The Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association is pleased to announce the winners of its top player awards for the 2013 season. The awards are dominated by the CUFLA champion Guelph Gryphons, who take home 6 of the 10 awards presented based on the results of voting by the league's coaches.
Gryphons attack man Jordan Critch is the CUFLA Most Valuable Player. Critch was a critical component to a Guelph offence that got better as the season went on, leading to a tremendous performance at the Baggataway Cup playoffs. Critch scored 16 goals and 34 assists in the regular season and added 18 points in four playoff games. He works well both above and below the goal line and facilitates scoring chances for his teammates while keeping the ball moving.
Critch's teammate Ben VanGalen is the outstanding graduating player. VanGalen showed his versatility by being named an All-Canadian both as a defender and taking faceoffs. He consistently gave Guelph an edge in possession with his stellar work at the faceoff dot. In his own zone, he checks the opponents top offensive threats and keeps them in check with a blend of physicality, excellent footwork and positioning. He forces turnovers, collects ground balls and provide tremendous leadership.
The top rookie in CUFLA for 2013 is Brandon Slade of the Brock Badgers. Slade is an offensive force, finishing second in the league in points with 56. He brings a balanced approach to the game, producing an equal number of goals and assists with 28 of each.
Ryan Serville has been named the Outstanding Attackman. The big lefty with Guelph had a strong regular season with 34 goals and 18 assists, good for a tie for third overall in scoring. He was even better at the Baggataway Cup, where his nine points in the championship game were instrumental to the Gryphons win and helped earn him the MVP award for the tournament.
Yet another Gryphon has been named the best at his position with Curtis Knight winning the Outstanding Midfielder award. Knight simply excels in all zones on the field. He plays on the faceoff team to take advantage of his high lacrosse IQ and quickness to come up with ground balls. He also plays the power play and is a leading scorer among midfielders. Knight is the Gryphons and arguably the league's best short-stick defender, providing pressure on opponents and with the ability to force turnovers and transition the ball up the field into offensive chances.
The University of Western Ontario had the lowest goals against average in the league and a big reason was Eric Pitre, the team's defensive heart and soul who has been named the Most Valuable Defensive Player. Pitre is fast, physical and smart on the field and helps to make the players around him better.
The Most Valuable Goalkeeper is Guelph's Jeremy Snider. He was solid all year long but, like his teammates, stepped up his game at the Baggataway Cup, where he was sensational in winning three gmaes in 48 hours against the best competition in CUFLA.
Guelph's coaches have been named the Coaching Staff of the Year. They prepared their team for all comers at the Baggataway Cup. The Gryphons played three teams ranked above them, including two of the past three Baggataway champs in Bishops and McGill and 18-time champions Brock. Head Coach Sam Kosakowski is a dedicated volunteer and a 20-year veteran of CUFLA as a coach.
The leading scorers for the 2013 season were Bishops' Alex Henderson in the East and Brock's Kyle Davis in the West. Henderson post 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 10 games. Davis played 12 games and put up 34 goals and 28 assists for 62 points.
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