This Friday, the BSU men’s hockey team will hold their annual golf tournament fundraiser. The event is named in honor of Galen Nagle…a former Beaver goalie. Shotgun start at noon at the Bemidji Country Club…with dinner and auction to follow.

Bemidji State University and the Galen Nagle Memorial Fund Committee have established a memorial scholarship fund in honor of the former Beaver hockey standout, designed to support the Bemidji State hockey program.

Galen W. Nagle was a goaltender for the Beaver hockey team from 1980-’84, and served as a coach and teacher in the state of Minnesota for several years before losing his life to cancer Oct. 18, 1996 at the age of 34. “Galen exemplified Beaver hockey,” said former Bemidji State coach R.H. “Bob” Peters. “Hard work, dedication and loyalty were inherent to his character, and through his efforts, he became a vital part of our team.”

Nagle and the 1984 Beaver hockey team made college hockey history with a perfect 31-0-0 season en route to the school’s first NCAA Division II National Championship. An All-Tournament selection from the 1984 Division II Championship, Nagle completed his Bemidji State hockey goaltending career with an 8-1 victory in the title game.

Initially a walk-on at Bemidji State, Nagle’s determination and willingness to give forged a special bond with teammates and coaches. He never lost a game in goal for Bemidji State, posting a 22-0-0 career record with three shutouts. He allowed just 37 goals in his career, leaving Bemidji State as the program’s all-time leader in save percentage (.9308) and goals-against average (2.039) – career records which still stand today for players with at least 1,000 minutes in goal. “Galen considered it a privilege and an honor to be a part of the team, and conversely, we valued his contribution to the team,” Peters said. “He has had a lasting impact on the lives of the people he touched, and we will always remember him.”

A 1984 graduate of Bemidji State, Nagle taught industrial arts at Scotts- Highland Middle School in Apple Valley for several years and coached in hockey programs at Rosemount, Holy Angels Academy, Richfield, Bloomington, Wayzata and Thief River Falls. He also served as the chief goalie instructor for Coach Peters’ Bemidji International Hockey Camp at BSU.

Nagle was born to Richard and Marlys June 18, 1962 in Baudette, Minn. He and his family moved to Bemidji in 1979, and he graduated from Bemidji High School in 1980. The annual golf tournament was inaugurated in his honor Aug. 7, 1998.

Hope to see you there!