SAULT STE. MARIE – Lake Superior State junior forward Rick Schofield, who led the Laker hockey team in goals scored and points, was named Most-Valuable Player and Most-Valuable Forward during the 28^th annual Soo BlueLiners Banquet held Saturday at the Cisler Center.

Schofield (Pickering, Ont.) totaled 15 goals and 13 assists in 2009-10, surpassing point totals from previous seasons. The 6-2, 196-pound forward has 34-35—69 through three collegiate campaigns.

This season, Schofield finished third in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Perani Cup Points Standings, tied for 13^th in the league in goal scoring and was a CCHA co-leader in game-winning goals. He also represented the Lakers as a CCHA Scholar-Athlete Award nominee for the second straight year.

LSSU's other special award winners were senior Simon Gysbers (Outstanding Defenseman), junior Will Acton (Most-Improved Player and Unsung Hero), Domenic Monardo (Freshman of the Year), junior Matt Cowie (Gay Blade), senior Pat Aubry (Scholastic Award) and John Scrymgeour (Soo BlueLiners Award).

Gysbers (Richmond Hill, Ont.), who signed with the Toronto Marlies a week after his collegiate career ended, is a three-time winner of LSSU's Outstanding Defenseman Award. He totaled 19 goals and 48 assists during 155 collegiate games and was the Lakers' top-scoring defenseman this season with 6-9--15. He was second on the team in power-play points.

Acton (Stouffville, Ont.) was one of three double-figure goal scorers and finished second in points for the Lakers in 2009-10. He contributed 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points, improving upon previous season totals of 6-7—13 and 7-9—16.

Monardo (Oakville, Ont.), with six goals and six assists, was second in scoring among Laker freshmen and tied for 18^th among CCHA rookies in 2009-10.

Teammates selected Cowie (Nepean, Ont.) as the Gay Blade Award winner, which goes to the player who brings a positive attitude and a great sense of humor to the Laker lockerroom. Cowie unseeded three-time winner Josh Sim, who graduated in 2008-09. Aubry (Ottawa, Ont.), who more than doubled his point totals from previous seasons by totaling two goals and nine assists, was recognized for his efforts in the classroom. The senior accounting major has a grade point average of 3.727. He totaled 12-13—25 during his four-year career. Scrymgeour (Pickering, Ont.) came back from a season-ending injury during his freshman year and overcame a challenging junior year to end his senior year with five goals and nine assists for 14 points. During his senior year he netted one short-handed goal and one game-winning goal.