Bill Sloan

Bill Sloan
Born (1934-06-09)June 9, 1934
Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Died May 24, 2022(2022-05-24) (aged 87)
Potsdam, New York, U.S.
Position Goaltender
Played for St. Lawrence
Playing career 1952–1956

William Sloan (June 9, 1934 – May 24, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who previous had the most career wins in NCAA history.[1]

Biography

Bill Sloan arrived in Canton, New York in the fall of 1952, less than 60 miles from his home town, and immediately made the varsity squad at St. Lawrence. Despite the NCAA's rules limiting athletes to three years of eligibility at the time, the Larries were in need of a goalie and Sloan fit the bill. He helped SLU to a 12–6 record in his first season, earning the first shutout for the Saints in five years.[2] The following year Sloan improved mightily, finishing the year with an 18–3–1 record and helped the Saints tie for the Tri-State League championship. Despite their stellar record, Rensselaer was chosen for the 1954 tournament instead, to the surprise of many.[3] Sloan was selected as an AHCA Second Team All-American for his remarkable season.[4]

Sloan was a model of consistency in net for the Saints in his third season, providing the Larries with all the goaltending they needed to produce a 19–3–1 record. The Saints won the Tri-State League outright and were selected for the NCAA tournament. They faced one of the best offenses in the nation in the semifinal but Sloan held Colorado College to 2 goals, unfortunately, St. Lawrence could only manage 1 of their own and they were sent to the consolation game. Perhaps still disappointed with how close they came the night before, St. Lawrence finished with its worst performance on the season, losing 3–6 to Harvard.[5] Sloan was again an All-American and made the All-Tournament Second Team.[6]

In his senior season, Sloan saved the best for last; in 20 games he allowed just 37 goals and backstopped St. Lawrence to another league championship. Unfortunately, because Sloan was in his 4th year of varsity play he was unable to suit up for the Saints during the 1956 tournament and was forced to watch his team finish in 3rd place, though they did receive a valiant effort from backup Sarge Whittier.[6] At the end of his collegiate career Sloan was the All-time leader in wins for the NCAA with 65. He retained the record until he was passed by both Ken Dryden and Gerry Powers in 1969. Sloan still holds numerous program records including wins, winning percentage (.776), shutouts (9), shutout streak (201:52) and is the only three-time All-American in program history.[2]

He was inducted into both the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame (1972) and the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame (1985).[7]

Sloan died in Potsdam, New York on May 24, 2022, at the age of 87.[8]

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1952–53 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 18 12 6 0 1058 50 1 2.83 .894 — — — — — — — —
1953–54 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 22 18 3 1 1265 56 3 2.66 .908 — — — — — — — —
1954–55 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 25 19 5 1 1466 63 1 2.58 .898 — — — — — — — —
1955–56 St. Lawrence Tri-State League 20 16 4 0 1049 37 4 2.12 .912 — — — — — — — —
NCAA totals 85 65 18 2 4834 206 9 2.55 .902 — — — — — — — —

Awards and honors

Award Year
AHCA Second Team All-American 1953–54 [4]
AHCA First Team All-American 1954–55 [9]
NCAA All-Tournament Second Team 1955 [6]
AHCA Second Team All-American 1955–56 [10]

References

  1. ^ "Dr. William Sloan". St. Lawrence Saints. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Saint Hockey Record Book 2015-16" (PDF). St. Lawrence Saints. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  3. ^ "RPI Glory Days pg. 3". Rensselaer Alumni Magazine. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "1953-1954 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  5. ^ "NCAA Division 1 Tournament". College Hockey Historical Archives. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  6. ^ a b c "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  7. ^ "Sloan Bill". Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  8. ^ "William Sloan". Cornwall Standard-Freeholder. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  9. ^ "1954-1955 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  10. ^ "1955-1956 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.