CIS championship: Beuker Win's MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER
EDMONTON (CIS) - Right-winger Kevin Baker of the Atlantic University Sport champion Acadia University Axemen is the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey player of the year for the 2005-06 season.
Baker of Kingston, Ont. is only the second Acadia player to receive the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as season MVP since the inception of the award in 1975-76. He joins forward Duane Dennis who was honoured in 1993-94.
Other major award winners announced on Wednesday night during the TELUS University Cup Awards Gala at the Myer Horowitz Theatre on the campus of the University of Alberta were U of A's Aaron Sorochan of Edmonton, who claimed the Clare Drake Award as rookie of the year, University of Saskatchewan's Dean Beuker of Watson, Sask., who received the R.W. Pugh Award presented to the most sportsmanlike player, McGill University's Martin Raymond of Pierrefonds, Que., a first-time recipient of the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as coach of the year, and Saint Mary's University's David Chant of Toronto, who received the Dr. Randy Gregg Award recognizing his excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement.
Baker, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound forward claimed the AUS scoring title and tied for the CIS lead with 47 points in 28 conference games in his third and final campaign with the Axemen. His 24 goals were tops in the Atlantic and second in the nation only to Guelph's Jesse Pyatt, who had 26. Of his 24 tallies, nine were power-play markers, three game-winners, and six came by the way of a pair of hat tricks. Over the past two regular seasons, no player in the CIS has found the back of the net more often than Baker (48), who scored 24 times as well in 2004-05 to earn his first selection as an all-Canadian, claiming a spot on the second team. The 26-year-old kinesiology student led the Axemen to a first-place finish in the AUS standings (19-7-1-1) this season, and added four goals and 10 points in five playoff games to help Acadia capture its first conference banner since 1995-96.
A product of the Belleville Bulls of the OHL, Baker was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (193rd overall). He enjoyed his best season with the Bulls in 1998-99 when he tallied 44 goals and 81 points. Following his final year with Belleville in 1999-00, Baker played three professional seasons with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters, the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs, and the AHL's Saint John Flames.
"Kevin has been our offensive leader all season long, and has continued to produce at a torrid pace in the playoffs," said Acadia head coach Darren Burns, the AUS coach of the year. "He is a pure goal scorer, who always seems to come up with the clutch goal, when we really need it. He is very deserving of this prestigious award."
Sorochan, a 6-foot-1, 178-pound netminder posted a 15-4-1 record, with a 2.32 GAA and a .908 save percentage in the regular season in his university debut, and followed up with four straight playoff victories to lead Alberta to its sixth straight Canada West title. The 21-year-old attended the Edmonton Oilers training camp last fall, and was named the top goaltender in the WHL's Eastern Conference in 2004-05.
"Aaron has been a terrific addition to our program, solidifying an area that was a question mark entering the season," commented Golden Bears bench boss Eric Thurston, the Canada West coach of the year. "Our guys play with a tremendous amount of confidence in front of Aaron, which is the ultimate compliment to a goaltender."
Beuker, a 6-foot, 190-pound forward tied for the CIS lead with a career-high 47 points in 27 conference games in his fourth season with the Huskies, while picking up only seven penalties and spending a grand total of 30 minutes in the box. The 25-year-old was also named to the first all-Canadian team, marking his fourth selection in as many years as a CIS national all-star. Beuker was the CIS rookie of the year in 2002-03, and was crowned CIS scoring champion a year ago with 46 points.
"Dean has made an impact on this league from the day he arrived on our campus," said Saskatchewan head coach Dave Adolph. "He is a very quiet and team-oriented person, who very much cares about team success and is gracious about his individual attention. Dean has without a doubt been the most consistent dominant player Canada West has seen in a long time."
Raymond became the first McGill bench boss to win the CIS coach-of-the-year award in men's hockey. In his 11th campaign at the helm, the 38-year-old guided his upstart Redmen to a stunning 20-1-3 regular season record and an appearance in the OUA Queen's Cup final this year. Despite a defensive corps comprised of five freshmen and two sophomores, combined with a goaltending tandem that featured one sophomore and a rookie, McGill established Canadian university records for most shutouts (12 in 24 conference games) and lowest goals-against average (1.21).
Chant, the 2006 recipient of the prestigious James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award presented annually by the AUS, is a Dean's List student and an Academic all-Canadian who was selected to represent Saint Mary's University in the 2005 Rhodes Scholarship competition. Among numerous volunteer activities, he is a member of the "65 Roses" organizing committee that will raise money for Cystic Fibrosis in April, and has been instrumental in reviving a defunct English Students' Society, which now has an active membership of 70 students. Chant appeared in 18 games in nets this season for the Huskies, posting an 8-7-1 record and a 2.65 goals against average.
The two all-Canadian teams and the CIS all-rookie squad were also announced on Wednesday evening.
Joining Baker and Beuker on the first CIS team were McGill goaltender Mathieu Poitras of Gatineau, Que., Alberta defenseman Chris Ovington of Vernon, B.C., Western Ontario rearguard Matt Bannan of Toronto, and Guelph forward Jesse Pyatt of Thunder Bay, Ont. All are first-time CIS all-stars.
Poitras, last year's CIS rookie of the year, was the OUA MVP this season and a finalist for the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as player of the year, after setting a CIS record with seven shutouts in conference play.
Pyatt, a fourth-year left-winger, led the nation with 26 regular-season goals in 2005-06 and tied for the CIS lead with 47 points in only 24 conference games.
Heading the second elite squad is Lakehead centre Joel Scherban of Thunder Bay, the 2004-05 CIS player of the year and a finalist for the Dr. Randy Gregg Award this season. Scherban is also a two-time recipient of the CIS most sportsmanlike player award.
The 2006 TELUS University Cup tournament gets under way on Thursday with round-robin match-ups between Acadia and Saskatchewan (1 p.m. MST), and McGill and Laurier (7 p.m. MST).
Championship web site: www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2006
TISSOT - PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy): Kevin Baker, Acadia University Axemen
Kevin Baker of Kingston, Ont. is only the second Acadia player to receive the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as season MVP since the inception of the award in 1975-76. He joins forward Duane Dennis who was honoured in 1993-94.
Baker, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound forward claimed the AUS scoring title and tied for the CIS lead with 47 points in 28 conference games in his third and final campaign with the Axemen. His 24 goals were tops in the Atlantic and second in the nation only to Guelph's Jesse Pyatt, who had 26. Of his 24 tallies, nine were power-play markers, three game-winners, and six came by the way of a pair of hat tricks. Over the past two regular seasons, no player in the CIS has found the back of the net more often than Baker (48), who scored 24 times as well in 2004-05 to earn his first selection as an all-Canadian, claiming a spot on the second team. The 26-year-old kinesiology student led the Axemen to a first-place finish in the AUS standings (19-7-1-1) this season, and added four goals and 10 points in five playoff games to help Acadia capture its first conference banner since 1995-96.
A product of the Belleville Bulls of the OHL, Baker was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (193rd overall). He enjoyed his best season with the Bulls in 1998-99 when he tallied 44 goals and 81 points. Following his final year with Belleville in 1999-00, Baker played three professional seasons with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters, the ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs, and the AHL's Saint John Flames. He battled injuries in his university debut with Acadia in 2003-04, playing in only 21 games and collecting 10 goals and six assists.
TISSOT - ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (Clare Drake Award): Aaron Sorochan, University of Alberta Golden Bears
21-year-old netminder Aaron Sorochan of Edmonton is only the second Golden Bear in history to claim the Clare Drake Award as CIS rookie of the year since the inception of the trophy in 1985-86. He joins three-time all-Canadian Clayton Pool, also a goaltender, who was honoured in 1999-00.
Sorochan had an outstanding freshman season with Alberta, posting a 15-4-1 record, with a 2.32 GAA and a .908 save percentage in conference play, and following up with four straight playoff victories to lead the Bears to their sixth straight Canada West title. For his efforts he was named to the first Canada West all-star team. Sorochan was named Canada West male athlete of the week and conference hockey player of the week on three occasions this season, most recently after stopping 49 of 50 shots in a two-game conference final sweep of arch-rival Saskatchewan. He enters the TELUS University Cup having won 14 of his last 16 decisions.
Sorochan attended the Edmonton Oilers training camp last fall, and was named the top goaltender in the WHL's Eastern Conference in 2004-05.
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER (R.W. Pugh Award): Dean Beuker, University of Saskatchewan Huskies
Dean Beuker of Watson, Sask. is the fourth Huskie in 11 years to receive the R.W. Pugh Award. He joins Jon Barkman (2001-02), Sheldon Moser (1999-00) and Brian Purdy (1995-96) as most sportsmanlike players from Saskatchewan.
The 6-foot, 190-pound forward tied for the CIS lead with 47 points in 27 conference games in his fourth season with the Huskies, while picking up only seven penalties and spending a grand total of 30 minutes in the box. The 25-year-old was also named to the first all-Canadian team, marking his fourth selection in as many years as a CIS national all-star. He was the CIS rookie of the year in 2002-03, and was crowned CIS scoring champion a year ago with 46 points.
