Gaiters soccer and football athletes receive top honours
Kayla Kyle, a fourth-year sociology student and member of the Bishop’s University Gaiters soccer team, was rewarded for her efforts on the soccer field this year at the U SPORTS Awards Ceremony in Sydney, Nova Scotia last week.
Kyle was awarded with the 2021 U SPORTS Student-athlete Community Service Award. She was also named a Second Team All-canadian. Although the Gaiters failed to qualify for the playoffs, they managed to keep it close up until the final weekend of the regular season.
The Gaiters finished with a 4-8-2 record, or fifth place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference, and, according to a press release, Kyle, who wore the captain’s armband, emerged as a leader both on and off the field.
As a centreback, Kyle was integral part of the Gaiters’ last line of defense. And despite her position on the field, she also produced on the score board, posting three goals and two assists in 14 regular season games. She was named the most valuable player six times.
Off the field, Kyle has contributed in the classroom, as well. She is a two-time Academic All Canadian and she has become a role model in the community. She is also a founding member of the Bishop’s University Student-athlete Leadership Council (SALC).
Kyle has been recognized by the university for her role in keeping touch and supporting studentathletes throughout the provincewide lockdown. She helped organize various online social events and fundraisers to maintain morale and lift spirits.
But Kyle wasn’t the only person recently recognized for their athletic excellence. Four members of the Bishop’s Gaiters football team were announced to the 2021 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Football Allstars. The conference revealed their selection prior to the Loney Bowl.
Bishop’s linebacker Keagan Hughes, offensive tackle Samuel Ducharme, receiver Nykolas Pierremasse, and running back Louisphilippe Gregoire were named to the all-star team. Hughes was a key piece to the Gaiters’ league-leading rush defense.
A fifth-year sports studies senior, Hughes recorded 34.5 tackles, including 25 solo tackles, and averaged 5.8 tackles per game. Meanwhile, Ducharme, a fifth-year politics and international studies student, opened the door to one of the most potent offenses in the conference.
Pierre-masse, who was in his rookie season, caught 22 balls for a total of 273 yards. He also put up three touchdowns for the Gaiters during the 2021 AUS regular season campaign. Pierre-masse is the first Bishop’s rookie to receive an all-star nod since the university joined the AUS.
While they each played an important role on the field, there was one who stood out above the rest. Gregoire, a fifth-year senior studying politics and international studies, finished as the second leading rusher in the conference. He drove the offense week in and week out.
Gregoire was also a major reason the Gaiters punched a ticket to the Loney Bowl for the second time in three years. He played in every regular season game, registering 6 yards per carry, and 98.5 yards per game. He finished with a total of 591 yards on the ground.
He found the end zone three times in 2021, and then propelled his team into the championship game with 138 total yards — 76 yards rushing and 62 in the air — and a touchdown against the Mount Allison Mounties in the semi-final. This is his second nod as an all-star.