Hall of Fame Series: Men’s Ice Hockey’s Rick Piracini, BSBA ’89

Hall of Fame Series: Men’s Ice Hockey’s Rick Piracini, BSBA ’89
Posted: Oct 10, 2019

BOSTON – Over the next few weeks, GoSuffolkRams.com will take a look at the student-athletes and team to be inducted into the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame this October. Our next installment features one of the most memorial blueliners in Suffolk men's hockey's history, Rick Piracni, BSBA '89. 

Piracini was one of Suffolk's outstanding defensemen. And he didn't do badly on offense either: The tall skater is the all-time points leader from the blue line in program history in fact with 98 points on 29 markers and 69 helpers. 

During the defenseman's time on Beacon Hill, the Rams had some great victories. He was a crucial part of the "We are SU" movement. The senior captain helped distinguish the motto of the 1988-89 team, which opened the campaign with seven straight victories and went on to finish the year 19-7-1, marking the most successful Suffolk men's hockey squad at the time. The 19 victories are still good for second most in the Rams' record books today. That team opened the eyes of many opponents and put Suffolk men's hockey on the map. 

His most memorable event, however, was the Chowder Cup Tournament. Suffolk skated against the Jumbos of Tufts University in freezing conditions, quite literally as the water bottles froze to the bench. The Rams played through the frigid temps and went on to hoist the trophy. 

Piracini's time in a blue-and-gold sweater was unique as the Somerville, Massachusetts, native skated with seven other players that grew up in the same town, some of which he played high school puck with him as well, like his co-captain Russ Rosa. Even his fellow 2019 inductee, baseball's Mike Romano, lived one street over from him. 

"Suffolk's team in 1989 was pretty successful in large part due to the Somerville guys," Piracini said. "A life-long Somerville friend, Suffolk Hall of Famer Brian 'Scorin' Horan and we can throw in a half season's worth of goals from another Somerville guy and fellow Hall of Famer Brian Gruning in there too." 

Following his 1989 graduation from Suffolk's Sawyer Business School with a bachelor's degree in business sales and marketing he has remained in Beantown working for Action Bearing Company for the past 30 years. He lives in Tewksbury with his wife Lori Covino-Piracini, BS '91. They have three children, Marc (24), Jess (22) and Allison (20).

The 2019 Hall of Fame Class features seven record setting Rams and one unforgettable team. These honorees join 57 existing Suffolk University Athletic Hall of Famers, including 42 student-athletes, four head coaches, eight teams and three special honorees.

Piracini is the seventh men's ice hockey player to be inducted into the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame, including multi-sport athletes. He is the fourth Suffolk men's hockey player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame from the late 80s, early 90s era joining the likes of Brian Horan (2007), Brian Gruning (2009) and Sean O'Driscoll (2016). 

The 2019 Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 25 at Suffolk University's Sarget Hall Atrium and Function Room at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the event can be purchased here.

THE SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
 The Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame will recognize the outstanding achievements of former athletes, coaches and others who have played a most significant role in the history of athletics at our University. 

For a more insider's look on the 2019 Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame Class be on the lookout for the Hall of Fame series, which will be published on GoSuffolkRams.com leading up to the event. Specific publication dates on inductees are below: