|
Ovington named Conference defenceman of the year; Bears
win three CW awards Canada West Sports Info (March 8, 2006) Fourth-year senior forward Dean Beuker claimed three
awards, including conference most valuable player, to lead the University of
Saskatchewan Huskies to four of the eight Canada West Hockey awards for the
2005-06 season. Beuker becomes the seventh member of the Huskies to be
named Canada West Hockey MVP since the award was inaugurated in 1978-79. The
6’0”, 190-pound Arts & Science student from Watson, Saskatchewan also won
the University of British Columbia Hockey Alumni Trophy as the player who
best combines sportsmanship and athletic ability, and the Dave “Sweeney”
Schriner Trophy as the conference’s leading scorer. Joining Beuker as conference individual award winners are
Huskies teammates Jeff Harvey and Thomas Vicars, University of Alberta Golden
Bears goaltender Aaron Sorochan and defenceman Chris Ovington and forward
Paul Deniset of the University of Manitoba Bisons. The University of Alberta
Golden Bears won the only team award handed out by the conference, receiving
the Fair Play Award for being assessed the fewest penalty minutes over the
conference schedule. Beuker earned five of the seven first place votes and one
second place vote to outdistance Ben Thomson of Alberta by five points in the
MVP balloting conducted by the seven Canada West Hockey coaches. University
of Manitoba Bison Kevin Saurette was third in voting and freshman forward
Jarret Lukin of the University of Calgary Dinos was fourth. Beuker scored a single-season career-high 47 points with
22 goals and 25 assists in 27 games to win the conference scoring title for
the third time in the last four seasons. He becomes only the fourth player in
Canada West Hockey history to win the scoring title three times, joining Vern
Pachal of Alberta (1957, 1958, 1960), Jarret Zukiwsky of Lethbridge (1994,
1995, 1996) and Alberta’s Russ Hewson (1999, 2000, 2001). With the 47 points,
Beuker also tied for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) scoring title
with Jesse Pyatt of the University of Guelph Gryphons (26-21-47 in 24 games)
and Acadia University Axemen forward Kevin Baker (24-23-47 in 28 games). The Huskies goaltending tandem of Jeff Harvey and Thomas
Vicars combined to win the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy for the lowest team
goals-against average. The duo posted a 2.32 team goals-against average,
allowing 65 goals in 28 games. It is the seventh time that Saskatchewan has
won the award and the first time since 1998-99. It ends a run of six
consecutive seasons that the trophy had been won by the Alberta Golden Bears.
Harvey led the conference in both goals-against average
and save percentage with a 2.03 GAA and .926 save percentage in 15 games and
Vicars was fourth in the conference with a 2.58 GAA in 14 outings. First-year goaltender Aaron Sorochan of Alberta won the
University of Alberta Hockey Alumni Trophy as the outstanding freshman in the
conference. In 20 games, Sorochan posted a 15-4-1 record to top Canada West
Hockey in wins and was second in goals-against average with a 2.29 GAA and
.908 save percentage. Ovington was the unanimous winner of the Mervyn “Red”
Dutton Trophy as the conference’s outstanding defenceman. The fifth-year
Golden Bear, who was named to the Canada West Hockey’s first all-star team,
finished fourth in scoring among conference defencemen with 6-12-18 in 28
games. Ovington becomes the 11th Golden Bear to earn the Dutton Trophy. Previous Golden Bears to win the defenceman-of-the-year
award are Randy Gregg (1978-79), Tim Krug (1983-84), Parie Proft (1986-87
& 1987-88), Ian Herbers (1991-92), Serge Lajoie (1992-93), Trevor Sherban
(1997-98), Dion Zukiwsky (1999-00), Mike Garrow (2000-01), Jeff Zorn
(2001-02) and Blair St. Martin (2003-04). Manitoba Bisons assistant captain Paul Deniset is the
conference’s winner of the Dr. Randy Gregg Award, which is awarded to the
player who best combines athletic ability, academics and citizenship. Deniset
becomes the third member of the Bisons to win the award joining Ryan Campbell
(1992-93) and Marc Gaudet (2000-01). Despite missing eight games due to
injury, Deniset finished eighth in the conference scoring race with 20-9-29
in 20 games and was second in goal scoring. Named to the Canada West Hockey
second all-star team, he was also a finalist for the UBC Hockey Alumni
Trophy. An outstanding student, he is a two-time CIS Academic All-Canadian
