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Press Release

Friday, April 08, 2022

Janie Poitras and Vincent Deslauriers are the Athletes of the Year at the Moncton campus


Photo (Normand A. Léger) : Éric Larocque, directeur des partenariats et responsable des sports universitaires; Gilles Roy, vice-recteur à l’enseignement et à la recherche; Steve LeBlanc, entraineur de l’année (athlétisme et cross-country); Samuel Bourque, recrue masculine de l’année (athlétisme); Janie Poitras, athlète féminine de l’année (hockey); Vincent Deslauriers, athlète masculin de l’année (hockey); Erica Plourde, recrue féminine de l’année (hockey) et Martine LeBlanc, responsable des sports universitaires par intérim.


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Two hockey players, Janie Poitras of Saint-André-de-Madawaska and Vincent Deslauriers of Blainville, Que., were chosen as Athletes of the Year for the 2021-2022 Atlantic University Sport season at the Université de Moncton. 

The student athletes, members of the Aigles Bleus and Aigles Bleues teams, were honoured Thursday evening during the Athletes' Gala at the Delta Beauséjour in downtown Moncton.

Hockey player Erica Plourde of Pigeon Hill and thrower Samuel Bourque of Notre-Dame-de-Kent, New Brunswick, in athletics, were named the women and men rookies of the year, respectively. Steve LeBlanc was selected as coach of the year following his athletes' performances at the AUS Championships.

Interim university sports manager Martine LeBlanc highlighted the perseverance of the athletes over the past two years. “Despite a year marked by COVID-19, limits, and restrictions on our training, jousting of schedules and competitions, and a one-month delay in the resumption of activities in January; you have all demonstrated incredible commitment and resilience in the face of these limits and the uncertainty, due to the pandemic consequences. Many of you had to skip your 2020-2021 season with the cancellation by Atlantic University Sport of all competitions. It has not been easy for all of us. As athletes, you are leaders for our community. You wear the Aigles jersey with pride and integrity. I am very grateful to work with you and for you to support you in your sporting and academic successes.”

The rookie season of forward Erica Plourde was marked by a remarkable play in the Aigles Bleues women's hockey. She finished the year with 6 goals and 5 assists for 11 points in 22 games. She took 98 shots on goal, 3rd in AUS and was named Athlete of the Week twice. She scored a 54% efficiency on face-offs. She is a first-year education-mathematics degree student.

Samuel Bourque distinguished himself at the AUS track and field championships with two major awards and two gold medals. He also competed in two events at the U SPORTS National Championships. He was named AUS Rookie of the Year and AUS Field Athlete of the Year with his two gold medals in the shot put and hammer. He won 14 points for his team at the AUS, the second highest total among competitors. He also set two Université de Moncton records. He is a Business Administration-Finance-Co-op student.   

Team captain and forward Janie Poitras played her final season wearing the blue and gold jersey in women's hockey. She finished the season with 12 goals and 5 assists for 17 points in 20 games with a +10 ratio. She was tied for third as the league's top scorer. She spent only 6 minutes in the penalty box. She has been named to the U SPORT All Academic Honor Roll every season and has been a key member of her team. She is a master of Education student.

Despite missing several games this season due to injury, team captain Vincent Deslauriers stood out by being the Aigles Bleus men’s hockey third-leading scorer with 3 goals and 13 assists in 14 games. An indisputable leader, he kept a ratio of +5 with a team at -35. His presence at the end of the season was instrumental in rallying the players with a team that lost in the AUS semi-finals in two 2 to 1 score games. He is a master's student in administration coop.

Steve LeBlanc is in his 14th season as head coach of the track and field teams and two years with the cross-country teams. A major organizer of track and field competitions, he was chosen AUS track and field coach of the year and his athletes won five other major titles, including the volunteer coach with Earl Church, the field athlete and rookie of the year with Samuel Bourque, the Community Service Award with Alain Lavoie and the competition's male athlete, Max Mazerolle.

The Recognition Award was presented to long-time athletics volunteer Ronald LeBlanc. His time, effort, and dedication to the program and especially to the athletes has been infallible. The help he brings without question comes from all sides. In training, he is often the first to arrive and the last to leave. He organizes, moves, and repairs training equipment, holds times and assists with training for athletics and cross-country.

The most valuable athletes to their respective team are Kyla Hughes, Samuel Bourque, and Max Mazerolle (athletics), Hannah Levyssohn and Jérémie Gervais (cross-country), Janie Poitras and Nathaël Roy (hockey), Natalie Fleming and André LeBlanc (soccer) and Ivana Urquhart Mladinéo (women's volleyball). UNI Financial Corporation scholarships were awarded to Denis Toner in men's hockey and Cassidy Martin, women’s volleyball.




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