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BOSTON - Six different standouts from five different teams entered the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame as John Curry, Jay Hillman, Bob Speight, Pam Spuehler, Katie Terhune and Alyssa Trudel were inducted as the Class of 2014 on Saturday evening in the Trustees' Ballroom at the BU School of Management.
Two football greats (Hillman, Speight) join a group of four recent graduates, as Curry (ice hockey), Spuehler (field hockey) Terhune (basketball) and Trudel (lacrosse) all finished their BU careers in the past 10 years. Combined, the six new inductees earned 10 All-America accolades as Terriers.
Arguably the best goaltender in the storied history of Boston University men's hockey, John Curry ('07) rewrote the record books during his stellar career and holds the program records for career goals-against average (2.07) and career save percentage (.923). He joined the team as a recruited walk-on, and after getting his first start early in his sophomore season, he never relinquished the role. Curry backstopped the Terriers to the 2006 Hockey East title and was named the 2007 Hockey East Player of the Year after a dominant season between the pipes that saw him become one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. He was one of the best performers in the history of the Beanpot, going 5-0 in the tournament while leading the Terriers to three straight titles.
Curry was a two-time All-American, including a first-team nod in 2007, and signed a free-agent deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins following graduation. The Shorewood, Minn., native earned a win in his NHL debut on Nov. 26, 2008, and spent four seasons within the Penguins organization. Curry played a year in Germany, which concluded with a spot on Team USA's squad at the 2012 World Championships, and returned to the NHL in exciting fashion by coming home to play for the Minnesota Wild organization this past season.
The only running back in BU history to lead the Terriers in rushing all four seasons, Jay Hillman ('92) earned the Department of Athletics' Mickey Cochrane Award as the top male athlete in the spring of 1992. During his senior campaign, he became just the fifth individual in program history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in a single season with 1,057 total yards on 213 carries. A native of Oxford, Conn., he saved his best for last at UConn in a thrilling 29-26 victory. Standing 6-foot-0, he totaled the second most yards ever in a game with 230 against the Huskies on 35 carries en route to First Team All-New England and Second Team All-Conference honors.
Hillman, the first freshman to lead BU in rushing since records began being kept in 1949, ranks second all-time in rushing attempts (675), third in rushing yards (2,889) and tied for third all-time in touchdowns (26). The two-time BU MVP also earned All-Conference Second Team accolades as a junior after earning 721 yards on 169 attempts with nine touchdowns.
Though he doesn't have any official statistics because of his position on the offensive line, Bob Speight ('83) has plenty of hardware to be considered one of the all-time Terrier football greats. An offensive tackle from New Hartford, N.Y., he was the only player in Yankee Conference history to be a First Team All-Star all four seasons. He was also one of five Terriers to be named to the Yankee Conference's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team after graduating with three All-America awards. What's more impressive is he was able to have a standout collegiate career despite battling multiple shoulder injuries.
As a sophomore in 1979, Speight earned his first of two AP All-America Third Team honors to help the Terriers clinch a share of the Yankee Conference title and ECAC Division I-AA Team of the Year honors with an 8-1-1 record. The following season, BU went 9-2 to claim sole possession of the Yankee Conference title for the first time in program history. In his final year, Speight received Kodak All-America First Team accolades and would later earn the prestigious Scarlet Key Award from Boston University before joining the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League (USFL).
One of the greatest field hockey players in Boston University history, Pam Spuehler ('08) enters the Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. Spuehler was a three-time All-American, capped by a first-team selection as a senior in 2007 when she was named one of four finalists for the Honda Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate field hockey player. As a senior, the midfielder scored a team-best 37 points on 11 goals and 15 assists to help BU reach the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 1991. She helped the Terriers claim three straight conference titles and was twice named the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship (2006, 2007). The first four-time America East All-Conference honoree in program history, Spuehler was the recipient of the 2008 Mildred Barnes Award, signifying the top female athlete at BU.
Spuehler, a native of Sudbury, Mass., went on to serve as an assistant coach for the Terriers for two seasons before deciding to focus on her playing career, which included stints with top-level hockey leagues in Australia and Germany before earning a spot on the 2011 U.S. National Team.
Entering the Hall of Fame as the all-time leading scorer in BU women's basketball history, Katie Terhune ('04) is one of two players in program history to have her jersey number (15) retired. The Port Murray, N.J., native ranks first all-time with 1,971 career points while also owning the top spot for career free throws (489) and career free throw percentage (83.0 percent). Throughout her four-year career, Terhune averaged 17.1 points per game and scored over 500 points in three of her four seasons, while her 655 field goals and 173 3-pointers rank third and fourth all-time, respectively.
The three-time America East All-Conference First Team honoree led BU to three winning seasons, two trips to the America East title game and the Terriers' only conference tournament championship in 2003. As the only America East Tournament MVP in program history, Terhune led BU to its only NCAA tournament appearance, where the Terriers faced eventual national champion Connecticut in the first round. Terhune later received BU's Mildred Barnes Award at the conclusion of her junior season, given annually to the Terriers' top female student-athlete.
A two-time All-America midfielder in lacrosse, Alyssa Trudel ('05) helped guide the Terriers to their first NCAA quarterfinal appearance and three America East championships. The four-time All-Conference honoree is one of three players in program history to earn All-America First Team honors and is one of five Terriers to earn multiple All-America accolades during her career.
The Shoreham, Vt., native finished her career with 238 points (143 goals, 95 assists), which ranks fifth all-time in program history. Her name is etched throughout the BU record books, as she ranks in the top five all-time in caused turnovers (99), draw controls (142) and ground balls (152), while her 86 points (44g, 42a) during her sophomore season is the third most all-time in a single season. During her senior season, she led the Terriers to a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play and an 18-2 overall record, which is tied for the most wins in school history. Trudel, a two-time captain, was named the 2003 America East Player of the Year as a sophomore and led BU to its first-ever NCAA tournament victory two years later with a 12-6 win over Colgate in the first round.
Other award winners included Emma Clark (women's soccer) and Jesse Frieder (men's tennis), who each received the Aldo "Buff" Donelli Memorial Leadership Award. Elliot Lehane accepted the William French Award on behalf of his father, Bruce Lehane, and Jayme Mask of the softball team was awarded the Irv Heller Hall of Fame Scholarship.
In addition, Josh Wine ('94) of Silver Chalice received the Murray Kramer Memorial Award while Mary Buletza ('80), president of the BU Alumni Association, received the Roger "Moose" Washburn Award.