and he was honored as one of the nation’s Top 8 Academic All-Canadians in
2004-05. The Alberta Golden Bears were awarded the Fair Play
Trophy. Donated to the conference by the Calgary Oldtimers Hockey
Association, the Fair Play Trophy is awarded to the team with the fewest
penalty minutes during the Canada West Hockey conference schedule. Alberta won
the award for the fifth consecutive season and for the ninth time since the
trophy was awarded in 1978-79, finishing the 2005-06 season with 205
penalties for 418 penalty minutes. The University of Regina Cougars had the
second fewest penalty minutes in the 28-game conference schedule with 526. Following are the 2005-06 Canada West Hockey award
winners: U OF ALBERTA HOCKEY ALUMNI TROPHY - Aaron Sorochan (G),
Alberta (Canada West Hockey Outstanding Freshman) 2005-06 CW Men's Hockey All-Stars Canada West Office (February 22, 2006) Six Golden Bears named All-Stars All seven Canada West Hockey teams are represented on the
2005-06 Canada West Hockey all-star teams, which were announced by the
conference on Wednesday February 22, 2006. Leading the way are the Alberta Golden Bears with six
players selected to the conference’s three post-season teams. For only the fourth time since the inauguration of the
conference all-star teams in 1956-57, and for the first time since 1992-93,
there was a tie for the goaltending position on the Canada West Hockey first
all-star team. A pair of freshmen netminders – Jeff Harvey of Saskatchewan
and Alberta’s Aaron Sorochan – received the exact same number and breakdown
of votes in the balloting to share the first team position. Joining Harvey and Sorochan on the Canada West Hockey
first all-star team are Alberta defencemen Chris Ovington and Perry Johnson
(pictured), while the forward line is composed of three of the conference’s
five top scorers. Harvey led the conference in both goals-against average
and save percentage with a 2.03 GAA and .926 save percentage in 15 games and
tied for the lead with two shutouts in his first season of CIS hockey.
Sorochan topped the conference in wins with 15 and was second with a 2.29
GAA. Aaron Sorchan of Alberta was the goaltenderon the Canada
West Hockey all-freshman team. Joining Sorochan on this season’s all-freshman
team are three members of the Calgary Dinos. Travis Friedley and Andre
Blanchette man the blueline, while Jarret Lukin, who was also named to the
conference’s second all-star team, is one of three forwards selected to the
squad. Joining Lukin on the forward line are Alberta’s Dylan Stanley and
Darrell May of the UBC Thunderbirds. Stanley led conference freshmen in
scoring, tying for fifth place in the scoring race with 14-19-33 in 28 games.
Sorochan becomes the ninth player to be named to both the
Canada West Hockey first all-star team and all-freshman team in the same
season. To be eligible for freshman status, a player must be 21-years-old or younger as of December 31, 2005 and must not have played intercollegiate or professional hockey at any level prior to participating at his CIS school. U of A Athletes of the Week: Jan. 30 Sports Info (January 30, 2006) Sorochan shuts door on #1 Huskies;
Hagg helps Pandas clinch first #30 Aaron Sorochan Golden Bears freshman hockey netminder Aaron Sorochan is
U of A male Athlete of the Week and Canada West hockey Player of the Week for
the weekend of Jan. 27-29. It marks the second time in January that the 6’0",
178-pound Open Studies student from Edmonton has earned the weekly honour.
Sorochan backstopped the #3 ranked Golden Bears to back-to-back 3-1 victories
and a series sweep of the #1 Saskatchewan Huskies at Clare Drake Arena in
Edmonton, January 27-28. With two wins Sorochan and the Golden Bears (16-4-2)
moved past Saskatchewan (15-6-3) into first place in the Canada West combined
standings. Alberta is one point in front of the Huskies in the standings and
has two games in hand with three weeks remaining in the conference schedule. The series opener on Friday saw the 21-year-old
goaltender earn first star honours with a 24-save performance and Sorochan
stopped another 26 Saskatchewan shots in Saturday’s victory. He stopped 50 of
the 52 shots faced in the series for a .962 save percentage, lowered his
goals against-average to 2.36 and raised his season save percentage in
conference play to .907. Following the sweep of Saskatchewan, Sorochan tops the
conference with 12 wins, ranks third in GAA and fifth in save percentage.
