Former All-America dies at age of 82
- Paul Wong
- Connie Hill<br><br>FILE PHOTO
The Michigan hockey family lost its only three-year captain in the program”s history this past week when Connie Hill passed away in his Newport, R.I. home.
Hill, a defenseman from 1946-49 who served as captain his first three years, played an integral part of Michigan”s 1948 championship run and was one of the first Wolverines to be selected to the All-America team.
Hill joined teammates Wally Grant and Wally Gacek on the 1948 team and earned All-America honors again the following year with four other Wolverines. He was honored in 1962 and 1985 when he was inducted to the Dekers Blue Line Club Hall of Fame and the Michigan Hall of Honor, respectively.
During his years with Michigan, Hill helped lead the team to 70-18-6 record. With 32 goals and 87 points in his career, he set school records for a defenseman that lasted more than 27 years. His most memorable performance came in the 1948 NCAA semifinals against Boston College when he recorded a hat-trick to give Michigan a 6-4 victory in overtime. That win sent the Wolverines to the finals where they won their first national title over Dartmouth.
Even though he was known for his accomplishments on the ice, Hill graduated in 1950 with a degree in journalism. He later earned a Ph.D. in mass communication from Iowa State before serving as a professor at five major universities, including Rhode Island.
By Kyle O”Neill