On October 1, 2011 Fairleigh Dickinson held its 13th Annual FDU Knights Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony. We honor those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to athletes. They are pioneers in their field and have brought great honor to themselves, their team and to our University. Each athlete, through personal and team strength, has made history and is now being recognized for their continued support and wisdom.  This year's class included six individuals, one team and the third Al LoBalbo recipient. 

After graduating from Sewanhaka High School in Long Island, a school that produced more All-American Lacrosse players then another school in the country, Frank “Buddy” Marino was one of the most highly touted lacrosse re­cruits in FDU program history. A four-year starter, he is arguably the top defender in program history. A three-year co-captain, Marino was a three-time all-Knickerbocker Conference selection. As a senior, he led the team to a program-best 14-3 record which included the Knight's second conference championship in 1977. Marino was a strong defender, known for his defensive clears, physical style of play and defensive tenacity. “Buddy” could be relied on to consistently mark the opponents' top offensive weapon. Through his career, only one man-on-man goal was scored on him. Marino also led the team in ground balls each of his final two years. The consummate two-way player, Marino showed his versatility by leading the team in man-up goals in both his junior and senior seasons.

Dr. William L. O'Neill received his undergraduate B.S. degree in 1967 from FDU and his D.D.S. degree in 1970 from the FDU School of Dentistry. He served as President of the Alumni Association Board of Governors from 1988 to 1990 and as a member on the Board of Trustees for 15 years, where he served as Vice Chairman in 2003. He was invited to return to the Board of Trustees in 2008 and continues as a member to date. As chair of the Trustees Facilities and Planning Committee, he provided, through the Facilities Master Plan, plans for six major buildings on FDU campuses: the reconfigured Dickinson Hall and the construction of the Roberta Chiaviello Ferguson and Thomas G. Ferguson Recreation Center; the Martin F. Stadler, Patrick J. Zenner, Hoffmann-La Roche Academic Building; the Park Avenue Residence Hall; the Rutherford Residence Hall; the Northpointe residence hall; as well as the Fitness Center. O'Neill is co-founder of Knights of the Roundtable Booster Club at the Metropolitan Campus. He has been honored by the University and has received the FDU Alumni Award, the FDU Pinnacle Award and the FDU Elia G. Stratis Service Award. He served as a member on the committee responsible for the development and construction of the Rothman Center, was an active supporter of the FDU “NOW” Athletic Campaign, and served on the steering committee for an NCAA certi­fication cycle. For many years he has become a friend and mentor to the members of the FDU athletic department. O'Neill is an active member of the American Dental Association, New Jersey Dental Society and Bergen County Dental Society and practices dentistry in his office located in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. He and his wife, Fran, live in Alpine, N.J. and have two daughters, Jennifer and Allison.

Meaghan (Culkin) Pizzo was the consummate team leader. Captaining the team in both her junior and senior seasons, she led the team to a 38-18 record (23-6 and 15-12, respectively) which represents the best two-year record and win percentage (.679) in the program's Division I his­tory. In 1992, the team won its second NEC Tournament title, while in 1993, the Knights captured a share of the program's first-ever regular season championship. Pizzo played in every game but one (82 of 83) over the final three years of her career and started over 50 percent of the time. Standing 5-8, she played all three front-court positions and was recognized as a tenacious defender, always drawing the toughest match-ups. Pizzo finished her career with 666 points, in­cluding a career-high 20 points vs. St. Francis NY and 406 rebounds but averaged better than 8.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg over her final two seasons. She also finished with 226 career assists. As a senior, she ranked among the top four in every major statistical category (points-4th, rebounds-3rd, as­sists-2nd, blocks- 4th, steals-2nd).

A selfless player, Kimberley Potoczniak-Portuondo ranks among the top all-around players in program history. Possessing the unique ability to impact matches from both the front and back rows, Potoczniak-Portu­ondo finished her career ranked third all-time in kills (1,206 – currently fourth). As a sophomore, she led the team in kills (363) and digs (248) en route to earning All-Northeast Conference honors in 1995. Captain­ing the Knights as a junior and senior, Potoczniak-Portuondo suffered through an injury plagued junior campaign. As a senior, she was again tabbed as an all-conference selection after registering a team-best 364 kills and 434 digs which currently ranks eighth on the all-time single season list. For her efforts in her final year of com­petition, Potoczniak-Portuondo earned All-Tournament honors at the Lehigh Tournament, was named the team MVP as well as being named the 1998 Woman of the Year by the New Jersey Association for Intercollegiate Athletics.

As the team physician for over 30 years, Dr. Richard Salzer serves as an advocate for our student-athletes' welfare. Salzer has been generous with his time and energy to FDU, a true supporter of the university and the athletic department. As his practice expanded, Salzer, his partners and staff have continued to uphold this commitment to individual welfare and team success. Salzer has also been a regular contributor to FDU as an athletic booster.
 
Lou Turco is the winningest pitcher in FDU Baseball history. His career wins record still stands as the mark of excellence on the hill. Over the course of his career, Turco compiled a 19-7 record with 140 strikeouts and 79 walks in 254 2/3 innings. Turco also recorded 12 complete games, while taking the ball 45 times in 118 games. As a sophomore, he was named a New Jersey Division I All-Star Team Honorable Mention and was selected to the Met All-Conference team as a junior and senior. In his junior season, Turco was also named the Met Confer­ence Most Valuable Player. After playing for the New York Yankees for one year, Turco was inducted as a member of the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame.
 
The 1966 men's golf team defeated Princeton to win the Metropolitan Golf Association'sIntercollegiate Championship on May 3, 1966, at the North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, NJ. Hall of Fame member Rusty Spahr shot 75 to win the individual title, while Ralph Bender took runner-up as part of a three-way tie in a field of 148 golfers with a score of 78. The 1966 team captured the program's first-ever championship, while Spahr was just the second player to win the individual championship. Team members included: Head Coach Bob Metz, Rusty Spahr, Ralph Bender, Rich Snyder, Bill Blanchfield, Joe DeMarco, Jeff Kravat, Jeff Smith, Otto Vitale, Don Keller and Richard Kaufman.
 
Bill Raftery is the 2011 Al LoBalbo Award recipient. Over his 21-year broadcast career, the excitable announcer has called the NCAA Final Four on CBS, the Big East Tournament and New Jersey Nets telecasts. Raftery brings his playing and coaching experience to every telecast, offering keen analysis and opinion during the games. He began his broadcasting career with SportsChannel New York (now known as FOX Sports Net). From 1970-1981, Raftery served as head basketball coach at Seton Hall University, where he revitalized the program and led the Pirates to seven straight winning seasons and a record of 154-141. Raftery is the third annual LoBalbo Award recipient. The award is presented annually to a person who, like Coach Lo, has through selfless service, tireless dedication and education through sport made significant contributions that transcend competition for the betterment of athletics and all who are involved.