A pure scorer with a flair for the dramatic, Dick
Donovan’s name is etched in the fabric of Bowdoin athletics
as one of the best “clutch” performers in the history
of the men’s ice hockey program.
Skating onto the scene as a sophomore in 1970–1971,
Donovan’s first year as a Polar Bear was perhaps his most
memorable. Playing atMadison Square Garden in the prestigious ECAC
Holiday Festival that included Division I powers Clarkson, Harvard,
and Yale, Donovan justified Bowdoin’s inclusion, scoring a
game-tying tally against the Bulldogs as the Polar Bears cruised to
the ECAC Division II regular season crown.
But his most famous goal came in the final game of that season,
against the University of Vermont in the ECAC Division II
Championship game. Before nearly 3,000 fans at Dayton Arena, the
game entered overtime tied at four apiece. Donovan received a pass
from Bobby Petrie on the left wing and let fly from 15 feet away.
The puck slipped between the pads of UVM’s Dave Reece and
into the net to give Bowdoin their first ECAC Championship
crown.
Although Bowdoin could not defend their title in Donovan’s
junior year due to NESCAC rules, the Norwood,Massachusetts, native
earned ECAC First-Team recognition as the Polar Bears’
leading scorer (44 points). As a senior, he captained the Polar
Bears to the ECAC Title game, was named the league’s Most
Valuable Player, and earned American Hockey Coaches Association
All-American honors after becoming Bowdoin’s first 50-point
scorer.
Upon graduation, Donovan held five Bowdoin scoring records
including career goals (50), assists (76), and points (126).
Despite those records being surpassed once freshman eligibility was
permitted, Donovan still ranks third all-time at Bowdoin with a
1.83 points per game average.
Donovan played professionally in Holland for two years, leading
his Utrecht Hunters team in scoring both seasons. He co-founded the
Kullen Golf Tournament in honor of his teammate and friend Bob
Kullen. Dick lives with his wife, Laura Andrus, in Norwood, where
they enjoy their three grandchildren.
