March 5, 2009 (HALIFAX, NS) - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2008-09 women's hockey major award winners as selected by the conference's seven head coaches.

The 2008-09 Atlantic University Sport Most Valuable Player is goalie Kathy Desjardins of the #7-ranked Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues. Desjardins, a second year player from Loretteville, PQ, becomes the first netminder to ever be named league MVP of the AUS women's hockey conference.

Kathy led the Atlantic conference in goals against average (1.51 GaAvg), save percentage (0.946) and did not lose a game in regulation all season. She posted an impressive 17-2 won-loss record, with her only losses coming in shoot-outs. In two seasons, Desjardins now has a career record of 28-8. A member of last year's all-rookie team, Kathy also picked up two assists this season.

Desjardins is the third UdeM player to be recognized as the conference's top player, joining Guylaine Haché (1999-00) and current team-mate Mariève Provost (2006-07).

She will represent the conference as as the nominee for the CIS Player of the Year award. StFX forward Brayden Ferguson was named CIS Player of the Year last season and is the only Atlantic University Sport player to have won the national award.

The Atlantic conference Rookie of the Year is St. Thomas Tommies goalie Julia Sharun.

In just her first year with the St. Thomas program, Julia, a native of Edmonton, AB, appeared in 21 games, posting a 14-7 record and a 1.71 goals against average. Her season included a two shutouts and her 0.935 save percentage was second only to UdeM's Desjardins this season. Sharun held her opponent to a goal or less on nine occasions and her 534 saves were the most by any goalie in the AUS.

Julia becomes the first St. Thomas women's hockey player ever to be named the AUS Rookie of the Year and will look to become just the third Atlantic conference player to be selected as the CIS Rookie of the Year.

Denis Ross of the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues has been selected by his peers as the 2008-09 Coach of the Year. Ross guided the Aigles Bleues to a 22-0-2 record this season and a first place finish in the conference standings. It is the program's first ever regular season title, and the 22 wins are a new AUS record for wins in a season.

In his two seasons as head coach, Denis has compiled an impressive regular season record of 37-5-3. He joins Rhéal Bordage as the only Moncton coaches to be named AUS Coach of the Year. Saint Mary's head coach Lisa Jordan, Dalhousie head coach Lesley Jordan and UdeM's Bourdage are the only Atlantic conference coaches to be selected as CIS Coach of the Year.

For the third consecutive year, Zoe Launcelott of the Saint Mary's Huskies has been chosen as the conference's Most Sportsmanlike Player. This award recognizes a student-athlete who best represents the spirit of the game by leadership on and off the ice by her conduct throughout the season.

Launcelott, a fifth year player from Halifax, NS, appeared in all 24 of SMU's games this season, scoring 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points to finish 14th overall in conference scoring. She was assessed just four minor penalties all season.

For the second year in a row, Kori Cheverie of the Saint Mary's Huskies is the Student-Athlete and Community Service Award recipient and the AUS nominee for the Marion Hilliard Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in hockey, academics and community involvement.

A fourth-year forward from New Glasgow, NS, Kori has been an assistant captain with the Huskies for three years and finished third in team scoring this season with 10 goals, 5 assists for 15 points in 21 games. She was also one of three AUS players selected to represent Canada at the World University Games in China last month.

Cheverie maintains a 3.68 GPA as a Criminology major at Saint Mary's and finds time to volunteer with a number of activities throughout the year. She volunteers once a week during the season at the George Dixon Centre in Halifax for underprivileged children and in the off-season she spends time at the Kinder Kampus Daycare in her home town of New Glasgow.

She has been an instructor with the Halifax, Bedford and Cole Harbour Minor Hockey Development Programs, represents the SMU women's hockey team on the Athletics Council and volunteered for 2 weeks at the IIHF World Hockey Championship this past May in Halifax.

This page last modified Sunday, 07-Nov-2010 16:43:37 AST