March 31, 2017

Nipissing names Rochefort and Wood Athletes of the Year

What a season.

What a season.

The Nipissing Lakers had some outstanding efforts this past season, both by teams and individuals.

Each team wrote a new page in their history books and have not only set the bar even higher than it may have already been, but the Lakers have also put the OUA and USports on notice.

If this year is any indication, the future looks extremely bright for Nipissing Athletics.

Below is a quick look at what each team accomplished this year;
WBB – Earned a road win, hung tough with some strong OUA teams
MBB – First playoff berth, hosted a playoff game, earned first playoff win and advanced to the OUA Quarter-Finals
CC – The women all improved their performances by approximately 1 minute compared to last-year's 6km OUA championship final, top five Lakers running the fastest ever Nipissing women's team finish in the history of the University.
The men's team overall had their second fastest season
WHKY – Advanced to the McCaw Cup Finals for the first time, ranked as high as seventh in the country
MHKY – Defeated both OUA finalists and teams that represented the OUA at nationals
LAX – Qualified for the playoffs for the first time as a member of CUFLA
NOR – Claimed three bronze medals at OUA Championships, had three team members represent Canada at FISU Games
WSOC – Defeated previously undefeated and nationally ranked team (Ottawa), would have made playoffs in West Division
MSOC – Earned points against East Division playoff teams
WVB – Had their best season in the OUA, defeated three of eight teams that made the playoffs
MVB – Qualified for the playoffs for the first time, had their best record/season since joining the OUA
ROW – Completed first successful season as a full varsity team and member of the OUA

The Lakers honoured their student-athletes Thursday night at their 24th annual athletics awards banquet.

Lakers Jack and Mary Ann Jones Female Athlete of the Year
Nipissing Lakers women's hockey team goaltender Jackie Rochefort had a season to remember.
The fourth year goalie was arguably the Lakers' best player throughout the year, posting some unbelievable numbers, more like a video game than real life.
And thanks to her impressive campaign, she was named an OUA second team all-star.
But the accolades didn't stop there – Thursday night, she was named the Lakers Jack and Mary Ann Jones Female Athlete of the Year for the second straight year.
Rochefort finished with a 13-2-2 record, a miniscule 1.33 goals against average and a .946 save percentage, along with six shutouts.
She allowed more than two goals just three times through 18 starts and posted three shutouts in her final four starts.
Rochefort finished the season playing 1,064 minutes and allowed a total of just 25 goals, leading the Lakers to a second place finish and their best record in four seasons.
Rochefort's OUA ranks are equally as impressive as her actual stats, as she sits first in goals against average, first in save percentage, third in win percentage, sixth in saves and second in wins.
In all, she ranks in the top-three in five categories and top-10 in all 11 goaltending stats.
Thanks to Rochefort's season, Nipissing ranked second in goals against, allowing just 37 in 24 games.
She has 34 career wins and as of today, has earned seven playoff wins, all coming in the past two seasons.

Al Carfagnini Male Athlete of the Year
Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball MVP and leading scorer, Steve Wood was a key part of the team's rise up the standings this season.
Wood battled injuries this season and in spite of missing some time, had a very impressive year, picking up 137 kills and earning 3.9 points per set throughout his 14 matches and 41 sets.
The third year middle/outside hitter has improved every year as a member of the Lakers and this year, he was as good as ever.
On top of leading the team in kills and points per set, he also led them in total points, scoring 160.5. He added 10 service aces and 41 digs as well.
The Newcastle, ON native was a force on the court and on top of his scoring, he also picked up 20 blocks to help defensively.
A member of the National B Team, Wood has a bright future and will look to continue an impressive career with the Lakers next season, which has seen him pick up a total of 235 kills and 300.5 points.
He had matches this season where hit the double-digit mark in kills, including four straight in November.
His season-high came in the season opener at York, when he swung his way to 16 kills and 19 points.