On the 5th of May the La Trobe University Hockey club celebrated its 45th Anniversary Ball. Throughout the evening many years of history were recognised, as well as the many members who have dedicated a considerable amount of time and effort to make the Gunners great.
However it is for one person in particular that the Club decided to establish a new honour of recognition, The President’s Plate. The perpetual plate will be mounted in the clubrooms and awarded very rarely to those members have have dedicated a lifetime of service and commitment to the Club.
President Zac Martin was proud to announce the first ever recipient on the evening, Ross Erickson.
Ross started at the Club in 1972, just six years after it was founded. He has played in every season since and contributed well over 40 years of service to the club.
He has played an incredibly active roll over the decades to support the Gunners, including his time as President of SARA, the then La Trobe Sports Association where he played a very important role in championing the cause of hockey at the university during the 80s.
This established a long running presence on campus which the Club still maintains to this day.
25 years ago, at the Club’s 20th Anniversary, Ross was awarded Life Membership, the third person to ever receive this honour.
Over the years he has mentored many of our younger and older players, played a key role in the establishment of the Veterans, played in Albury and Echuca Hockey Carnivals, run junior tournaments, been involved in Intervarsity sport and played many games in the red and white shirt.
One member recently told a story of how they were playing a game on a cold Sunday afternoon at Footscray, where only nine players had turned up to face a massacre. Ross just happened to be driving passed with his family, saw the red and white shirts, turn off the freeway and offered to help out. Borrowing a shirt and some Blundstone boots, Ross helped the Gunners secure a fighting draw. There is no doubt that Ross is a club legend.
He has been a part of the fabric of this club for more than 40 years and is a great friend to all.
For a lifetime of outstanding commitment to the club, Ross Erickson became the first ever recipient of the La Trobe University Hockey club President’s Plate.