April 19, 2008
SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State
goal-scoring leader Nathan Perkovich
was named the Lakers' Most-Valuable Player and Most-Valuable
Forward at the 26th annual Soo BlueLiners Banquet held Saturday at
the Cisler Center.
Perkovich (Canton, Mich.) is only the second non-goalie to earn
the prestigious MVP award during the past seven seasons. He
improved upon his totals from a year ago by leading the Lakers in
goals scored with 17 and finishing third in points with 25. Through
two seasons he has 32-15--47.
He scored a goal in both games of the season-opening Superior
Showcase and tallied seven goals through LSSU's first eight games.
He overcame a four-game scoring drought and notched five goals in
his next six games midway through the season, including a goal in
three of four games against Michigan State. Perkovich scored a goal
in two of the Lakers' three Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Playoff games and totaled five points during the three-game series.
His 17 goals this season is the most by a Laker since Terry
Marchant scored 17 in 1998-99.
Perkovich was ranked 14th in the CCHA in goals scored and eighth
in power-play goals with nine.
Other special award winners were sophomore Simon Gysbers
(Most-Valuable Defenseman), freshman Will Acton
(Most-Improved Player), freshman Rick Schofield
(Outstanding Freshman), senior Jason Blain
(Scholar-Athlete and Jim Howie Unsung Hero), senior Dan Eves (Soo BlueLiner
Award) and junior Josh Sim (Gay Blade).
The evening was dedicated to seniors Eves, Blain and Justin Gutwald.
Gysbers (Richmond Hill, Ont.) led Laker defensemen in scoring
with six goals and 13 assists and was named CCHA Defenseman of the
Week in mid-January after an outstanding series against Bowling
Green State. He also contributed a goal and three assists during
the CCHA Playoffs at BGSU. He increased his season point total by
nearly 40 percent from a year ago.
Acton (Stouffville, Ont.) contributed a goal and six assists
during his first collegiate season. He scored his first goal as a
Laker at Nebraska-Omaha on Dec. 8, picked up a point in both games
at No. 1-ranked Michigan and finished the season with three goals
and one assist during the playoff series at BGSU.
Schofield (Pickering, Ont.) was LSSU's most-consistent freshman
through 2007-08 and top-scoring rookie with 10 goals and 10
assists. He also led the Lakers in plus/minus at plus-8. Schofield
had several outstanding games, scoring a goal in both games of
LSSU's home series against Michigan State and enjoying a seven-game
point streak from Feb. 16 through March 8. He tallied his first
collegiate goal against Frozen Four finalist Notre Dame on Nov. 1
and was named CCHA Rookie of the Week on Feb. 25 after scoring
three goals during a series sweep at home against Alaska. He tied
for fourth in the CCHA in goals scored by a freshman against league
opponents.
Blain (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) earned the Scholar-Athlete Award
for the second straight year. While playing Division I hockey and
managing family life with a 2-year-old daughter, he has maintained
a 4.0 grade point average and will graduate with a finance and
economics degree this spring. Blain, who was this year's LSSU
nominee for the CCHA Scholar-Athlete Award, scored his first goal
as a Laker against American International in October, 2006. He
provided fourth-line leadership as a winger during the first half
of this season, then blossomed after moving to center during the
UNO series in early December. He totaled two goals and six assists
in 2007-08.
Sim (Saskatoon, Sask.), a two-time winner of the Gay Blade Award
presented by legendary equipment manager Roy Forrest, maintained a
positive attitude throughout the season despite some personal
setbacks, including his own season-ending injury in February. He
stood on the bench with the coaching staff and supported the team
during the Lakers' last three series.
Eves (Lake Orion, Mich.), a two-time winner of the Soo
BlueLiners Award, was a hard-hitting forward who enjoyed a breakout
season. He reached double figures in goals and assists in 2007-08,
totaling 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points. He finished his
collegiate career with an impressive 29 goals and 34 assists for 63
points in 145 games played.
