Three Stars: Magnes, Gilfillan, Hesthammer earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Men's hockey student-athlete Garan Magnes is the MacEwan Athletics first star of the week after scoring four goals in a pair of victories over the UAlberta-Augustana Vikings last weekend.
Included in the hard-shooting rookie's stellar weekend was a hat-trick in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Vikings in Camrose with all three tallies coming on the powerplay.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Haley Gilfillan of the women's volleyball team and third star Kai Hesthammer of the men's volleyball team.
It's the second time this season that Gilfillan has been honoured on the three stars list, having also been named second star on Dec. 4. Both Magnes and Hesthammer are being recognized for the first time in 2018-19.
1st star: Garan Magnes, F, men's hockey
Edmonton, AB, first-year, Business Management
Manning the point on the MacEwan powerplay, Magnes showed off his cannon of a shot in leading the Griffins to a pair of victories over the University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings.
With the Griffins trailing 1-0 on Friday at Edmonton's Downtown Community Arena, Magnes fired a shot from the point through a screen that went under the bar on goalie Curtis Skip, igniting a three-goal Griffins' second period that led to a 3-1 win.
In a 6-2 Griffins' win in the rematch on Saturday in Camrose, Magnes scored the game-winner 6:43 into the second period on the PP. He then scored MacEwan's fourth goal just over seven minutes later … also with the man advantage.
Magnes then completed the second hat trick of his ACAC rookie season late in the third period with another powerplay tally.
For the season, Magnes has 13 goals and 26 points in 23 games – tied for the third-most on the Griffins.
2nd star: Haley Gilfillan, MB, women's volleyball
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Arts
With a monster seven service aces in Friday's 3-1 win over Brandon, Gilfillan matched her own MacEwan record for most in a Canada West match (previously also established at Brandon on Feb. 19, 2016).
Adding another ace in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Bobcats, Gilfillan established a new MacEwan record for the most in a single season with 50. That shattered her own record of 35 in 2017-18.
Gilfillan becomes just the seventh player in Canada West history to reach at least 50 aces in a season, finishing with the third-highest total in the conference in 2018-19, behind UBC teammates Kiera Van Ryk (68) and Olivia Furlan (56).
In the weekend split with Brandon, Gilfillan also had 14 kills and 10 blocks, accounting for 28 of MacEwan's points.
For the season, she finished second on the team in kills (182) and second in blocks (98).
Haley Gilfillan established a new MacEwan record for service aces in a Canada West season (50), becoming just the seventh athlete in conference history to record at least 50 in a campaign (Robert Antoniuk photo).
3rd star: Kai Hesthammer, OH, men's volleyball
Oystese, Norway, fifth-year, Commerce
Playing the final two matches of his university career, the graduating senior led the Griffins to a stellar effort against the No. 1 team in U SPORTS, even if both were 3-0 losses to the powerhouse Brandon Bobcats.
In Friday's defeat, Hesthammer had 10 kills, one ace, five digs and a block, accounting for 11.5 points.
In Saturday's contest, he produced seven kills, an ace, five digs and a block, good for 8.5 of MacEwan's points.
Hesthammer – who had been named the Griffins team MVP for two straight seasons – finishes the 2018-19 campaign third on the team in kills (189), third in aces (9) and fourth in digs (83).
He wraps up his stellar university career with 704 kills (second in program's Canada West history), 798.5 points (second), 497 digs (first), 94 blocks (sixth) and 39 service aces (third).
Kai Hesthammer finishes his MacEwan University career with 704 career kills - the second most in the program's Canada West history (Eduardo Perez photo).
