGS -HE HAD
BEEN BROUGHT UP TO THE NEW YORK METS TO JOIN HIS BIG BROTHER
TOM- THAT IS TOM GLAVINE- CY YOUNG WINNER- FUTURE HALL OF
FAMER- HE HAD BEEN TO BAT SIX TIMES- BUT NO HITS- IT IS THE LAST
GAME OF THE 2003 SEASON- THE SCORE IS MARLINS 4 METS 0- IT'S THE
NINTH INNING- THERE ARE TWO OUTS- HEWALKS SLOWLY TO HOME
PLATE- LOOKS UP AND UP AND UP TO THE MULTI DECKS OF PRO PLAYER
STADIUM -75,000 SEATS- THOUSANDS OF EYES LOOK BACK- BRANDON
LOOPER HAS THE BALL FOR THE MARLINS- HE IS A BIG TIME CLOSER- HE
WORKS THE COUNT TO 2 AND 2- LOOPER THROWS A FASTBALL- GLAVINE
RESPONDS - SLASHING A LINE DRIVE TWO FEET OVER LOOPERS HEAD -
MIKE GLA VINE HAS NOW BECOME THE THIRD HUSKY TO GET A HIT IN THE
MAJOR LEAGUES- HE HAS THAT SAME FEELING OF FULFILLMENT THAT
HE HAD THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 21, 1994- THE SITE WAS PRETTY
PARSONS FIELD- THE EVENT THE AMERICA EAST PLAYOFFS- THE PRIZE
A TRIP TO THE NCAA'S- THE PREDICAMENT- IN THIS FOUR TEAM DOUBLE
ELIMINATION IS THE HUSKIES HAVE ONE LOSS- AND THAT TO HARTFORD ~ -AND HARTFORD HAS -NONE -DREXEL AND DELAWARE ARE GONE- SO IF NU WINS GAME ONE IT BECOMES A DOUBLE HEADER- IT IS BRUTALLY
HOT OUT- BUT THE HUSKIES ARE HOTTER- THEY SQUEAK BY 6-5 IN
GAME ONE- THEN BLOW OUT THE HAWKS 5-0 IN THE TITLE GAME-
GLAVINE IS ON BASE IN FIVE OF HIS TEN AT BATS AND FLAWLESS IN THE
FIELD- AND THE HUSKIES ARE OFF TO THE NCAA'S FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 21 YEARS- THAT SEASON OF '94 PRODUCES 35 WINS TO 16 LOSSES- BIG
MIKE WOULD HIT .290 WITH 12 HOME RUNS AND 36 RBI~- OF HIS 45 HITS 21
WOULD BE FOR EXTRA BASES- THE FIRST BASEMAN WOULD BE VOTED
TO BOTH THE CONFERENCE ALL STAR TEAM AND ALL TOURNAMENT - TEAM - THAT SUMMER HE WOULD BE DRAFTED BY THE HOUSTON ASTROS
AND HE WOULD LEAD THE CAPE COD LEAGUE IN HOME RUNS AND BE
VOTED TO THEIR ALL STAR TEAM- THE NEXT YEAR HE WOULD BE
ELECTED CAPTAIN AND THE HUSKIES WOULD ENJOY A 29-17 SEASON- IN
FACT THE GLA VINE ERA WOULD END WITH A 113 TO 70 RECORD- HE
WOULD ETCH HIMSELF PROMINENTLY IN THE NU ARCHIVES -THIRD IN
. HOME RUNS- SECOND IN WALKS- NINTH IN RBJ;t- FOURTH IN SLUGGING
PERCENTAGE- FROM PRETTY PARSONS FIELD TO PRO PLAYER STADIUM -HE WAS ALWAYS THE CONSUMATE PRO - PRESIDENT AOUN MAY I PRESENT FOR INDUCTION INTO THE NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HALL
OF FAME- MICHAEL GLA VINE - THE OLD NEW ENGLAND SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP$ WAS
ALWAYS HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON -IN 1987 THEY WERE HELD AT THE
ART LINKLETER NATATORIUM OF SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE- IT WAS A
