Several former Alberni Valley hockey players have earned honours at the NCAA level.
Maryna Macdonald, of the Harvard Crimson, was named ECAC Hockey’s Rookie of the Week on Monday, Feb. 4.
READ: Former Port Alberni hockey player heads to Harvard
The former Alberni Valley Minor Hockey player opened last weekend with a three-point effort against Yale, posting a goal and two assists in Harvard’s 5-2 victory on Friday, Feb. 1. The next day, she tallied another assist against Brown, leading all NCAA freshman with a four-point weekend.
Earlier this week, Macdonald was on the ice as the Harvard women’s hockey team punched its ticket to the Beanpot title game, and will be playing for the championship on Tuesday, Feb. 12 against Boston University.
Two former Alberni Valley Bulldogs players also received honours on Thursday, Feb. 7 in their respective NCAA conferences. Air Force goaltender Billy Christopoulos received Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Month honours, and University of Alabama-Huntsville defenseman Kurt Gosselin was named WCHA Defenseman of the Month.
Christopoulos appeared in eight games for Air Force in January and allowed only 13 goals against. His .941 save percentage was a career high. He made 39 saves in a loss to Western Michigan at the Las Vegas Invitational title game and finished the month in the top 10 in goals-against-average and save percentage amongst all NCAA Division I goaltenders.
Gosselin, meanwhile, earned his honours for the first time in his career, leading all WCHA defensemen in points with 10 in January, including seven assists in only eight games. He had a six-point weekend, scoring three goals and three assists from Jan. 18-20 against Alaska Anchorage.
Both players played their entire BCHL careers with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Christopoulos played one season, dressing for 46 regular season games in 2014-2015. Gosselin spent three years with the club from 2012-2015 and served as their assistant captain in his final season.
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