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MONTREAL – Goaltender Charline Labonté (left) of Boisbriand, Que., and ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Ann-Sophie Bettez of Sept-Iles, Que., shared the spotlight as co-MVPs of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ women’s hockey team as they formally concluded their national championship season with an emotional year-end awards gala at the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Sports Centre, Friday.

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Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, a freshman from Sherbrooke, Que. earned Martlets rookie-of-the-year honours and garnered another piece of silverware as the team’s top sniper.

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Catherine Ward, a third-year senior from Town of Mt. Royal, Que., who also captured silver with Team Canada at the IIHF world championship in Finland last week, took home the team’s most outstanding defenceman award.

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Rebecca Martindale, a veteran ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ from Kingston, Ont., was named as the team’s most improved player and graduating captain Chantal Gauvin, a blueliner from Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., earned most dedicated player honours.

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Martindale, a 21-year-old education senior, posted a career-best 18-16-34 record in 42 games, almost doubling her points output from the previous season (42GP: 8-12-20). Gauvin, a marketing senior and defensive stalwart on the blueline, scored once and added 13 assists. She finished her four years with a 7-29-36 record in 143 career contests.

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Ward, Gauvin and goaltender Kalie Townsend of Sangudo, Alta., each gave heartfelt, teary-eyed speeches as the only graduating players from the Martlets, who posted an unblemished 33-0 record against CIS opponents to go undefeated for the second straight season en route to capturing another CIS banner.

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Labonté, a 26-year-old physical education junior who also played for Canada at the world championships, was named as ±«ÓãÖ±²¥â€™s female athlete of the year and is the Quebec nominee for a BLG Award, presented annually to the top CIS athlete. The 5-foot-8 all-Canadian netminder posted a 35-2-0 record overall, with 14 shutouts, a 1.06 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage.

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Bettez, a 21-year-old management sophomore, captured the Quebec conference scoring title and was named player of the year in the league. The all-Canadian ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ finished second in the nation in scoring with 24-30-54 in only 18 games to set Quebec league single-season records for goals, assists and points. In 37 contests overall, she tallied an impressive total of 36 markers and 86 points.

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Leclerc-Auger, a 21-year-old physical education freshman who also earned Quebec and CIS rookie-of-the-year honours, had a stellar campaign with 47 goals and 92 points in 42 games overall, establishing single-season school records in both categories.

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Ward, a 22-year-old management junior, was named tournament MVP at the CIS championships. The three-time all-Canadian rearguard scored seven goals and 47 points in 34 games overall. She is expected to graduate this spring as the all-time top scoring blueliner in ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ history, with a 34-104-138 record in 109 career contests overall.

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SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman Communications Officer Athletics & Recreation ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ 475 Pine Avenue W., Montreal, QCÌý H2W 1S4 CANADA 514-398-7012 (Tel.) 514-398-1956 (Fax) www.mcgill.ca/athletics

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