LARGE QUONSET HUT THAT HELD A POOL- IT WAS A DARK OLD BARN-
BUT A NORTHEASTERN SENIOR WAS GONG TO LIGHT IT UP THAT YEAR-
SHE WAS CINDY JOHNSON- BEDFORD BORN, SHE HELD EIGHT
MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL TITLES WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE
HUSKIES BARLETTA POOL IN 1983- HOWEVER SHE MADE HER FIRST BIG
SPLASH IN THE NEW ENGLANDS FRESHMAN YEAR BY WINNING THE 1650 ~
METER FREESTYLE- ALONG THEWA Y THAT ROOKIE SEASON SHE SET NU
RECORDS IN THE 1650 FREESTYLE- THE 1000 FREESTYLE- THE 500
FREESTYLE- AND THE 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY -HER SOPHOMORE
SEASON SHE BETTERED HER MARKS IN THE 500- 1000- AND 1650- THE
TEAMS DUAL MEET RECORD WENT FROM 5-5 IN 1984 TO 8-4 IN 1985- HER
JUNIOR SEASON WAS MORE OF THE SAME- RECORDS FELL AND MEETS
WERE WON- AN 8-2 RECORD AND A SURPRISING SECOND PLACE FINISH
AT THE NEW ENGLANDS- AS CAPTAIN JOHNSON, SHE LED HER CHARGERS
TO A 7-3 RECORD AS A SENIOR- WHICH MEANT IN HER CAREER THE
HUSKIES WERE 28 WINS TO 14 LOSSES- AND SHE WOULD SET A
NORTHEASTERN RECORD FOR DUAL MEET POINTS WITH 507- BUT BACK
TO MURKY LINKLETER AND THE NEW ENG LANDS- AFTER ALREADY
MAKING FOUR TRIPS TO THE MEDAL STAND IT WAS TIME FOR THE 400
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY -AS THEY CAME TO THE FINAL LAP ANNUAL NEMESIS ANNY ACERSON OF NEW HAMPSHIRE WAS IN THIRD PLACE WITH
JOHNSON TRAILING- BUT A LAST MINUTE LUNGE AT THE FINISH GAVE
HER NOT ONLY A BRONZE MEDAL BUT ALSO A BROKEN KNUCKLE
HOWEVER SHE HAD ONE MORE RACE TO GO- THE GRUELING 1650
FREESTYLE- SPLINTS WERE MADE FOR THE BROKEN FINGER AND TO
PROTECT HER OPPONENTS A PLASTIC BAG COVERED THE WHOLE HAND
WITH BROKEN KNUCKLE- SPLINT -AND BAG CAPTAIN JOHNSON STILL
PLACED -TO EARN ALL-NEW ENGLAND HONORS IN SIX EVENTS AND LEAD
THE HUSKIES TO ANOTHER SECOND PLACE FINISH- HOWEVER FINISHED
SHEWAS NOT- COACH JANET SWANSON WAS NOT GOING TO PART WITH
HER STAR LEADER- WITH DEGREE IN HAND SHEWAS HIRED AS AN
ASSISTANT COACH AND IN 1991 WAS PROMOTED TO WOMEN'S HEAD
COACH- IN HER LAST SEASON OF 1993 SHE LED NU TO THE CONFERENCE
TITLE AND BOWED OUT WITH AMERICA EAST COACH OF THE YEAR
LAURELS- PRESDENT AOUN MAY I PRESENT FOR INDUCTION INTO THE
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME- CINDY JOHNSON
STANDAERT IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME- THE MOST VICIOUS WAR IN THE HISTORY OF
MANKIND- WWII HAD JUST ENDED- THE GREAT GENERATION AS TOM
SROKAW CHARACTERIZED THEM HAD ELIMINATED THE AXIS POWERS -
IN 1946 LIFE WAS TO BEGIN ANEW FOR THESE YOUNG AMERICANS- ONE
OF THEM WAS VITO MAIDA - JUST A YEAR EARLIER HE HAD BEEN
