Three major landmark victories were achieved this fall by three of college hockey’s most respected coaches. Two weeks apart, Iowa State’s Al Murdoch won his 800th game and Boston College’s Jerry York won his 700th. Just over a month later, Boston University’s Jack Parker joined the 700 club. The details:

Iowa State University Men’s Ice Hockey head coach Al Murdoch won the 800th game of his career on Friday, October 15, as the Cyclones defeated American College Hockey Association (ACHA) seventh-ranked Weber State University, 3-1.

The victory gave the eighth-ranked Cyclones a 6-5-0 record for the season and gave Murdoch a career mark of 800-403-32. Murdoch’s 800th victory came thanks to a 48 save performance by sophomore goalie Trent Baker and goals by Zach Peterson, Mike Moren and Scott Hagen, the latter scoring the game-winning goal 4:12 into the third period.

Murdoch, the winningest coach in ACHA history, was happy to have the monkey off of his back.

“It’s just a very good feeling to have that 800th done and out of the way,” Murdoch said after the game. (Click here for extended Murdoch biography)

Jerry York

It was on October 29th in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, that Jerry York became the third coach in NCAA history to win 700 games when his Eagles downed North Dakota, 5-3. York, a Boston College alumnus who won his first 467 games while coaching at Clarkson and Bowling Green, is 703-485-68 in 33 seasons (as of press time), the last eleven (including this year) at his alma mater. York and his Eagles provided the opposition when Jack Parker won #700. The Terriers took a 3-2 home decision on December 3, and followed with #701 the next night, 7-1, at UMass.

Parker holds the distinction of having won the most games at one school as he has spent his entire 32-career at his alma mater, compiling a career mark of 701-362-76.

The other members of the NCAA “700 Club” are Ron Mason, who won 924 games at Lake Superior, Bowling Green, and Michigan State, and Bob Peters, who won 744 games at North Dakota and Bemdji State. Mason is now Director of Athletics at Michigan State, while Peters serves as Commissioner of College Hockey America.

Not to be lost in the 2,200 career wins of these three gentlemen were the following milestone wins:

• Rick Gotkin of Mercyhurst won his 300th game on November 5 by defeating Army, 2-0. Gotkin is 303-177-29 in 17 years with the Lakers.

Bill Wilkinson

• Bill Wilkinson won his 400th game on November 12 when Wayne State defeated Robert Morris University, 3-2, at RMU. Making the win particularly noteworthy was the fact that Robert Morris head coach, Derek Schooley, played for “Wilkie” at Western Michigan when he won his 200th.

Wilkinson has a 405-389-68 mark in 23 seasons as a head coach.

• Georgia Tech head coach Greg Stathis earned his 200th non-varsity win with a 4-3 triumph over Georgia on November 12.

• Heather Linstad of the University of Connecticut became the ninth coach in women’s hockey history to win 200 games when her Huskies downed North Dakota, 5-2, on November 13. She is 200-147-43.

• John Dunham of Trinity College reached the 400-win mark with a 7-2 win over Southern Maine to start his season on November 19. Dunham is now 405-279-25 in 31 years with the Bantams.

• On December 2, John Rolli of UMass-Dartmouth won his 400th game, 5-1 vs. Fitchburg State. Rolli is 400-107-19 in 20 seasons, all at UMass-Dartmouth.

• On December 3, Glenn Thomaris won his 300th game, 5-3 at Brockport. Thomaris, who has coached at Elmira and Potsdam, is 300-158-18 in 17 seasons.

• On December 4, Bobby Daniels of Ferris State won his 200th game, 6-2 vs. Western Michigan. Daniels is 200-237-37 in 13 years with FSU.

Closing in on milestones as of December 7: Bill O’Neill of Salem State was at 397 wins; Margot Page of Niagara was at 99 wins; Donna Wright of Wesleyan was at 96 wins.