STFX's Lewis, UNB's Headrick win U SPORTS women's hockey major awards

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – U SPORTS) McGill forward Jade Downie-Landry was honoured with the Brodrick Trophy as U SPORTS women’s hockey Player of the Year Wednesday night, as the national award winners were celebrated at the annual All-Canadian gala.

STFX forward Abby Lewis captured Rookie of the Year honours while UNB defender Jana Headrick earned the Marion Hilliard Award for Student-Athlete Community Service for her outstanding contribution both on and off the ice. Finally, Toronto bench boss Vicky Sunohara was named Fox 40 Coach of the Year. 

Saint Mary's Shae Demale, UPEI's Jolena Gillard and STFX's Lauren Dabrowski were named to U SPORTS All-Canadians, while Lewis was joined by teammate Amaya Giraudier and Saint Mary's Maddy Corbett on the all-rookie squad.

As the Exclusive Provider of championship rings and recognition jewelry of U SPORTS, Baron will provide customized rings to the First Team All-Canadians in football, basketball and hockey, as well as other major award winners.

The puck drops on the 2022 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms Women’s Hockey Championship in Charlottetown on Thursday and concludes Sunday with the gold medal game at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.

Livestreaming in English is available for free worldwide on CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports App, with French digital coverage carried on USPORTS.LIVE and tvasports.ca.

BRODRICK TROPHY (Player of the Year): Jade Downie-Landry, McGill

A 5-foot-9 centre from St. Jean sur Richelieu, Que., Downie-Landry won the RSEQ scoring title and led the nation in both goals (14) and points (27) in only 15 games. Her 1.80 points per game was also tops in U SPORTS.

The 25-year-old physical education senior either assisted or scored on 50 percent of McGill’s 54 regular season goals and led the Martlets to a first-place regular-season finish and a silver medal in the RSEQ championship. Downie-Landry tallied four power-play markers, two game-winners and a Patrick on the year. A three-time All-Canadian, she becomes the fifth McGill player to win the Brodrick Trophy, joining Kim St-Pierre (2003), Ann-Sophie Bettez (2012), Mélodie Daoust (2013) and Katia Clément-Heydra.

The captain of the Martlets, Downie-Landry’s 202 career points in 163 games ranks eighth in McGill history. In her junior season, she was named Tournament MVP at the U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship in Charlottetown and became the sixth member of the Martlets to have their jersey on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Downie-Landry will look to bring another U SPORTS banner to an already storied McGill program at the 2022 national championship.

Nominees

CW: Tianna Ko, Mount Royal

OUA: Gabrielle De Serres, Toronto

RSEQ: Jade Downie-Landry, McGill (Winner)

AUS: Shae Demale, Saint Mary’s

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Abby Lewis, STFX

Abby Lewis, a forward in her first year of eligibility from Kanata, Ont., was honoured as the AUS rookie of the year and garnered AUS all-rookie status. A 5’10” left winger in her second year in the Human Kinetics program at STFX, Abby played in all 21 regular-season games for the AUS finalist X-Women this season.

Playing on the top line, Lewis recorded 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in her rookie season, helping the X-Women finish third in regular-season play, with a 15-6-0 record. Lewis also had two game-winning goals and plus/minus of +7 as she finished eighth overall in AUS scoring and 13th overall in the nation. She is the fifth player from the X-Women to be named the conference's top rookie. 

“Abby Lewis has been an impact player for us this year and we continue to see improvements in her game which is great to see as a first-year student athlete,” said X-Women head coach, Ben Berthiaume. “Abby is a dominant player, who is a threat to score every time she is on the ice. She has a real nose for the net and if the puck is on her stick in tight, she has to ability to do good things.”

Nominees

CW: Natalie Kieser, Alberta

OUA: Keiara Raitt, Waterloo

RSEQ: Émilie Lavoie, Concordia

AUS: Abby Lewis, StFX (Winner)

MARION HILLIARD AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service): Jana Headrick, UNB

The Marion Hillard Award for student-athlete community service recipient for the 2021-22 season is Jana Headrick of the UNB Reds. This award honours the individual who best combines academics, athletics and community involvement.

The fifth-year defender from Garden River First Nation in Ontario came to the REDS after playing four seasons with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and has since been a role model and difference-maker for both her team and the community. A master’s student in sports and recreation studies, Jana maintained a 4.3 GPA in the fall semester and played in all 21 regular-season games with the Reds. She recorded two goals, six assists and a +5 plus/minus.

Inspired by her own experience as a young Indigenous athlete, Headrick organized and executed a six-week Indigenous Girls Learn to Play hockey camp run by the Reds. In order to provide a cost-free opportunity for aspiring athletes to learn about the game, she worked closely with partners at KidSport and the Brendon Oreto Foundation to raise over $13,000, as well as equipment. This meant all participants—who ranged in age from six to 10—were provided free gear head-to-toe. Headrick also secured enough government funding to allow camp participants to join Fredericton’s female hockey league free of charge.

The last AUS student-athlete to take home the national honour was St. Thomas' Kayla Blackmore following the 2012-13 season.

Nominees

CW: Ann Purschke, Mount Royal

OUA: Laura Ellis, Toronto

RSEQ: Brigitte Laganière

AUS: Jana Headrick, UNB (Winner)

FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR: Vicky Sunohara, Toronto

Coach Vicky Sunohara is the recipient of her second U SPORTS coach of the year award as her Blues had a remarkable regular season. Toronto did not suffer a regulation loss during the season and ranked in the U SPORTS Top 10 for six straight weeks, including the number one ranked team since December.

The reigning OUA and U SPORTS coach of the year saw her team spend the last five weeks of the campaign as the top-ranked group in the country thanks to a dynamic approach in all parts of the game. The veteran bench boss guided her team to an OUA-best 48 goals on the year – averaging three per contest – while also limiting opponents to a league-low 16 tallies.

Sunohara was previously the U SPORTS coach of the year in 2019-20 and is a former two-time all-star as a player for the Blues (1990-92). 

Sunohara is also one of the most decorated women’s hockey players in Canadian history as a three-time Olympic medalist and an eight-time World Championship medalist, amassing 119 points in 164 games while donning the Maple Leaf.

Nominees

CW: Scott Rivett, Mount Royal

OUA: Vicky Sunohara, Toronto (Winner)

RSEQ: Julie Chu, Concordia

AUS: Sarah Hilworth, UNB

ALL-CANADIAN & ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS