Wally Gacek
Encyclopedia
Wally Gacek is a former ice hockey
player who was a member of the Michigan Wolverines
team that won the first NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship in 1948
. He played four years of hockey at Michigan from 1946-1949.
, a Winnipeg team that played in the 1944 western Canada junior hockey championship.
hockey championship by scoring the tying goal against the University of Minnesota
in the season's final game. In 1948, he played for the Michigan team that won the first ever NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship. Four teams were selected to play in the first Frozen Four tournament, held at the Broadmoor Hotel Ice Palace in Colorado Springs, Colorado
. The four teams were Michigan, Boston College
, Dartmouth College
, and Colorado College
. The semifinal game went into overtime, and Gacek scored 18 seconds into the overtime period, and then scored again with a half minute left in overtime, as Michigan beat Boston College 6-4. In the championship game against Dartmouth, Gacek scored two goals in the first period and another in the third period to complete a hat trick
, as Michigan won 8-4. Gacek starred as the center on Michigan's famous "G" line, which included Wally Grant
and Ted Greer. Each of the three linemates scored a third-period goal in Michigan's championship game against Dartmouth. Gacek led all scorers in the first Frozen Four with five goals and three assists for eight points. His six points in the championship game (3 goals, 3 assists) remains the record for an NCAA championship game. Gacek and Gordon McMillan
scored goals five seconds apart in the third period against Dartmouth, which also remains a record for the fastest consecutive goals by a team in the championship round. The hockey title capped off a year in which Michigan had also won the Rose Bowl and the conference basketball championship.
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who was a member of the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
team that won the first NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship in 1948
1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament involved 4 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 18, 1948, and ended with the championship game on March 20...
. He played four years of hockey at Michigan from 1946-1949.
Junior Hockey
Gacek grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and played for the St. James CanadiansSt. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, a Winnipeg team that played in the 1944 western Canada junior hockey championship.
University of Michigan
Gacek later enrolled at the University of Michigan. As a freshman in 1946, Gacek helped Michigan win the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
hockey championship by scoring the tying goal against the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in the season's final game. In 1948, he played for the Michigan team that won the first ever NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship. Four teams were selected to play in the first Frozen Four tournament, held at the Broadmoor Hotel Ice Palace in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. The four teams were Michigan, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, and Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
. The semifinal game went into overtime, and Gacek scored 18 seconds into the overtime period, and then scored again with a half minute left in overtime, as Michigan beat Boston College 6-4. In the championship game against Dartmouth, Gacek scored two goals in the first period and another in the third period to complete a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
, as Michigan won 8-4. Gacek starred as the center on Michigan's famous "G" line, which included Wally Grant
Wally Grant
Wally Grant may refer to:* John Wallace "Wally" Grant, injured in the Virginia Tech massacre*Wally Grant...
and Ted Greer. Each of the three linemates scored a third-period goal in Michigan's championship game against Dartmouth. Gacek led all scorers in the first Frozen Four with five goals and three assists for eight points. His six points in the championship game (3 goals, 3 assists) remains the record for an NCAA championship game. Gacek and Gordon McMillan
Gordon McMillan
Gordon "Gymie" McMillan is a former ice hockey player who was a member of the Michigan Wolverines team that won the first NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship in 1948...
scored goals five seconds apart in the third period against Dartmouth, which also remains a record for the fastest consecutive goals by a team in the championship round. The hockey title capped off a year in which Michigan had also won the Rose Bowl and the conference basketball championship.
Awards
Gacek was named a second-team All-American forward in 1948 and a first-team All-American in 1949. In March 1949, he was selected as Michigan's Most Valuable Player. In 2007, Gacek was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
.
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
- 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey TournamentThe 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament involved 4 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 18, 1948, and ended with the championship game on March 20...