Beuker was the recipient of three Canada West major awards in 2005-06. In addition to winning the UBC Hockey Alumni Trophy for sportsmanship and ability for the second time, he was named Canada West MVP, a first-team Conference all-star for the fourth time, and the recipient of the Dave "Sweeney" Schriner Trophy for the third time as top scorer in Canada West. He led the Huskies to a 17-7-4 regular season record and the Great Plains division title. In 2004-05 Beuker helped the Huskies reach the championship final at the University Cup, where he was named a tournament all-star. He has hit the 40-point mark in each of his four seasons at Saskatchewan.
COACH OF THE YEAR (Father George Kehoe Memorial Award): Martin Raymond, McGill University Redmen
Martin Raymond has become the first McGill University coach to win the Father George Kehoe Memorial Award as CIS coach of the year in men's hockey.
The 38-year-old native of Pierrefonds, Que., is the all-time winningest coach in McGill hockey history and enters the 2006 CIS championship tournament with a lifetime 209-147-30 record overall (.580), including a 159-85-23 mark (.618) in regular season play. Currently in his 11th season behind the Redmen bench after a brilliant playing career with McGill, Raymond guided his upstart team to a stunning 20-1-3 regular season record and its second straight divisional title this year. The back-to-back first-place finishes marked the first time since 1946 that McGill had finished atop the standings. Despite a defensive corps comprised of five freshmen and two sophomores, combined with a goaltending tandem that featured one sophomore and a rookie, McGill established Canadian university records for most shutouts (12 in 24 conference games) and lowest goals-against average (1.21).
Raymond is a three-time OUA East coach-of-the-year recipient, having previously won the award in 1999-00 and in 2004-05. Prior to being appointed as head coach, he served for three years as an assistant coach with the Redmen after a five-year playing career that saw him earn all-conference honours three times and all-Canadian status in his final season (1991-92). A member of the bronze medal-winning Team Canada squad at the 1991 Spengler Cup tournament, he received the Forbes Trophy in 1992 as McGill's male athlete of the year. He graduated from McGill in 1992 with a bachelor of education and played professional hockey in Germany (EA Schongau) for one season before returning to McGill in 1993 to work on a masters degree in physical education, which he completed in 1996.
DR. RANDY GREGG AWARD (student-athlete - community service): David Chant, Saint Mary's University Huskies
David Chant of Toronto is the second Saint Mary's Huskie to receive the Dr. Randy Greg Award, joining Steven Gallace who was honoured in 2001-02. The trophy had been presented to a member of the Alberta Golden Bears the last three years.
Chant, the 2006 recipient of the prestigious James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award presented annually by the AUS, is a Dean's List student and an Academic all-Canadian who was selected to represent Saint Mary's University in the 2005 Rhodes Scholarship competition. He also finds time in a very busy schedule for volunteer work. He was actively involved in the fundraising efforts of the Saint Mary's Athletic Council who raised over $20,000 for University of Moncton hockey player Sebastien Savage, and is currently a member of the "65 Roses" organizing committee that will raise money for Cystic Fibrosis at an event in April. Chant has also been instrumental in reviving a defunct English Students' Society, which now has an active membership of 70 students.
Chant appeared in 18 games in nets this season for the Huskies, posting an 8-7-1 record and a 2.65 goals against average.
2005-06 CIS MEN'S HOCKEY ALL-CANADIANS
First Team
Position Athlete University Year Faculty
Goalie Mathieu Poitras McGill 2 Mechanical Engineering
Defence Chris Ovington Alberta 5 Business
Defence Matt Bannan Western 4 King's College
Forward Kevin Baker Acadia 5 Kinesiology
Forward Dean Beuker Saskatchewan 4 Arts & Science
Forward Jesse Pyatt Guelph 4 Sociology
Second Team
Goalie Eric Lafrance Moncton 3 Civil Engineering
Defence Jesse Ferguson UNB 4 BBA
Defence Perry Johnson Alberta 5 Engineering
Forward Joel Scherban Lakehead 5 M. Sc. Management
Forward Ryan Lauzon Saint Mary's 4 Arts
Forward Brent Twordik Saskatchewan 3 Agriculture
All-Rookie Team
Goalie Aaron Sorochan Alberta 1 Open Studies
Defence Travis Friedley Calgary 1 Haskayne School Bus.
Defence Will Colbert StFX 1 Kinesiology
Forward Darryl Boyce UNB 1 Administration
Forward Mathieu Gravel UQTR 1 Kinesiology
Forward Jarret Lukin Calgary 1 Unclassified
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