ANTIGONISH, NS โ As part of last weekโs Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) womenโs hockey championship, the top players in Canada were recognized through the announcement of the major award winners as well as the national all-star selections.
Laurier goalie Liz Knox took home the biggest prize of the evening, being named CIS player of the year, becoming the first Golden Hawk in womenโs hockey history to win the award.
โItโs a great feeling,โ said Knox, who was also named a CIS first-team all-Canadian. โJust in this tournament, weโve seen a lot of great players and thereโs so much more talent throughout the league, so it makes me feel really honoured to be recognized with them.โ
Knox was already named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) player of the year and a first-team provincial all-star in late February, after a season in which she was by far the top goaltender in the CIS, leading the nation in goals against average (0.89), save percentage (.960), wins (24) and shut-outs (11).
Her 11 shut-outs not only set a new OUA single-season record, but also tied the CIS milestone set by McGillโs Charline Labonte, who has won two gold medals with Canadaโs national team.
โA goalie like Liz Knox allows you to do so much,โ said Laurier head coach Rick Osborne. โFrom a coaching perspective, I know that I can try anything, I can try a new system and if it fails, Knoxyโs there.โ
In addition to her on-ice contributions, Osborne notes how valuable Knoxโs presence is to the Hawksโ dressing room.
โSheโs an outstanding leader,โ he said. โ[Team captain Andrea] Ironsideโs a great leader, and Knoxyโs a great leadership partner for her, she just blends right in with the other veterans. Sheโs very inspirational and she means a lot to our team off the ice.โ
2009-10 was Knoxโs fourth year at Laurier, and whether or not it will prove to be her last is still in question. She still has one more year of eligibility, and when asked about her future after the Hawksโ bronze medal win on Sunday afternoon, Knox simply answered, โWeโll see.โ
Whether she will don the Golden Hawk uniform for another season or not, Knox looks back fondly on the time she has spent at Laurier.
โItโs meant so much to me,โ she said. โIโve really come a long way since my first year, and Iโve met a lot of really great people and friends that Iโm going to keep for a life time. Itโs been a pleasure.โ
Also honoured by the CIS last week was Hawksโ first-year centre Candice Styles. Styles was named to the CIS all-rookie team after already winning the OUAโs rookie of the year award three weeks ago. The native of Orangeville, ON racked up eight goals and 12 assists this season, playing the majority of the year on the top line.