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山ǿ mops up at CIS women's hockey awards gala

Published: 18 March 2009

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CIS) – 山ǿ freshman Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger of Sherbrooke, Que., was honoured as the nation’s rookie of the year and five of her Martlets teammates earned all-Canadian honours at the CIS women’s hockey championship awards gala in Antigonish, N.S., Wednesday.

Leclerc-Auger became the third member of the Martlets in three years to be named as the top rookie in CIS women’s hockey, marking the first time in CIS history that players from the same school (in a team sport) were honoured as the nation’s best freshman for three consecutive years. Current teammates Catherine Ward and Ann-Sophie Bettez received the award in 2006-07 and ‘07-08, respectively.

Leclerc-Auger has had a stellar debut in CIS hockey, tallying 18 goals and 46 points in 18 regular-season games to rank fourth among CIS scoring leaders and second in Quebec despite playing in a league that plays 6-9 fewer games that the other conferences across the country. The five-foot-five right-winger posted an impressive 20-20-40 record in 16 contests overall against teams ranked in the CIS Top 10 poll, scoring goals against seven different ranked squads.

The 21-year-old physical education major also earned all-rookie honours and enters the CIS championship with 山ǿ single-season records of 45 goals and 89 points in 39 games overall, statistics that earned her a spot on the QSSF second all-star team. Her performances helped the defending national champion Martlets keep an unblemished 18-0 mark in conference play and a 33-0 overall record against CIS opponents going into the CIS tournament.

“Marie-Andrée has made a huge impact in the league in her freshman year,” said 山ǿ head coach Peter Smith. “She has the rare combination of being a natural goal scorer mixed with great play-making skills. A measure of consistency, she is one of our strongest players, both physically and mentally.”

Other CIS major award winners announced included Alberta forward Tarin Podloski, a native of St. Albert, Alta., who claimed the Brodrick trophy as player of the year; Alberta’s Howie Draper of Edmonton, was named coach of the year for the third time; and Ottawa’s Danika Smith of Munster Hamlet, Ont., received the Marion Hillard award recognizing her excellence in hockey, academics and community involvement.

The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.

Joining Podloski on the first CIS squad were a trio of 山ǿ teammates including goaltender Charline Labonté of Boisbriand, Que., defenceman Catherine Ward of Mt. Royal, Que., and forward Ann-Sophie Bettez of Sept-Iles, Que. Rounding out the first constellation were Wilfrid Laurier rearguard Andrea Bevan of Collingwood, Ont., and Moncton forward Mariève Provost of Laval, Que.

Labonté, Ward and Bevan were all selected for a third straight campaign, while Bettez was a second-team all-Canadian last season when she was voted CIS rookie of the year. Provost made the first team as a freshman back in 2006-07.

Labonté and Ward, both in their third season with the Martlets, were named on Tuesday as Team Canada members for the upcoming 2009 IIHF world championship (April 4-12, Hameenlinna, Finland).

The second CIS squad for 2008-09 is comprised of Manitoba goaltender Stacey Corfield of Winnipeg, 山ǿ defenceman Cathy Chartrand of Lac Nominingue, Que., first-year Alberta rearguard Stephanie Ramsay of Charlottetown, 山ǿ forward Vanessa Davidson of Kirkland, Que., Wilfrid Laurier forward Andrea Ironside of Collingwood, Ont., and Alberta forward Alana Cabana of Edmonton.

Davidson was a first-team all-Canadian the last two seasons.

A former national team member and the tournament MVP of last year’s CIS championship, Chartrand was Canada’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 2009 Winter Universiade in Harbin, China, where she captained Team Canada to gold at the inaugural women’s hockey tournament along with Bevan, Provost, Corfield, Ramsay, Davidson and Ironside.

Toronto netminder Kendyl Valenta of Brampton, Ont., Waterloo defenceman Julia Endicott of Toronto, Guelph forward Tamara Bell of Guelph, Ont., and UPEI forward Janelle Parent of Ponoka, Alta., joined Leclerc-Auger and Ramsay on the CIS all-rookie team.

The 2009 CIS women’s hockey championship, hosted by St. Francis Xavier University, gets under way Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold-medal final set for 8 p.m. Atlantic Time. The championship match can be seen on The Score television network (two-hour tape delay to 10 p.m. Atlantic), while SSN Canada will webcast all nine games from the tournament.

2008-09 CIS WOMEN’S HOCKEY AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS

Brodrick trophy (player of the year): Tarin Podloski, Alberta Pandas

Rookie of the year: Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, 山ǿ Martlets

Coach of the year: Howie Draper, Alberta Pandas

Marion Hillard award (student-athlete – community service): Danika Smith, Ottawa Gee-Gees



First Team


Position Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty


Goaltender Charline Labonté 山ǿ 3 Boisbriand, Que. Physical & Health Education

Defence Catherine Ward 山ǿ 3 Mt. Royal, Que. General Management

Defence Andrea Bevan Laurier 5 Collingwood, Ont. Sociology

Forward Tarin Podloski Alberta 4 St. Albert, Alta. Agriculture, Forestry & Home Ec.

Forward Ann-Sophie Bettez 山ǿ 2 Sept-Iles, Que. General Management

Forward Mariève Provost Moncton 3 Laval, Que. Kinesiology



Second Team


Goaltender Stacey Corfield Manitoba 4 Winnipeg, Man. Nursing

Defence Cathy Chartrand 山ǿ 2 Lac Nominingue, Que. Physical & Health Education

Defence Stephanie Ramsay Alberta 1 Charlottetown, P.E.I. Physical Education & Recreation

Forward Vanessa Davidson 山ǿ 4 Kirkland, Que. Physical & Health Education

Forward Andrea Ironside Laurier 4 Collingwood, Ont. Kinesiology / Physical Education

Forward Alana Cabana Alberta 2 Edmonton, Alta. Arts



All-Rookie Team



Goaltender Kendyl Valenta Toronto 1 Brampton, Ont. Physical Education & Health

Defence Stephanie Ramsay Alberta 1 Charlottetown, P.E.I. Physical Education & Recreation

Defence Julia Endicott Waterloo 1 Toronto, Ont. Honours Science

Forward Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger 山ǿ 1 Sherbrooke, Que. Physical & Health Education

Forward Tamara Bell Guelph 1 Guelph, Ont. Human Kinetics

Forward Janelle Parent UPEI 1 Ponoka, Alta. B.A.



-CIS-



For more information, please contact:

Earl Zukerman Communications Officer 山ǿ Athletics & Recreation 514-398-7012 (Tel.)


Michel Bélanger
CIS Communications Manager
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca

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