Tickets still available for Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame banquet

Tickets are still available for the induction ceremonies and dinner honoring the 2011 inductees to the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame. Selected for induction to the Hall on Sept. 8 in Eagle River are George Baumann of Waupun, Joe Boxrucker of Eagle River and Pete Susens of Wausau.

Susens was born in Superior where he played his youth hockey for the Superior Amateur Hockey Association. Though he played junior varsity only through his sophomore year, the Superior coach, Tom Saterdalen, asked him to become the team manager as a junior, and this led to his interest in coaching.

After coaching at Superior Senior High School, Saterdahlen moved on to Blooming Jaguars.

That interest turned to a passion that led to coaching hockey for more than 30 years. His coaching career began early as he coached youth hockey at squirts and peewees for SAHA while still attending the University of Wisconsin-Superior. As the assistant peewee coach, his team won the state tournament and then participated in the national tournament.

Susens moved to Wausau West High School in 1977 to teach business education, and became a non-paid assistant hockey coach and the freshman baseball coach. Within a year, he assumed the head hockey coaches position, a position he has held ever since.

As the high school coach at West, Susens has accumulated more than 500 wins, nine conference championships, 1l state tournament appearances, three state second place finishes and a state championship.

As a measure of accomplishment against many other great high school coaches in the state of Wisconsin, Susens high school teams have won more high school games than any other coach.

Susens was recently awarded the UW-Superior Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement award by the UWS Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Superior Athletic and Academic Hall of Fame in the spring of 2412.

The event in Eagle River includes a golf tournament, banquet and the induction ceremony Saturday, Sept. 8. All events are open to the public.

Questions about tickets may be directed to Boxrucker, 715-479-9772 or Pat Weber, 7150479-8912.

To obtain a brochure, contact John Hack by e-mail at jhack@sahaice.org, or by phone at 218-391-2301.

Tags: sports, wisconsin, hockey, updates