GOSHEN, Ind. - Before there was Dash, and before Dan the Squirrel Man, there was a short-lived unofficial Goshen College mascot that left a lasting impression despite a short tenure.

During the 1982-83 men's basketball season, the Maple Leafs were struggling. With the losses, there was a limited number of fans at games, and a couple of players wanted to do something about it. Pat Vendrely and Kevin "Scoop" Miller decided to create Captain Maple Leaf – an unofficial mascot that would provide the boost that fans and players both needed. But who would don the costume that they had yet to create?

They decided on student Dave Conrad because he was the only one crazy enough to do it. A group got together one afternoon in Yoder 315 to create the costume, which featured a cut-up basketball used as the head, spirals from a notebook as the antenna, and ping pong balls to go on top of them. With a touch of Elmer's glue and some gold sparkles, they had a mascot.

The crew only intended Captain Maple Leaf to be a one-game stunt, as the Captain led cheers during timeouts at his first basketball appearance. However, he came back for a couple more basketball games. "I guess I was just not afraid to make a fool of myself for everyone's enjoyment as well as mine," Conrad said. While the career was longer than anticipated, it was still a brief stint for the mascot. Besides those few games, Captain Maple Leaf made additional appearances at a talent show and the traditional dunking into the Schrock Plaza fountain of new college president Vic Stoltzfus, the father of current president Rebecca Stoltzfus.

Conrad believes that most people will probably be surprised at how few appearances the Captain actually made. "Captain Maple Leaf was well received by both the faculty and the students," he shared, "and maybe that is why it was so successful." Conrad admitted that some of his antics and ideas crossed the line, which he regrets. But others were rewarding and added to the college experience. He credits his classmates in Yoder 3rd North for pushing the limits and ensuring that college was never dull. "Captain Maple Leaf was just another way we had fun and added to the college experience."

Now, the Maple Leafs have an official mascot for the first time, as the black squirrel Dash is a week into their debut. Conrad gave his well-wishes to the mascot, saying, "I hope Dash is a success and works the way Captain Maple Leaf did in adding to the college experience for those associated with it." Captain Maple Leaf's costume currently resides in the Mennonite Historical Library artifact collection.