DODGING KAMIKAZE PLANES WHILE SHELLING THE JAPANESE MAINLAND
-PREVIOUSLY HE HAD BEEN AN ALL-SCHOLASTIC LINEMAN AT CHELSEA
HIGH SCHOOL - HE HAD BEEN OFFERED A SCHOLARSHIP TO BROWN
UNIVERSITY -BUT HE HAD CHOSEN THE NAVY OVER BROWN- WITH THE
WAR OVER BROWN DECLINED - MAIDA WENT OFF TO WATERVILLE
MAINE - TO STUDY AND PLAY FOR COBURN PREP- HE HELPED THEM TO
THE MAINE PREP SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP AND GRADUATED WITH THE
HIGHEST HONORS - NOW TOTALLY ACLIMATED AGAIN TO THE ROLE OF A
STUDENT HE WENT SHOPPING FOR THE PROPER CLASSROOM AND
FOOTBALL FIELD TO STRUT HIS STUFF - HE TRIED BC- HE TRIED BU- BUT
IT WAS NOT UNTIL HE SAT DOWN WITH EDWARD PUTTY PARSONS DID HE
KNOW HE HAD FOUND A HOME ON HUNTINGTON AVENUE - HE PLA YEO
ON THE FRESHMAN TEAM AND PROMPTLY MADE THE DEANS LIST-THAT
WINTER THEIR WAS A CHANGE IN THE COACHING STAFF - A YOUNG HOT
SHOT JOE ZABILSKI WAS HIRED TO REINVIGORATE THE PROGRAM - THE
PREVIOUS THREE SEASONS HAD RESULTED IN A 4-13-1 RECORD - TOP
ADMINISTRATION WAS LUKEWARM TO FOOTBALL - QUESTIONED
WHETHER A COOPERA TIV E COMMUTER SCHOOL WAS A PROPER MATCH FOR IT- BUT DECIDED LETS GIVE IT CHANCE- MAIDA AND COMPANY
WOULD DECIDE THE OUTCOME- HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR UNDER THE
FLEDGLING COACH THEY WENT 1-4-1- HOWEVER- ZABILSKI KNEW HE
HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL- HE AND MAIDA HAD MANY THINGS IN
COMMON- THEY WERE BOTH DOWN LINEMAN- THEY HAD BOTH BEEN
OFFICERS IN THE NAVY -AND THEY WERE BOTH 60 MINUTE MEN
ZABILSKI SENSED HE HAD AN ADDITIONAL COACH- THIS ONE ON THE
FIELD -THE NEXT TWO YEARS WERE CRUCIAL- THE SCHEDULING WAS
EXCELLERATED- ARNOLD COLLEGE WAS A MAJOR POWER IN THE '40S
THEIR STAR WAS ANDY ROBUSTELLI - HE WOULD GO ON TO BE ALL-PRO
FOR A DECADE WITH THE NEW YORK GIANTS - MAIDA'S JOB WAS TO
NEUTRALIZE ROBUSTELLI- HE DID AND THE HUSKEIS BEAT THEM 25-13 IN
'49 - AND 26-13 IN 1950 - THEY HAD SEASONS OF 3-3 AND 3-3-1- MAIDA
AND COMPANY HAD BUILT THE FOUNDATION - HAD STOPPED THE BLOOD
LETTING- IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS NU WOULD GO 16-4-1-A FAR CRY
FROM THE 4-13-1-THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL WAS SECURE
GRADUATION WAS GREETED BY THE KOREAN WAR - AND MAIDA WOULD
RISE TO THE RANK OF FULL LIEUTENANT - AT WARS END A HIGHLY
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS CAREER WAS STARTED-WHAT WAS NOT
FORGOTTEN WAS NORTHEASTERN - HE HAS ENDOWED TWO FOOTBALL
SCHOLARSHIPS - PRESIDENT AOUN MAY 1 PRESENT FOR INDUCTION INTO
THE NORTHEATSERN UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME - A GREAT MAN FROM