Overall, he is 15-5-1 with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .910 save
percentage. Next up Alberta will host the surging UBC Thunderbirds
(10-11-1), Feb. 3-4 in Edmonton (7:30 p.m. FM88-CJSR Friday & Team 1260
Saturday, live webcast). The T-Birds are 6-1 in their last seven outings. U of A Athletes of the Week - Jan. 9 (January 9, 2006) Sorochan gets nod as Tops in the
Conference SOROCHAN SHINES
ROBIN BROWNLEE, EDMONTON SUN Thu, September 8, 2005
Goaltender Aaron Sorochan, who'll tend
twine for the Alberta Golden Bears this season, stole the show yesterday by
backstopping Team White to a 4-2 win over Team Blue… Team White gets today
off for winning yesterday's scrimmage, while Team Blue skates at the
Agri-com.
Hockey Bears Add Seven
Players
by
Bob Stauffer (August
8, 2005) - The defending CIS National Champion University of Alberta Golden
Bears hockey program is pleased to announce a stellar recruiting class for
the upcoming 2005-20 season. Head
Coach Rob Daum, who guided Alberta to its record-setting 11th CIS National
title in front of over 10, 000 fans at Rexall Place in Edmonton this past
March, has added five forwards and two goaltenders, all with WHL experience. Goaltenders
Aaron Sorochan and Blake Grenier have committed to the program
as well as forwards Tyler Metcalfe, Dylan Stanley, Lee Zalasky, Braden
Appleby and Richard Kelly. After
losing All-Canadian goaltender Dustin Schwartz to graduation, and B.J. Boxma
who has opted to return to Minor Pro hockey, the Bears will have a pair of
new faces between the pipes. Aaron Sorochan, a native of Edmonton, finished up his 20-year-old season in the WHL
in style when he was chosen runner-up to Canada National Junior netminder
Jeff Glass as the WHL’s Top Goaltender. With the Lethbridge Hurricanes last
season Sorochan posted a 35-19-8 record with a 2.19 goals against average and
a .917 save percentage. Sorochan, who played five full seasons in the WHL,
was previously the starting goaltender for the Vancouver Giants and Prince
Albert Raiders. Joining
Sorochan between the pipes will be Edmonton native Blake Grenier. A starting
netminder for the Portland Winterhawks last season, Grenier fought through
injury and had a 17-9-1 record with a 2.06 goals against average and a .926
save percentage. Grenier previously played with Swift Current and Moose Jaw
in the WHL. “I
think we have addressed the loss of Dustin and B.J. with the addition of
Aaron and Blake,” said Alberta Head Coach Rob Daum, who has guided the Bears
to three National titles in the last seven years. Up
front Daum is hoping the addition of two former WHL captains, Metcalfe and
Stanley, will help offset the loss of Tyler Shybunka, Wade Burt and Steve
Shrum who have all graduated. Tyler
Metcalfe, from Headingly, Manitoba, was team captain with the Seattle
Thunderbirds last season and had four20-goal seasons in the WHL, with a high
of 70 points in 2001-02. “Tyler
may have been the most heavily recruited player coming out of the WHL. He is
an outstanding student, a leader and an excellent hockey player,” added Daum. Dylan
Stanley, from Edmonton, was captain of the Tri-City Americans last season and
had 51 points in 2004-05 after registering 34 goals and 93 points in 2002-03
and 34 goals, 72 points in 2003-04 with the Americans. “Dylan
will help offset the loss of a guy like Steve Shrum. He is a proven offensive
player from the WHL who should flourish in our league,” said Daum. Lee
Zalasky, from Lloydminster, AB, three times scored 16 or more goals in the
WHL, with a high of 20 with the Calgary Hitmen in 2003-04. “Lee
is fleet footed two-way forward and should be a solid addition to our team,”
said Daum. Braden
Appleby is a 6’1”, 190-pound centre from Viking, AB who played with
Lethbridge, Vancouver and Regina in the WHL. “Braden
is very solid two-way forward with a little bit of size, who can also play
defence,” said Daum, still looking to add some help on the blue-line after
losing All-Canadian defenceman Jeff Zorn to graduation and Joel Andresen who
has left the program and signed with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL. Richard
Kelly is a hulking 6’2”, 215-pound winger from Wetaskiwin, AB who played last
season with the Grant MacEwan Griffins of the ACAC after playing with
Kelowna, Tri-City and Saskatoon in the WHL. “Kelly
might be a bit of a late bloomer… he certainly has some offensive upside and
will add size to our forward ranks,” said Daum. All
seen additions to the Golden Bears programs will be on WHL Scholarships. The
Bears open up their training camp Sept. 2 at Clare Drake Arena.
|