Amoretti, Burkholder headline Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2022
Aug. 24—Former Niagara University men's hockey coach David Burkholder and current Niagara Falls High School multi-sport coach Martha Amoretti will be among 11 new members inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame in October.
Burkholder spent 21 years with NU hockey, joining as an assistant to Blaise MacDonald during the program's inaugural season in 1996 before taking the helm for 16 years starting in 2001. He was named College Hockey America's Coach of the Year in 05-06 and 06-07 and Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year in 12-13, when the Purple Eagles made the NCAA Tournament. Overall, his Niagara teams captured two CHA Tournament championships and three regular season titles (two CHA, one AHA) and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Amoretti is already a member of the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame. She currently coaches both softball and girls volleyball at NFHS and previously coached girls basketball.
Joining them in the Class of 2022 are Vince Mazza, the Trott Vocational football star who played for the Buffalo Bills back in the All-American Football Conference, Tony Dean, Glen Bowen, Jerry Pitarresi, Salvatore Manente, Charles Lytle, Tom Siejka, Pam Vogel and Darryl Kosut.
Mazza will be inducted posthumously.
The induction dinner will be held Oct. 29 at the Como Restaurant. For tickets and more information, call Dan 716-284-1448.
Congratulatory ads from family and friends of the inductees are available by calling Joe at 716-405-7175.
The NFSHOF, previously called the Old Timers Hall of Fame, was formed in 1968 and has now grown to 354 members. These individuals were chosen for their contributions to the NF community as outstanding athletes and or coaches, managers, organizers, officials, athletics directors, sponsors and volunteers. Eligible recipients must be at least 55 years of age and have strong ties to the Niagara community. Those individuals out side of the city of NF boundaries were also chosen for their impact on the NF community.
