麻豆社区

A career year for Whitehorse centre Trevor Hanna ended with his biggest score yet 鈥� a scholarship to a Div. III鈥坈ollege in Vermont.

The 20-year-old will spend the next four years playing hockey for the Spartans out of Castleton State College in the eastern United States.

Hanna recently put together a 41-goal season with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, a Jr. B hockey team in southeastern British Columbia.

It was the highest-scoring season for any player in Thunder Cats history. The club competes in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

The team made it all the way to the conference finals this season, before being eliminated by the eventual champion Beaver Valley Nitehawks in five games.

Hanna, an assistant captain, was named team and divisional MVP after racking up 71 points in 52 games 鈥� including six game-winning goals.

"I just had a really good season of hockey and it just worked out good,鈥濃�圚anna said in an interview with the Star.

"I'm kind of living the high life right now. I鈥坔ad a great three seasons in Creston ... and I'm pretty stoked to go to Castleton next year.鈥�

Hanna had a number of schools courting him throughout the season, but he eventually chose Castleton State, who offered him a significant academic scholarship.

The former F.H. Collins Secondary School student said it was an opportunity he couldn't resist.

Hanna said he will aim to earn a degree in exercise science with hopes of pursuing a career in physiotherapy.

This year, he took two courses at Thompson Rivers University to give himself a headstart.

Hanna's career season in Creston Valley came after his coach, Josh Hepditch, convinced him to return as a 20-year-old.

"Trevor deserves every little part of his scholarship,鈥� Hepditch said. "He's been unbelievable. Since day one that I met him, he's been the heart and soul of our organization, and at the end of the day, he's a definition of a coach's dream.鈥�

While Hanna started the year on the first line, his coach eventually decided to have him centre the second line to give the Thunder Cats more scoring depth.

"He never batted an eye at it,鈥� Hepditch said. "It was a hard thing to do, because Trevor's a first line player on any team. But at the end of the day, we really had two first lines. He made that line unbelievable.

"Trevor's a kid that really earned everything that he got.鈥�

While Hanna was filling the net offensively, he was also doing his part in the defensive zone. Hepditch called his centre one of the best two-way players he's ever coached.

"He has the offensive skill to be a first line centreman ... but if you're down 5-on-3, he's the first guy that's going out. A lot of it is just his determination to be a great player. He works his tail off every day.鈥�

"I surprised myself,鈥濃�圚anna admitted of his year. "I played with some great players and had the best coaching.鈥�

Hanna is a product of the Whitehorse Mustangs rep hockey program.

He plans to work and train in the Yukon capital this summer, before heading to Vermont in time for the hockey season.

In other Div. III hockey news, reports out of Rapid City, South Dakota, indicate that the Rush have added Haines Junction defenceman Reid Campbell to their playoff run in the Central Hockey League.

The 25-year-old recently won his third NCAA title with the St. Norbert College Green Knights.

The Rush are currently battling the Quad City Mallards 鈥� a team that features Yukon enforcer Jordan Lane 鈥� in their first-round series.

The two teams are currently tied 1-1 in the series with game three set for tonight.