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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 TRAVIS ROY AWARD NAMES FINALISTS Award to be presented March 20 is given annually to a Class A senior hockey player based on academic achievement, community involvement and playing ability Peter Gustavson of Falmouth, Aaron Buzzell of Bangor and Jon Rutt of St. Dominic were named finalists for the Travis Roy Award on Monday. The award, given annually since 1996 to a top senior hockey player at a Class A school, is based on academic achievement, community involvement and playing ability. It is named for the former Yarmouth resident who was paralyzed from injuries sustained 11 seconds into his first college hockey game at Boston University in 1995. Roy, who now lives in Boston, is a motivational speaker and works with his charitable foundation, which raises money and provides grants for research and adaptive medical equipment for people with spinal cord injuries. Gustavson is the first finalist for Falmouth, which moved up to Class A last season after 10 years in Class B. A forward, Gustavson was Class Aīs second-leading scorer in the regular season with 33 goals and 21 assists. He plans to attend prep school next season. "Heīs a well-rounded kid, a great student and a great player," Falmouth Coach Scott Rousseau said. "For a team ranked fourth in the last coachesī poll, we wouldnīt be there without Peter." Buzzell, a senior goalie for Bangor, finished the regular season with a goals-against average of 2.24 and a save percentage of .929. Buzzell helped the Rams to their first Eastern Class A regular-season championship in the programīs 15-year history. "Heīs our last line of defense," Bangor Coach Dan Kerluke said. "This is a special year for us, our first championship in 15 years, and heīs (played) a big role in this." Buzzell plans to play junior hockey in the United States or Canada next season. Rutt, a forward for St. Dominic, had 24 goals and 23 assists this season. He also plans to play junior hockey next season in hopes of playing at a Division I school in the future. "He fits the categories that Travis Roy was known for," St. Dominic Coach Bob Boucher said. "Sportsmanship, heīs an athlete who conducts himself on the ice and after the game, he conducts himself as a professional. His athletic ability as a player is that heīs highly skilled and has a lot of talent." The award will be presented at the Class A hockey banquet March 20 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in Lewiston. Appeared in the Portland Press Herald - March 1, 2005 |
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