Players Bench Athletes of the Week: January 30 – February 5

Male Athlete of the Week

The Mount Royal men’s hockey team went into their weekend mini-series against the Saskatchewan Huskies ranked as the number two team in the country. On Friday, the Cougars defeated the Huskies 3-2 to extend their winning streak to a league-longest 12 games. However, MRU’s rivals from Saskatoon ended the incredible run, prevailing 4-3 over the Cougars. The 1-1 split moves Mount Royal to 20-6 on the season, good for second place in Canada West.

The Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week is Clayton Hanus. The defenceman continued what has already been one of the best seasons from an MRU blueliner, registering four points in the two games against Saskatchewan. Hanus got involved in the Cougars’ first couple of goals on Friday, assisting on the first and scoring the second with a blazing wrist shot from the slot. The Excelsior, Minn. product followed up with another two-point effort on Saturday, recording a pair of helpers. The big weekend from Hanus puts him second in the league in points and first in points among defencemen.

Hanus is a second-year business student at Mount Royal.

Female Athlete of the Week

The MRU Cougars women’s volleyball team kept their playoff hopes alive, sweeping the Brandon University Bobcats. On Friday, the Cougars were dominant and wrapped up the game with three straight set wins. Saturday’s game saw MRU keep rolling, taking the first two sets. The Bobcats battled back to take set three and four to force a deciding and crucial fifth. Ultimately, the Cougars returned to form in the fifth set and prevailed victorious in commanding fashion. 

The Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week is Lexi Herrod. The superstar setter put on a clinic in Brandon recording a total of 73 assists. In Friday’s 3-0 win, Herrod got the party started with a rare kill at the net. Almost immediately after the tally, Herrod met her opponent at the net for one of her five blocks on the weekend. On Saturday, the Winnipegger nearly set a season-high for assists, dishing out an impressive count of 43. Herrod also recorded 16 digs over the weekend. The setter has been solid all year since, grabbing a hold of a starting spot in the Cougars’ lineup.

Herrod, a transfer from Ambrose University, is a third-year student enrolled in MRU’s open studies program.