Chomiak, Shingarov named OUA athletes of the week

Graphic on predominantly blue background featuring action photos of Nipissing Women's hockey player Katie Chomiak and Wilfrid Laurier men's hockey player Ventsislav Shingarov with the OUA Athletes of the Week logo and large white 'Athletes of the Week' text in the lower third
December 5, 2023

Burington, Ont. – Katie Chomiak and Ventsislav Shingarov have been named OUA athletes of the week for the period ending December 3, 2023.

Katie Chomiak, Hockey, Nipissing Lakers

Nipissing women's hockey player Katie Chomiak skating on the ice with the puck on her stick

The Nipissing Lakers picked up another pair of wins this weekend, and Katie Chomiak’s clutch performances helped her side extend their winning streak to 12 as a result.

The weekend wins started with a standout effort against the defending champion Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night. The Lakers earned a hard-fought 4-3 victory, with Chomiak getting involved in each of her sides tallies. She picked up one assist on the night, but took care of the rest herself, netting a hat trick for the division-leading Lakers, including the game-winner.

As a follow up to her four-point night, Chomiak served up another pivotal goal for the Lakers, who saw themselves trailing 2-1 heading into the game’s final minutes. The junior forward from Sudbury, Ont. came up clutch with the game tying goal with only 1:25 left, sending the game to overtime and ultimately, helping Nipissing nab another win.

Not only has Chomiak helped lead her team to continued success, but her own personal position among the OUA leaderboards, as she currently tops the OUA with 10 goals and ranks second in points (16).

Ventsislav Shingarov, Hockey, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Laurier men's hockey goalie standing up on the ice after making a save

Heading back to his hometown in just his third OUA start, Ventsislav Shingarov stood on his head for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks to help them topple the eighth-ranked Stingers.

Cementing his name in the history books, the rookie goaltender earned his stripes and then some on the ice this past weekend. Despite only having two previous starts under his belt, the economics major from Deux-Montagnes, Que. looked like a seasoned veteran between the pipes – and a busy one at that – en route to turning away an astounding 66 shots in Laurier’s win.

As if the effort wasn’t memorable enough for the rookie netminder, Shingarov also broke the program mark for most saves in a game, topping the previous record of 55 from more than a decade ago. It also marked the most saves in a regular season OUA game since 2013.