Emily Oleksuk of the St. Thomas University women’s hockey team was named the Tommies Coastal Graphics Athlete of the Month for October.
In the Tommies’ first six games, the second-year forward from Thunder Bay, Ont., scored five goals and added three assists.
In her last two games – Nov. 5 against the Dalhousie University Tigers and Nov. 6 versus the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers – Oleksuk recorded a goal and three helpers.
After eight contests, Oleksuk’s 12 points have her on top of both the Tommies and Atlantic University Sport conference leaderboards.
The only ones behind her on the Tommies are Lauren Henman with 11 points (seven goals, four assists) and captain Kelty Apperson (three goals, seven assists).
As of Monday night, the Tommies were undefeated in regulation time and first in the AUS with a 7-0-1 record, two points ahead of the Saint Mary’s University Huskies (6-0-1), but STU has a game in hand.
The Tommies have also held on to the fourth spot in the U Sports Top 10 national rankings for two straight weeks.
Tommies recognized at rugby banquet
Four members of the Tommies women’s rugby squad have been named to the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association all-star team.
Centre Kiaya Jordan, scrumhalf Bailey Andrews, prop Shannon Morris and flanker Jenna Betts were chosen as all-stars along with five players from the University of New Brunswick Ironwomen at the ACAA women’s rugby championship banquet.
They join forward Olivia Ricketts, the ACAA Rookie of the Year, on the list of STU award winners.
Tommies head coach Meghan Morrison also received the ACAA Coach of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
Morrison led the Tommies to a 6-2 record after eight games in the 2016 fall season, good for second in the ACAA behind UNB (8-0).
STU went on to down the Dalhousie Agricultural College Rams 57-0 in the semifinals under Morrison’s guidance before falling 24-0 to UNB in the team’s third straight ACAA finals appearance.
Patenaude, Blinn named Athletes of the Week
Jessica Patenaude of women’s basketball and Stephane Blinn of the men’s volleyball team were the Tommies Coors Light Athletes of the Week for Oct. 31.
A fourth-year post from Charlottetown, P.E.I., Patenaude put up 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Tommies’ 62-61 road victory over the Mount Allison University Mounties on Oct. 29.
Two of Patenaude’s points tied the contest with less than a minute to go.
Blinn, a fourth-year outside hitter from Nasonworth, N.B., recorded nine kills, one ace and one dig in the Tommies’ 3-0 win in their season opener against the Université Sainte-Anne Dragons on Oct. 29.
