Bill Sloan
{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1934–2022)}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Bill Sloan
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|6|9}}
| birth_place = Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|5|24|1934|6|9}}
| death_place = Potsdam, New York, U.S.
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| position = Goaltender
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| played_for = St. Lawrence
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| career_start = 1952
| career_end = 1956
}}
William Sloan (June 9, 1934 – May 24, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who previous had the most career wins in NCAA history.{{cite news|title=Dr. William Sloan |url=https://saintsathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame/dr-william-sloan/534 |work=St. Lawrence Saints |accessdate=July 25, 2020}}
Biography
Bill Sloan arrived in Canton, New York in the fall of 1952, less than 60 miles from his home town, and immediately made the varsity squad at St. Lawrence. Despite the NCAA's rules limiting athletes to three years of eligibility at the time, the Larries were in need of a goalie and Sloan fit the bill. He helped SLU to a 12–6 record in his first season, earning the first shutout for the Saints in five years.{{cite news|title=Saint Hockey Record Book 2015-16 |url=https://static.saintsathletics.com/custompages/2015-16%20Hockey%20Record%20Book.pdf |work=St. Lawrence Saints |accessdate=November 4, 2019}} The following year Sloan improved mightily, finishing the year with an 18–3–1 record and helped the Saints tie for the Tri-State League championship. Despite their stellar record, Rensselaer was chosen for the 1954 tournament instead, to the surprise of many.{{cite web |title=RPI Glory Days pg. 3 |url=http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Magazine/winter03/feature2-3.html |work=Rensselaer Alumni Magazine |accessdate=December 4, 2018 |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307233026/http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Magazine/winter03/feature2-3.html |url-status=dead }} Sloan was selected as an AHCA Second Team All-American for his remarkable season.{{cite news|title=1953-1954 All-American Team |url=http://ahcahockey.com/allamer/1954.php |work=The American Hockey Coaches Association |accessdate=2017-06-21}}
Sloan was a model of consistency in net for the Saints in his third season, providing the Larries with all the goaltending they needed to produce a 19–3–1 record. The Saints won the Tri-State League outright and were selected for the NCAA tournament. They faced one of the best offenses in the nation in the semifinal but Sloan held Colorado College to 2 goals, unfortunately, St. Lawrence could only manage 1 of their own and they were sent to the consolation game. Perhaps still disappointed with how close they came the night before, St. Lawrence finished with its worst performance on the season, losing 3–6 to Harvard.{{cite news|title=NCAA Division 1 Tournament |url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/ncaa_trn.html |work=College Hockey Historical Archives |accessdate=2013-06-19 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202145059/http://augenblick.org/chha/ncaa_trn.html |archivedate=2014-02-02 |url-status=live }} Sloan was again an All-American and made the All-Tournament Second Team.{{cite news|title=NCAA Frozen Four Records|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/frozen_4/2009/f4recs.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|accessdate=2013-06-19}}
In his senior season, Sloan saved the best for last; in 20 games he allowed just 37 goals and backstopped St. Lawrence to another league championship. Unfortunately, because Sloan was in his 4th year of varsity play he was unable to suit up for the Saints during the 1956 tournament and was forced to watch his team finish in 3rd place, though they did receive a valiant effort from backup Sarge Whittier.{{cite news|title=NCAA Frozen Four Records|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/frozen_4/2009/f4recs.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|accessdate=2013-06-19}} At the end of his collegiate career Sloan was the All-time leader in wins for the NCAA with 65. He retained the record until he was passed by both Ken Dryden and Gerry Powers in 1969. Sloan still holds numerous program records including wins, winning percentage ({{winpct|65|18|2}}), shutouts (9), shutout streak (201:52) and is the only three-time All-American in program history.{{cite news|title=Saint Hockey Record Book 2015-16 |url=https://static.saintsathletics.com/custompages/2015-16%20Hockey%20Record%20Book.pdf |work=St. Lawrence Saints |accessdate=November 4, 2019}}
He was inducted into both the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame (1972) and the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame (1985).{{cite news|title=Sloan Bill |url=http://cornwallsportshalloffame.com/inductees/sloan-william-bill/ |work=Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame |accessdate=July 25, 2020}}
Sloan died in Potsdam, New York on May 24, 2022, at the age of 87.{{cite news |title=William Sloan |url=https://standard-freeholder.remembering.ca/obituary/william-sloan-1085341817 |access-date=24 November 2024 |publisher=Cornwall Standard-Freeholder |date=31 May 2022}}
Statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
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! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="9" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="8" | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
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! Season !! Team !! League ! GP !! W !! L !! T !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% ! GP !! W !! L !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% | |||||||||||||||
| 1952–53
| 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1058 | 50 | 1 | 2.83 | .894
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="f0f0f0"
| 1953–54 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1265 | 56 | 3 | 2.66 | .908
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1954–55
| 25 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 1466 | 63 | 1 | 2.58 | .898
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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| 1955–56 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1049 | 37 | 4 | 2.12 | .912
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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! colspan="3" | NCAA totals ! 85 !! 65 !! 18 !! 2 !! 4834 !! 206 !! 9 !! 2.55 !! .902 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |
Awards and honors
| class="wikitable"
! Award ! Year ! |
| AHCA Second Team All-American
| 1953–54 |
| AHCA First Team All-American
| 1954–55 |
| NCAA All-Tournament Second Team
| 1955 |
| AHCA Second Team All-American
| 1955–56 |
References
{{reflist|50em}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats|elite=283824|hockeydb=}}
{{St. Lawrence Saints men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloan, Bill}}
Category:Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:People from Cornwall, Ontario
Category:St. Lawrence Saints men's ice hockey players