Reg Morelli

Reginald P. Morelli (December 10, 1935[1] – November 11, 2020) was a Canadian ice hockey center who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1959 NCAA Tournament.[2]

Reg Morelli
Born (1935-12-10)December 10, 1935
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died November 11, 2020(2020-11-11) (aged 84)
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Center
Played for North Dakota Fighting Sioux
St. Paul Saints
Warroad Lakers
Playing career 1957–1965

Career

Morelli was a scorer for North Dakota when he joined the varsity squad in 1957. As a sophomore, he produced a more than point-per-game pace and helped the Fighting Sioux win their first WIHL championship (tied) and make their first NCAA tournament bid. The team beat Harvard in the semifinal but lost to Denver in the final and finished as the runners-up in 1958.

While the WIHL collapsed that summer, UND continued to play well and received their second bid in 1959 on the strength of an 18–10–1 record and having defeated Denver in the season series. The Fighting Sioux escaped an ignominious fate with an overtime win over St. Lawrence in the semifinal, then turned their attention to Michigan State in the final. The Spartans scored first but a 3-goal outburst from the Sioux put the team firmly in the lead. Morelli assisted on the goal that got the ball rolling and with just 20 minutes left it looked like the Sioux had things well in hand. MSU, however, had other ideas; the Spartans returned the favor in the third, scoring twice to tie the game and send the championship match into overtime for the second time in history. Just over four minutes into the extra frame, UND got its first shot on goal, and it was the only one they needed as Morelli sent the puck past a sprawled Joe Selinger and the team won the NCAA Championship. Morelli was named as the Most Outstanding Player and made the All-Tournament First Team.[3]

As a senior, Morelli's scored 34 goals and 65 points in 31 games, setting a program record for points that would stand until 1979.[2] He was named to both the All-WCHA First Team[4] and AHCA All-American West Team.[5]

Morelli continued to play hockey for several years after graduating, winning the Turner Cup as a member of the St. Paul Saints in 1961. He was inducted into the UND Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977,[6] and witnessed both his son Matt and grandson Mason play collegiate ice hockey.[7] He died on November 11, 2020 at the age of 84.[8]

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1957–58 North Dakota WIHL 30925358 —————
1958–59 North Dakota NCAA 2417153214 —————
1959–60 North Dakota WCHA 3134316512 —————
1960–61 St. Paul Saints IHL 7231376816 131344
1963–64 Warroad Lakers Independent ————— —————
1964–65 Warroad Lakers Independent ————— —————
NCAA totals 85607213234 —————

Awards and honors
Award Year
NCAA All-Tournament First Team 1959 [3]
All-WCHA First Team 1959–60 [9]
AHCA West All-American 1959–60 [5]

References
  1. Player Death Index - 2020, Society for International Hockey Research
  2. "North Dakota Hockey 2018-19 Media Guide" (PDF). North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  3. "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  4. "WCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  5. "1959-1960 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  6. "Hall of Fame - 1977 Inductees". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  7. "Three Generations, Two Teams, One Love of the Game". National Collegiate Hockey Conference. January 17, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  8. "UND mourns passing of key hockey figure Reg Morelli".
  9. "WCHA Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
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