UMass Boston/Boston State College to Induct Seven into Hall of Fame

Six Student Athletes and Former Coach to be Inducted Oct. 13

The University of Massachusetts Boston will induct six UMass Boston and Boston State College alumni and a former women’s basketball coach into the UMass Boston Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 13. The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors former outstanding UMass Boston/Boston State College student athletes, coaches, administrators, and friends of the athletic program for their accomplishments and services to the Athletics Department.

The inductees are:
Steven Burns’00 (football)
John “Gabby” Douglas '71 (men’s basketball)
Alfreda Harris (women’s basketball coach)
Paul Murphy ’71 (lacrosse, wrestling, soccer)
Raymond O’Malley ’71 (men’s ice hockey)
Dan Rea ’70 (hockey, baseball, Board of Trustees)
Joshua Stolp ’04 (lacrosse)

During his four-year football career at UMass Boston, Steven Burns was often called “Mr. Offense” because of his speed and his ability to return interceptions, kickoffs, and interceptions. In 1989, he returned a record-setting 104-yard touchdown return against Curry College. Burns was also awarded Player of the Week honors from the New England Collegiate Football Conference (NECFC) three times.

Former Boston State Men’s Basketball Head Coach and Boston Celtic great Jim Loscutoff described John “Gabby” Douglas as “one of the best pure shooters in Boston State history.” When Douglas graduated, he was the fifth all-time leading scorer in Boston State history with 983 career points. In 1971, he was named both a Boston State College Scholar Athlete and a member of the 1971 class of Outstanding College Athletes in America.

Alfreda Harris was not only UMass Boston’s first women’s basketball coach, but the first female head coach for any sport. Harris led the Beacons to three consecutive winning seasons. The team’s 15-win season in 1981-82 remains tied for the most single-season wins by any UMass Boston women’s hoops team.

A three-sport varsity athlete in soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse, Paul Murphy led the Boston State College Warriors to three Colonial League Championships. He earned more varsity letters than any Warrior in the athletic department’s history (10).

As a center for the men’s ice hockey team, Raymond O’Malley scored an impressive average of 1.4 points per game and won 92 percent of the face-offs he took. O’Malley was named an All-New England skater in 1971 and was one of only three Division II All-Stars in New England chosen to skate in the 1971 New England Division I All-Star game.

Joshua Stolp’s 190 goals put the lacrosse player first among Beacons leaders and 16th all-time in NCAA history. In 2003, Stolp was named both Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year and Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Stolp is the only lacrosse player in school history to have earned this honor.

Dan Rea, host of NightSide with Dan Rea on WBZ-AM, played baseball and hockey for Boston State College in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He is the only Boston State College athlete to have worked on the air as a reporter.

“I am honored and humbled to be among this group,” Rea says.

Rea says he was fortunate to be able to learn from an extraordinary group of coaches.

“I can’t imagine a set of coaches more distinguished in their fields,” he says.

Rea says he has a lot of memories about his time here, but the thing that stands out the most is the camaraderie he experienced with the other athletes.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 13 in the Campus Center Ballroom. For tickets and additional information, visit http://www.umb.edu/athletics/special_programs/hall_of_fame.

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s eight colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.