January 4, 2010
LAKERS MEN'S HOCKEY NAMED NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR
NORTH BAY, Ont. - The Nipissing University Lakers hockey team has certainly taken the city of North Bay by storm during the first half of their inaugural season, evidenced by the team being named Local Newsmaker of 2009, as well as Sports Story of the Year in two annual year end polls of local media.
The North Bay Nugget's headlines proclaimed: Hockey Lakers Lead the Way, and 2009 Proved to be the Year of the Lakers.
The Lakers hit the ice in Ontario University Athletics action with an exhibition game in mid-September that attracted 3,693 fans to Memorial Gardens.
The team started the regular season in dramatic style with a thrilling four-goal comeback in front of 3,374 passionate and vocal fans to earn a point against Queen's.
A six-game winning streak through October resulted in the team cracking the CIS national Top-10 rankings, a major accomplishment in the team's first year.
"It's huge for a team in its first year to be nationally ranked," Nipissing athletics director Vito Castiglione said in October. "It's a true testament to the job (head coach) Mike McParland did with recruiting and surrounding the team with some good guys."
The Lakers enter 2010 with a 6-9-1 record, fighting for an Eastern Division playoff spot as the season heads into the stretch.
To be named Sports Story of the Year, the Lakers edged out two-time Olympian Steve Omischl winning his third consecutive World Cup freestyle skiing aerials title, which took second place. The announcement to proceed with a long-promised outdoor sports complex took third-place. Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Yeo earned the No. 4 spot after bringing the Stanley Cup home for a celebration at Memorial Gardens in July. The Top-10 sports stories of the year were filled out by the Widdifield Wildcats claiming five senior boys' team championships in the 2008-09 school season; North Bay council signing a co-exist deal at Memorial Gardens with the Lakers and junior 'A' North Bay Trappers; the Olympic torch celebration; The sport of ringette, invented by North Bay's Sam Jacks, being featured on a Canada Post stamp; the rebranding of the junior 'A' Trappers; and cross-country skier Dave Nighbor featured on General Mills cereal boxes.
Source: Nipissing Lakers
The North Bay Nugget's headlines proclaimed: Hockey Lakers Lead the Way, and 2009 Proved to be the Year of the Lakers.
The Lakers hit the ice in Ontario University Athletics action with an exhibition game in mid-September that attracted 3,693 fans to Memorial Gardens.
The team started the regular season in dramatic style with a thrilling four-goal comeback in front of 3,374 passionate and vocal fans to earn a point against Queen's.
A six-game winning streak through October resulted in the team cracking the CIS national Top-10 rankings, a major accomplishment in the team's first year.
"It's huge for a team in its first year to be nationally ranked," Nipissing athletics director Vito Castiglione said in October. "It's a true testament to the job (head coach) Mike McParland did with recruiting and surrounding the team with some good guys."
The Lakers enter 2010 with a 6-9-1 record, fighting for an Eastern Division playoff spot as the season heads into the stretch.
To be named Sports Story of the Year, the Lakers edged out two-time Olympian Steve Omischl winning his third consecutive World Cup freestyle skiing aerials title, which took second place. The announcement to proceed with a long-promised outdoor sports complex took third-place. Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Yeo earned the No. 4 spot after bringing the Stanley Cup home for a celebration at Memorial Gardens in July. The Top-10 sports stories of the year were filled out by the Widdifield Wildcats claiming five senior boys' team championships in the 2008-09 school season; North Bay council signing a co-exist deal at Memorial Gardens with the Lakers and junior 'A' North Bay Trappers; the Olympic torch celebration; The sport of ringette, invented by North Bay's Sam Jacks, being featured on a Canada Post stamp; the rebranding of the junior 'A' Trappers; and cross-country skier Dave Nighbor featured on General Mills cereal boxes.
Source: Nipissing Lakers
