Three Stars: Smythe, Bender and Kohlman earn honours

Brett Smythe lines up for the draw against Portage last Saturday. The Griffins rookie forward had six points in two games, both wins over the Voyageurs (Matthew Jacula photo).

Posted: Oct 17, 2017

MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Brett Smythe is MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after a six-point weekend in leading the Griffins men's hockey team to two victories over Portage College.

Smythe recorded two goals and an assist in both of the Griffins' victories over the Voyageurs.

Other athletes recognized during the past week include second star Natalie Bender of the women's hockey team and third star Scott Kohlman of the cross-country squad.

All three are making their first appearance of the season on the MacEwan Athletics' Three Stars list.

1ST STAR: Brett Smythe, F, men's hockey (St. Albert, AB, first-year, Commerce)

Playing just the third and fourth games of his ACAC career, the MacEwan freshman forward racked up four goals and two assists in leading the Griffins to a pair of wins over Portage College over the weekend. In Friday's 5-2 victory in Lac La Biche, Smythe had all three of his points in a four-goal second period for the Griffins, including scoring twice in the span of 1:17. A night later in Edmonton, Smythe scored in both the first and third periods and set up Dallas Smith on a second-period tally. After the six-point weekend, Smythe – now with seven points on the season – sits tied for third in the ACAC scoring race. The Griffins will play a home-and-home series against cross-town rival NAIT this weekend.

2ND STAR: Natalie Bender, G, women's hockey (St. Albert, AB, first-year, Commerce)

The rookie goaltender went between the pipes for her first ACAC start in the home arena of MacEwan's bitter cross-town rival NAIT and … pitched a 34-save shutout. Although MacEwan was outshot 34-15 in the contest, the impressive performance by the freshman allowed them to escape with a 2-0 win and retain top spot in the ACAC at 3-0-1. The product of the Fort Saskatchewan Junior A Fury has the first shutout of any ACAC goalie this season. The MacEwan women's hockey team is enjoying a bye this weekend before returning to action against Red Deer on Oct. 26.

Natalie Bender had a 34-save shutout of the NAIT Ooks on Saturday.

3RD STAR: Scott Kohlman, cross country (Bashaw, AB, second-year, Science)

Kohlman ran the second-fastest 8K in MacEwan history at Saturday's Victoria Vikes Invitational. His time of 27:21 was good for ninth place among a field of tough post-secondary competitors. Despite running on a slow course (due to longer grass), his time was just a few seconds back of William Madsen's MacEwan record of 26:57, ran at a faster course in Montreal at the 2012 CCAA Championship. Kohlman, who has the record for the fastest 10K in MacEwan history, set at nationals last year, will return to the Victoria track next month for the U Sports championship, where he will run the 10K distance.