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