FSU HOCKEY RECRUIT SELECTED CANADIAN JUNIOR A PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Ferris State University men's ice hockey recruit Mark Bomersback (Rochester, Alberta) of the Canmore (Alberta) Eagles has been voted the recipient of the prestigious RBC Financial Group Canadian Junior "A" Player of the Year Award and was presented with the award at the RBC Awards Banquet held May 9 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The RBC Financial Group Canadian Junior "A" Player of the Year Award is given to the Canadian Junior "A" hockey player who has the best combined hockey skills and achievement along with community involvement during the 2002-03 season.

Incoming Ferris State recruit Mark Bomersback was named the 2002-03 Canadian Junior "A" Hockey Player of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Craig Douce)

Bomersback, who inked with the Bulldogs during last November's early-signing period, was the Alberta Junior Hockey League's (AJHL) Most Valuable Player and the recipient of the Ernie Love Trophy as the AJHL's scoring champion this season with 46 goals and a league-leading 68 assists for 114 points in 64 regular-season contests. He also was an unanimous first-team AJHL selection and was the top scorer at the AJHL All-Star Game Skills Competition Jan. 27 at Canmore, Alberta. Furthermore, the Canmore team captain was recognized as the AJHL's Three-Star Points Champion and became the sixth winner of the team's Alberta Source For Sports Player of the Year Award.

Bomersback played a key role this campaign in helping the Eagles capture their second consecutive AJHL South Division Regular-Season Championship with a 43-19-2 overall mark while finishing runner-up in the AJHL's overall standings.

In the 2001-02 campaign, Bomersback was named the team's MVP and received the squad's Players Choice Award along with being selected a tri-recipient of the Eagles' Source For Sports Player of the Year Award after leading the team in scoring with 107 points on 43 goals and 64 assists in 62 outings. Bomersback was also honored as the team's Rookie of the Year in 1999-00.

The AJHL's all-time leading scorer, Bomersback totaled 143 goals and 253 assists for 396 career points along with 289 penalty minutes in 250 contests during his four-year Canmore/Bow Valley career. The 5-10, 180-pound forward also tied a AJHL record with his third consecutive 100-point season in 2002-03.

"Mark is certainly deserving of this prestigious award," said FSU head coach Bob Daniels. "His total committment to excellence both on and off the ice has helped propel him to achieving this lofty recognition. We've been fortunate over the years to attract high profile recruits and Mark's honor magnifies the strength of our program within the recruiting circles."

With the honor, Bomersback joins fellow Ferris State members Jeff Legue (Cornwall, Ontario) and Tim Vokey (Mississauga, Ontario) as Canadian Junior A Player of the Year Award recipients or runners-up. Both League and Vokey skated for the Cornwall (Ontario) Colts of the Central Junior A Hockey League and were award runners-up in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, respectively. Another current FSU player, Greg Rallo (Gurnee, Ill.) was honored as the 2001-02 USA Hockey Junior "A" Player of the Year while competing for the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Springfield (Ill.) Jr. Blues. Former Bulldogs Brian McCullough (1995-96) and Jason Blake (1993-94) also achieved the same recognition as Rallo.

Jeff Tambellini of the British Columbia Hockey League's Chilliwack Chiefs and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's 2002-03 Rookie of the Year as a member of the Michigan Wolverines was the 2001-02 award winner. Bomersback is the fourth AJHL skater to receive the honor in the last six years and joins a group of past award recipients which includes such National Hockey League (NHL) notables as the Edmonton Oilers' Mike Comrie and Dany Heatley of the Atlanta Thrashers.