THE GREAT GENERATION- VITO MAIDA 4-J ~
IN 1999 THE NCAA'S WOMEN 'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WAS 16
YEARS OLD- HOWEVER THE NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES HAD YET TO MAKE
AN APPEARANCE- MAINE IN CONTRAST HAD BEEN TO THE PAST FOUR
BIG DANCES -SO WHEN THE TWO AMERICA EAST RIVALS LINED UP IN
VERMONT'S PATRICK GYMNASIUM TO CONTEST FOR THE CONFERENCE
TITLE- PLUS A TICKET TO THE BIG DANCE BOTH THE PARTISAN BLACK
BEAR CROWD LED BY NOVELIST STEPHEN KING -AND THE BETTING ODDS
STRONGLY FAVORED MAINE- THIS OF COURSE HAD NOT OCCURRED TO
NORTHEASTERN'S 5'6 JUNIOR POINT GUARD TESHA TINSLEY WHO WAS AN
A VOWED BLACK BEAR NEMESIS -SHE HAD HIT THEM WITH 17 POINTS IN
AN EARLY SEASON LOSS THEN WITH 24 IN A MIDSEASON WIN- BUT SHE
SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST - WITH A MINUTE TO PLAY THE SCORE WAS
55-55 -MAINE HAD THE BALL- ALL-AMERICA BLACK BEAR CENTER JAMIE
CASSIDY TRIED A JUMPER- HUSKY CENTER LANI LAWRENCE GRABBED
THE REBOUND- PASSED IT TO THE CRAFTY TINSLEY- SHE SPOTTED
BETSY PALECEK STREAKING DOWN COURT- THREADED A BOUNCE PASS
TO PALECEK WHO LAID IT UP WITH ONLY FOUR TICKS LEFT ON THE
CLOCK- TINSLEY FINISHED THE EVENING 24 POINTS AND SEVEN ASSISTS
-SHEWAS AWARDED THE TOURNAMENT MVP AWARD- AND THE
HUSKIES CELEBRATED A CONFERENCE TITLE AND THEIR FIRST AND ONLY
TRIP TO THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP- IT HAD BEEN A DEFINING SEASON
FOR THE BALTIMORE NATIVE - SHE SET THE NU SEASON RECORD WITH
637 POINTS AND THE ASSIST RECORD WITH 143- SHE HAD MADE THE ALL- CONFERENCE TEAM FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR- BUT HER BEST JOB
WAS DONE IN THE CLASSROOM- SHE HAD ENTERED NU AS A PARTIAL
QUALIFIER- THIS MEANT SHE LOST HER FIRST YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY -
THAT IS UNLESS SHE GRADUATED IN FOUR YEARS -SHE DID- A FEAT
CHAMPIONED ON HUNTINGTON A VENUE- BUT NOT IN AMERICA EAST
FROM MAINE TO DELAWARE WAS HEARD THE OFT USED PHRASE- SHE'S
BACK- IN HER SENIOR SEASON SHE SET NU'S CAREER SCORING MARK
WITH 2,187 POINTS AND CAREER ASSIST RECORD WITH 464- AND OF
COURSE WAS VOTED ALL-CONFERENCE- DURING HER CAREER NU WENT
4 AND 23 - 15 AND 13 - A RECORD SETTING 28-8 AND 17 AND 13 - SHE HAD
INSTILLED NEW LIFE INTO A SLEEPY SOLOMON COURT - SHE WAS THE
FIRST WOMEN'S PLAYER IN HUSKY HISTORY TO BE COUSYESQUE- SHE
HAD FLASH AND DASH- A MAGICIAN WITH THE BALL- A WIZARD ON THE
COURT- AND A CHAMPIONSHIP MAKER- PRESIDENT AOUN MAY I
PRESENT FOR INDUCTION INTO THE NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY HALL
OFFAME-TESHA TINSLEY