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William Riley

BIRTHPLACE: Medford, Mass.

BORN: October 6, 1921

DIED: 2000

TEAMS/ASSOCIATIONS: Dartmouth College 

 

Bio

Bill Riley occupies a unique position as one of the great all time scorers in college hockey, as well as one of three famous hockey playing brothers.  His brothers, Jack and Joe, were both Dartmouth, 1944 and 1949, respectively. Jack went on to coach at West Point, and later piloted the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal winners in Squaw Valley.  (Jack is also a Hall of Fame enshrinee as well). 

Although a member of the class of 1946, Riley's career at Dartmouth was interrupted by World War II military service.  As a result he played during the 1943 season as a freshman and then resumed competition for 1946-1949.  Playing four varsity seasons, Riley appeared in 71 games, scoring 118 goals and 110 assists for 218 points.  He was the team leader in all seasons except 1947.  Riley was a major factor in the Big Green's march to the NCAA finals in both 1948 and 1949 as well.  In 1948 Dartmouth met Colorado College in the first round of the first ever NCAA tournament and emerged 8-4 victors. However in the finals the score was reversed and Michigan took the laurels.  The following year the defeat by Michigan was avenged 4-2 in the semifinals, but Eastern rival Boston College won the title 4-3. 

During Riley's brilliant college career, Dartmouth compiled a gaudy record of 68-11-2.  In that time frame he had scored five goals in a game against Northwestern and Princeton, four versus Boston College, and had ten hat trick games to boot. 

Hockey historian S. Kip Farrington even placed him on his all-time Dartmouth team for the period 1945-1970.  Following retirement as an active player, the Medford skater continued his interest in the game and later became a leading official in New England Referees' Association.  In 1971 he was later named as the commissioner of the New England Amateur League.  Riley was previously honored for his contributions to hockey in March 1977 when he received the Sheaffer Pen Award.