SIUE Inducts Five Individuals, Two Teams in Hall of Fame

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. –- Five individuals and two teams will be inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016 on Saturday, Sept. 10, at SIUE's Meridian Ballroom located in the Morris University Center.

This year's honorees include Dr. Robert Bruker (special recognition), Ed Huneke (men's soccer head coach), Matt Malloy (men's soccer), Tom Ritzheimer (baseball) and Nancy Swain (women's basketball/softball). The teams inducted this year are the 1977 baseball and men's soccer team.

This is the 12th class to be inducted since the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame started in 2005. The Hall of Fame seeks to recognize the achievements of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and teams that have participated in the intercollegiate athletics programs at SIUE as well as to celebrate the history of the institution. A complete listing of Hall of Fame members is available online (LINK).

Reservations for the event can be made by contacting SIUE Athletics at 618-650-2428. Tickets are $40 and include a social for the inductees to be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony at 6:30 p.m. This year's event is presented by the Cassens & Sons Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler and the Missouri Athletic Club.

Below is a short SIUE biography of each inductee.

Dr. Robert Bruker
Dr. Bruker was a long-time supporter of SIUE Athletics and previously a member of SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame committee. He worked at SIUE from 1962-1989. Bruker began his career at SIUE by working as the assistant registrar and an instructor in education. He became the campus registrar in 1967 and was later named registrar general. When the SIUE men's soccer program started in 1967, Bruker was one of the program's biggest fans. He later advanced to become the director of admissions and associate professor in education. In 1980, he became the vice president for academic personnel administration. Bruker was promoted to assistant to SIUE President Earl Lazerson in 1981 where he spent eight years helping guide the University.

Ed Huneke, Men's Soccer Head Coach
Huneke served 22 seasons as the head coach for SIUE men's soccer and is the program's all-time leader in wins with 251. Huneke led the Cougars to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including the national championship game in 2004 and the national semifinals in 2005. Under Huneke, SIUE posted a streak of 38 consecutive regular season Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) games without a loss from 2002 to 2006. He coached 15 All-Americans and numerous players who would go on to play professionally.

Matt Malloy, Men's Soccer (St. Louis, Mo.)
On the biggest day of his collegiate career, Malloy recorded the dream scenario. He scored a hat trick in SIUE's 3-2 NCAA Division I national championship victory over Clemson in 1979. The winning goal was on a header. He was voted Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Final Four. Malloy also helped the Cougars to a third-place finish during his freshman season. He collected 23 goals and 20 assists during his collegiate career from 1977 to 1980. SIUE was 9-3 in NCAA Tournament games during that time. Malloy went on to play professionally after being drafted by the Chicago Sting (outdoor) and the Cleveland Force (indoor).

Tom Ritzheimer, Baseball (Wesclin, Ill.)
Ritzheimer set the standard for future Cougars on the baseball field during his four seasons (1978-1981). The career leader in batting average with a .408 average, Ritzheimer currently is third in career on-base percentage (.487) and ninth in slugging percentage (.587). He set the single-season school record for batting with a .429 batting average during the 1981 season. He also spent time on the pitcher's mound and earned 19 complete games and 15 career victories. Ritzheimer played one season for Hall of Fame Coach Roy Lee and three seasons for Hall of Fame Coach Gary Collins.

Nancy Swain, Softball/ Women's Basketball (Geneseo, Ill.)
Swain was a two-sport standout in basketball and softball for SIUE from 1980 to 1985. In basketball, she ranks in the top 30 all-time in scoring with 894 points and continues to hold the single-season record for assists with 166 during the 1980-81 season. She held SIUE's career record for rebounding for more than 15 years and currently is fourth all-time with 760. Swain also is eighth all-time in career free throws made (288) and sixth in assists (328). In softball, Swain collected 99 hits while having a .317 batting average. She scored 86 runs and notched 22 RBIs in her career. Her single-season best at the plate was a .415 batting average in 1981.

1977 Baseball

The 1977 baseball team represented the eighth consecutive year that SIUE advanced to the NCAA Tournament and the second straight season in which the team advanced to the Division II College World Series. SIUE placed eighth at the national tournament after winning a regional title and finishing the season with a 25-18-1 record under Head Coach Roy Lee. Dave Schaake led the team in hits with 44, home runs with eight and RBIs with 39. Randy Manley finished the season with the team's top batting average at .370. Jerry Deml, Stan Osterbur and Sam Pastrovich each collected six wins for the pitching staff. The rest of the team includes Steve Brendel, Don Broadway, Mike Brown, Don Eberlin, Don Lange, Greg McBride, James Noffke, Steve Novak, Bill Stolte, Kent Wells, Bob Wilber, Kevin Pesko, Barry Thomas, Mike Kelly, Mike Llay, Cary Hadjuck, Dennis Herrington, Steve Ashby, Kent Hendrickson, Lance McCord, Mike Smith, Vic Spagnola, Steve Ward and Assistant Coach Bruce Thomas.

1977 Men's Soccer

For a team that finished third nationally under Head Coach Bob Guelker, the ride to and through the national championships was physically and mentally demanding. After defeating Saint Louis in its final regular season game 3-2 in the annual Bronze Boot game, SIUE overcame heavy winds and a four-overtime thriller to defeat Indiana 3-2 in the opening match of the NCAA Tournament. SIUE dispatched Cleveland State 3-2 in triple overtime during a snowy day off Lake Erie. The Cougars advanced to the national semifinals, falling to San Francisco in 1-0 in overtime and then defeated Brown 3-2 in the third-place match. Greg Makowski earned his third All-American honor after the season, leading the team with 89 shots. Don Ebert led the Cougars with 14 goals and six assists. SIUE outscored its opponents 46-22 and averaged more than 27 shots per game. Bob Robson was in goal for 13 games and was part of six shutouts. The rest of the team includes Bob Bozada, Chris Cacciatore, Jeff Cacciatore, Tim Clark, Tom Donovan, Bob Gallagher, Tim Guelker, Brian Higgins, Dave Hummert, Dave Hundelt, Ron Kappauff, Al Kerkemeyer, Mike Kelley, Matt Malloy, Terry Trushel, Dan Wagener, John Zacheis, Dave Dolphus, Marc Mason and Assistant Coach Rick Benben.