The Atlantic University Sport has announced their league all-stars and major award winners, and a trio of St. Thomas University Tommies were named league all-stars.
Caroline Pietroski (Etobicoke, ON), Aislynn Byers (Melancthon, ON) and Alex Woods (Courtice, ON) were all named AUS 2nd Team All-Stars.
Pietroski, in her second AUS season, was a workhorse for the Tommies this season, starting 19 of 22 games, including the first 17 games of the season. Out of goalies who started more than half their team’s games in the AUS, Pietroski finished third in goals against average with 2.14, third in save percentage with .922, and finished second in the league in total saves.
“Caroline has been a standout for us in net,” said Tommies’ head coach, Peter Murphy. “She followed up her rookie season where she was near the top of the league with another year that shows she is one of the top goalies in U Sports. She provides us a chance to win every night and the team derives great confidence from her.”
Byers, also in her second AUS season, had a breakout year, leading the Tommies in points with 4 goals and 10 assists in her 22 games this year, finishing third in the AUS in scoring by a defender. A member of the 2019-20 AUS All-Rookie Team, Byers stepped her game up in a big way this year and was recognized across the league for it.
“Aislynn has had a breakout year this season,” said Murphy about his young defender. “She is developing into a solid offensive defender and is rounding out the defensive side of her game as well. Her mobility is getting better and better, and we saw that this year as she generated a lot of her points off the rush. She will be a key piece to our program moving forward.”
Woods, in her fifth and final season with the Tommies, is capping a tremendous career with her fifth straight AUS team. An AUS All-Rookie member in 2016-17, she followed that up with a pair of AUS 1st Team All-Stars and this will be her second time as an AUS 2nd Team All-Star. She finished third on the Tommies in scoring with 3 goals and 8 assists, finishing tied for sixth in the AUS in scoring by a defender, and second in the AUS in powerplay goals from the backline.
“Alex has come off an injury that severely limited her training over the summer, so she has not had the year that she had hoped,” said Murphy about his captain. “Her earning this award just speaks to her abilities at this level. On the ice she plays an up-ice style of game. She leads or joins the rush constantly and yet she is still a very difficult defender to play against in our zone. It is a great tribute to her in her final year and I am very proud of her accomplishment.”
The Tommies will head to Prince Edward Island to face the UPEI Panthers tonight at 7:00pm.