Mark Soares of mens hockey has been named this weeks CIS Male Athlete of the Week. Soares was honoured for his record setting weekend as he helped lead his then No. 6 Thunderwolves to 9-0 and 8-1 wins over the Windsor Lancers. UNB volleyball player Tyler Veenhuis and Alberta basketball player Alex Steele were the other male nominees.
This marks two firsts in Lakehead Athletics history; to have two consecutive CIS Male Athletes of the Week; in addition to the fact that both came from the same team as mens hockeys Kris Hogg was CIS and OUA Male Athlete of the Week last week.
The weather was very cold in Thunder Bay this past weekend, but sophomore forward Mark Soares (Burnaby, British Columbia) was on fire as he set the new Lakehead standard for goal scoring as he tallied five consecutive goals to lead his CIS No. 6 Thunderwolves to an 8-1 win over Windsor Saturday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay. The five goals are a Thunderwolves single game record; and the fact that they were scored consecutively makes it a record that will be doubly tough to beat in the future.
In Fridays 9-0 win over Windsor; the speedy 5 6 170 pound Business student recorded a goal and three assists for a weekend total of six goals and three assists. Last years OUA Rookie of the Year now sits tied for fourth in OUA scoring (14 goals, 18 assists) and tied for sixth in the CIS. Soares heroics over the weekend helped put the Thunderwolves into first place in the brutally competitive OUA Far West Division; two points ahead of Laurier, and three up on both Waterloo and Western.
Soares had a distinguished Jr. A career with the Burnaby Express of the BCHL; before joining Lakehead. In five seasons with the Express; Soares tallied 124 goals and 105 assists in 124 games and is the All Time Points leader for the Express. He also holds the record for games played. Soares helped lead Burnaby to the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Junior A national championship in 2005-06. The last month has been one full of honours for Soares because on Dec. 22nd, 2007, while Mark was back home in Burnaby for the Christmas holiday; the Express retired his number 22 (the same number he wears at Lakehead) in a special ceremony before his old teams game against the Merritt Centennials. Congratulations Mark on all three honours!