Dalhousie Tigers women’s hockey team forwards Sarah MacNeil and Lisa MacLean were awarded by the AUS this season. MacNeil won The Student-Athlete Community Service Award while MacLean was named to the AUS’s second All-Star team.
This is the second year in a row MacNeil has won the Student-Athlete Community Service Award. It is given to the player who best shows the ability to excel in academics, athletics and volunteer work.
Academically, MacNeil is great in the classroom as she is a four-time academic all-Canadian. Athletically, this was a tough year for year as this was her fifth and final season for the Tigers that ended in early January due to a broken ankle injury that required surgery.
She also spent a lot of her time volunteering in the community. This season she has worked with The Bauer First Shift Program, which helps kids get involved with hockey and learn the basic skills of the game. She also organized winter clothing donations for homeless youth at Phoenix house and Christmas gift donations for the North-End Parent Resource Center. She also works with Hockey Players for Kids, which is an elementary school reading program.
“She spends a lot of her free time volunteering in the community,” said Tigers head coach Sean Fraser. “She represents the Tigers at a very professional level. She helps organize our team to spend time in the community.”
MacNeil was surprised and honoured to receive the award.
“It was definitely a pleasant surprise. Very exciting and again very honoured. I know how many athletes in the AUS spend a lot of their time helping out in their communities.”
Lisa Maclean was named to the second All-Star team this year. In 17 games, she had seven goals, eight assist and 15 points. Her 0.88 points per game average was sixth best in the league. Her season was cut short due to a broken ankle she suffered in a game against Mount Allison on Jan. 23 and because of that she was surprised she was named to the second All-Star team.
“They don’t personally notify you, so one of my friends texted me, and I was like, really? Just because I had a season ending injury early into the second half of the season. I was quite surprised that they selected me.”
Fraser however, was not surprised.
“I think it just goes to show the player she is and the impact she makes to be able to miss a third of a season and still to be voted as an AUS All-Star. It shows how much she is noticed around the league.”
Other award winners were St. Thomas’s Kelty Apperson (most valuable player), St.FX’s Taylor Dale (most sportsmanlike player) and Saint Mary’s Rebecca Clark (rookie of the year) and Chris Larade (coach of the year).
First Team All-Stars:
Goaltender: Émilie Bouchard, Moncton
Defence: Sarah Douglas, Saint Mary’s
Defence: Emily van Diepen, Mount Allison
Forward: Breanna Lanceleve, Saint Mary’s
Forward: Kelty Apperson, St. Thomas
Forward: Marie-Pier Corriveau
Second Team All-Stars:
Goaltender: Marie-Soleil Deschenes, UPEI
Defence: Jessica McCann, St. Thomas
Defence: Emma Martin, UPEI
Forward: Daley Oddy, StFX
Forward: Marie-Pier Arsenault, Moncton
Forward, Lisa MacLean, Dalhousie
All-Rookie Team:
Goaltender: Rebecca Clark, Saint Mary’s
Defence: Jessica McCann, St. Thomas
Defence: Kiana Wilkinson, Saint Mary’s
Forward: Kathrine Dubuc, Moncton
Forward: Heather Richards, Mount Allison
Forward: Hayley Hallihan, Saint Mary’s
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