– Craig Hagerman, staff

Extramural Female Athlete of the Year

It was a very good year for the Laurier Brantford’s women’s hockey team. The team had a shot at two championships, losing in the semi-finals in their first two tournaments, and losing in the finals in the last tournament. The reason for this solid play can be partly attributed to one of the captains, Kirstie Jones. Kirstie was a huge contributor to the team and their success. As a captain, she showed great leadership both on and off the ice and was always someone the team could look to for confidence. Kirstie not only was a rock for the women’s hockey team, but Kirstie was also a big part of the women’s ringette team. Though the team was in just their first year of competition, they played their hearts out. Unfortunately, they came up short in their exhibition games against Brock University and McMaster University, but the girls still had fun. Kirstie along with the rest of the team, showed great initiative as the team did much fundraising throughout the season just to give themselves the opportunity to play. Kirstie was one of the very few athletes at Laurier Brantford to play for multiple extramural teams. Kirstie is a tough competitor who gave 100% every game and because of this, and her contributions to the teams and to the school, she has been chosen as the Laurier Brantford women’s extramural athlete of the year.

Extramural Male Athlete of the Year

Like the women’s team, the men’s extramural hockey team had some very close tournaments this year, but unfortunately fell just short. The team came up short in the semi-finals in their final tournament of the year, just barely missing out on the opportunity to bring a championship home to Laurier Brantford. A big part of their success was due to the dedication of team captain Andrew Pawluk. Andrew played with his heart on his sleeve every game and was an offensive force every shift. He was always someone who Athletics and Recreation Manager Greg Stewart could always speak to with concerns about the team. Andrew was also the certified trainer for the Powderpuff Football team, and helped during one of their tournaments. Andrew is not only a role model on the ice, but also in the community, taking time out of his busy schedule to coach hockey, work at the Hawk Desk, and also volunteer his time. With his great play on the ice and his respected commitment to the community, Andrew has been named the Laurier Brantford extramural male athlete of the year.