Playing in his 25th season, wearing his favorite number 13, Dave’s place in the Over-30 league has been anything but unlucky. One of the top first-line centers of the league, you will always find Dave consistently in the top 5 scorers of the Over-30 league and consistently seeing Dave’s teams competing for the Over-30 league championship trophy.
For years, when playing with the Grutti family, Dave was always referred to as the adopted Grutti brother. When paired with Franco Grutti, Dave and Franco were perhaps the most feared offensive duo in the modern Over-30 league, regularly reaching Final after Final. Because of that, Dave and Franco became known as the “curse busters” as they led quite a few players who for many years had never won a championship jacket to that Promised Land (hello Dave Hill and Gary Goodwin).
Dave’s competitive nature serves him well in his ability to score the big goal for his team by being in the right place at the right time. You will find Dave making creative plays with the ball in getting open for a scoring chance or finding an open team mate for a scoring chance. One of the smartest players in the Over-30 league, Dave will always find a way to turn up the offense and come up big when his team needs it most.
With 6 championship jackets to his credit, Dave finds himself tied with others for fifth place overall in jackets won. Dave is one of only a handful of players in the history of the Over-30 league who have played in four consecutive Finals and reached back-to-back Finals in other previous years. Perhaps the finest season of Dave’s career was during the winter 2010 season as he led the league in goals with 18, finished second overall in scoring, scored 4 game winning goals, won his first-ever season MVP award, reached the Finals and emerged as one of the Over-30 league’s clutch players and team leader.
Rumors & Facts:
- For years Dave was mistaken as the “other” Grutti brother.
- Like all successful duos, Dave and Franco Grutti, had great success in the Over-30 league and dubbed the nickname the “Curse Busters”.
- In Spring 2006 the “Curse Busters”… rewarded Mike Fleming with a championship jacket on his 17th season (back in Revere).
- Once again in 2010 the “Curse Busters” finally broke the championship jacket curse for Dave Hill and Gary Goodwin, not by winning each of them a jacket separately, but while both playing on the same team.
- Two-time 1st runner up with back-to-back championship losses with his “Grutti-less” team Own My Own.
- Simply one of the best two-way players to ever play in the league.
|
