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Defensive all-Canadians announced
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Eric Nielsen, Acadia
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OTTAWA (CIS) A trio of defensive-player-of-the-year award nominees highlights the list of football defensive all-Canadians announced by Canadian Interuniversity Sport on Monday.
Linebackers Jason Pottinger (Whitby, Ont.) of McMaster and Patrick Donovan (Laconia, N.H.) of Concordia were both selected to the first CIS squad, while linebacker David Lowry (Lethbridge, Alta.) of Alberta was named to the second all-star team. Pottinger and Lowry, both Presidents Trophy nominees for a second straight season, earn all-Canadian status for the second year in a row. They were both first-team members in 2004.
Two other CIS major award nominees, defensive ends Martin Gagne (Laval, Que.) of Montreal and Dan Federkeil (Calgary) of Calgary, are among the national defensive all-stars. Gagne, a finalist for rookie-of-the-year honors, was named to the first contingent, while Federkeil, a nominee for top-down-lineman honors, ended up on the second team.
Pottinger is one of five players selected as first-team all-Canadians for a second consecutive campaign. Other returnees include free safety Jason Milne (Edmonton) of Alberta, halfback Ian Logan (Waterloo, Ont.) of Wilfrid Laurier, as well as Acadia teammates, defensive end Kyle Markin (Calgary) and cornerback Eric Nielsen (Alexandria, Ont.). Nielsen finds himself among the top 12 defensive players in the nation for the third straight season.
Other notable all-star selections include sophomore linebacker Stephen Wilson (Regina) of Regina, and fourth-year tackle Miguel Robede (Val D'Or, Que.) of Laval. Wilson, a first-team member, led all CIS players this season with 73 tackles. Robede, a second-team member who earns his third all-Canadian selection in four years, was the first overall pick in the 2005 CFL entry draft.
The Concordia Stingers, with three representatives, and the Acadia Axemen, with two, are the only teams to place more than one player on the first CIS squad. Alberta, Laurier and Laval each placed one representative on the first team, and a pair on the second.
6-foot-2, 243-pound Pottinger had a team-high 38 tackles this fall in his fourth season with the Marauders.
In his fourth campaign with the Stingers, 6-foot, 225-pound Donovan led the QUFL and finished fourth in the nation with 58 tackles, to go with his three quarterback sacks and one interception. His brother Mickey captured the Presidents Trophy as the top defensive player in the CIS in 2004.
Lowry, 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, led his team and was eighth in the Canada West conference with 46 tackles, including a pair of sacks in his fourth year with the Golden Bears.
Nielsen had three interceptions, broke up four passes and tallied 28 tackles in his fifth and final season with the Axemen.
The offensive all-Canadians will be announced on Tuesday, while the CIS major award winners will be unveiled on Thursday evening (outstanding player of the year, defensive player of the year, top down lineman, rookie of the year) and Friday morning (coach of the year, Russ Jackson Award, assistant volunteer coach of the year).
For all the info on the 2005 Desjardins Vanier Cup: www.vaniercup.com
2005 CIS FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE ALL-CANADIANS
First Team
Position Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty
Tackle Michaël Jean-Louis Laval 3 Granby, Que. Unspecified
Tackle Ryan Gottselig Saskatchewan 5 Findlater, Sask. Education
End Martin Gagné Montréal 1 Laval, Que. Physical Education & Health
End Kyle Markin Acadia 4 Calgary, Alta. Administration
Linebacker Patrick Donovan Concordia 4 Laconia, N.H. Leisure Studies
Linebacker Jason Pottinger McMaster 4 Whitby, Ont. Economics
Linebacker Stephen Wilson Regina 2 Regina, Sask. Kinesiology & Health Studies
Free safety Jason Milne Alberta 4 Edmonton, Alta. Arts
Halfback Ian Logan Wilfrid Laurier 5 Waterloo, Ont. Comm. Studies
Halfback Sammy Okpro Concordia 2 Pierrefonds, Que. Economics
Cornerback Eric Nielsen Acadia 5 Alexandria, Ont. Kinesiology
Cornerback Modibo Sidibe Concordia 2 Buffalo, N.Y. Sociology
Second Team
Tackle Miguel Robédé Laval 4 Val D'Or, Que. Industrial Relations
Tackle Simon Patrick Manitoba 3 Calahoo, Alta. Arts
End Brandon Keks Wilfrid Laurier 4 Coquitlam, B.C. History
End Daniel Federkeil Calgary 5 Calgary, Alta. Social Sciences
Linebacker David Lowry Alberta 4 Lethbridge, Alta. Science
Linebacker Marc Trépanier Montréal 4 Drummondville, Que. Certificate computer science
Linebacker Matt Harding Mount Allison 4 Winnipeg, Alta. Administration
Free safety Jeff Smeaton Wilfrid Laurier 5 Brantford, Ont. Kinesiology / Phys. Ed.
Halfback Alexandre Vendette Laval 4 St-Luc, Que. Leisure studies
Halfback Steven Boyko Alberta 3 Sherwood Park, Alta. Education
Cornerback Anthony Plante-Ajah Ottawa 4 Ottawa, Ont. Biology
Cornerback Joel Lipinski Regina 2 Regina, Sask. Luther Science
-CIS-
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