FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Thursday, May 22, 2003)

FRANCIS "BUDDY" POWERS NAMED HEAD MEN'S ICE HOCKEY AND GOLF COACH AT WESLEYAN

Francis "Buddy" Powers has been named head men's ice hockey and golf coach at Wesleyan University, athletics director John Biddiscombe announced today. Powers replaces David "Duke" Snyder, who announced his retirement after 33 years at Wesleyan, 32 as the college's head men's ice hockey coach.

Powers, a 1975 graduate of Boston University where he played varsity ice hockey for three seasons, is a veteran collegiate men's ice hockey coach, heading the program at Bowling Green State University from 1994 through 2002. He was named CCHA coach of the year in 1995. Prior to Bowling Green, where he earned his master's degree in 1989, Powers was head coach at Renssaelaer Polytechnic Institute from 1989 to 1994. Over five seasons at R.P.I., Powers led the Engineers to four appearances in the ECAC championship game and an NCAA quarter-final appearance in 1994. His first head coaching position came at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he guided his squad to a 26-8-2 final mark, winning the ECAC East-West title and attaining NCAA Division III runner-up status during the 1988-89 season.

Powers initiated his college coaching experience as an assistant coach at Colgate University in 1980. He also served as golf course director there. He moved on to Bowling Green as an assistant coach in 1982 and served in that capacity for six years before going to R.I.T.

Powers has been active with the USA Hockey program since 1984, coaching a number of national teams, most recently the under-17 National Team as an assistant coach this past season. He was on the NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament Committee during 2001-02 and was a member of the board of governors of the American Hockey Coaches Association from 1993 to 1996.

"Buddy Powers is one of the most respected collegiate ice hockey coaches in the country, " said Biddiscombe. "His experience and reputation will be instrumental in making the coaching transition at Wesleyan a smooth one and in continuing to attract quality student-athletes to our program."

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