PURDUE UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST’S SAM BOURDAGES NAMED AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION I PLAYER OF THE YEAR
First Pride Player of the Year in Team History
UNION LAKE, Mich. – (April 9, 2024) – The 2023‐2024 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men’s Division I Player of the Year Award goes to Purdue University Northwest forward Sam Bourdages, as selected by the Head Coaches of ACHA Men’s Division I. Bourdages becomes the first Pride player to win the award in its 25‐year history.
The other finalists for the Men’s Division I Player of the Year Award were:
- #82 Carter Barley, Forward, Minot State University
- #1 Brandon Weare, Goalie, University of Jamestown
- #26 Christian Kadolph, Defense, Minot State University
Bourdages, a 5‐foot, 10‐inch, 170‐pound junior from Hearst, Ontario, capped off a fantastic season as the Pride’s leading scorer with 62 points by potting 27 goals and dishing out 35 assists in 31 regular season games. Bourdages also added a goal and three assists in three games at the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships. In the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL), Bourdages was named Most Valuable Player to go along with 1st Team All-League honors.
Categorically, Bourdages led all Men’s Division I players in points (62), tied for the lead in goals (27), was third in points per games (2.00), and finished fourth in assists (35). For his three-year career at Purdue University Northwest, Bourdages has 54 goals and 85 assists for 139 points in 82 games played.
With Bourdage’s contributions, the Pride finished the 2023‐2024 regular season in second place of the GLCHL, defeated the ACHA Men’s Division I National Champions from Adrian College 5-3 in the GLCHL Playoffs championship game, and qualified for the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships for the first time in only its second season at the Men’s Division I level as the No. 11 seed.
At the 2024 ACHA Men’s Division I National Championships, Bourdages and Purdue University Northwest made it to the quarterfinals, falling to No. 3 University of Central Oklahoma 3-1. Earlier, the Pride defeated No. 22 seed Indiana University of Pennsylvania 11-3 before upsetting No. 6 seed Maryville University 3-2. As a result, the Pride finished the season with a No. 7 ranking, its highest in team history.
Prior to arriving at Purdue University Northwest, Bourdages played his youth hockey in the Hearst Minor Hockey Association, midget hockey with the Kapuskasing Flyers of the Great North Midget Hockey League (GNML), and junior hockey in several leagues: Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) with Niagara Falls Canucks; Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) with Milton Menace; Northern Ontario Junior Hockey (NOJHL) with Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, Powassan VooDoos, Hearst Lumberjacks, and Iroquois Falls Eskimos; and Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec (QJHL) with Lac St-Louis Révolution.
MEN’S DIVISION I PLAYER OF THE YEAR | ||||
2023‐2024 | Forward | #81 | Sam Bourdages | Purdue University Northwest |
2022‐2023 | Forward | #8 | Luc Reeve | Ohio University |
2021‐2022 | Forward | #9 | Andy Willis | Lindenwood University |
2020‐2021 | Forward | #19 | Quinn Ryan | Liberty University |
2019‐2020 | Forward | #7 | Gianni Evangelisti | Ohio University |
2018‐2019 | Defense | #21 | Jake Townsend | Lindenwood University |
2017‐2018 | Goalie | #56 | Austyn Roudebush | Adrian College |
2016‐2017 | Forward | #27 | Brad Kobryn | Adrian College |
2015‐2016 | Forward | #17 | J.T. Hall | Stony Brook University |
2014‐2015 | Forward | #27 | Brad Kobryn | Adrian College |
2013‐2014 | Forward | #17 | Kale Dolinski | Arizona State University |
2012‐2013 | Goalie | #37 | Wyatt Waselenchuk | Minot State University |
2011‐2012 | Goalie | #33 | S.J. Broadt | University of Delaware |
2010‐2011 | Forward | #20 | Cory Spradling | Lindenwood University |
2009‐2010 | Goalie | #30 | Paul Marshall | Ohio University |
2008‐2009 | Forward | #8 | Jim Gehring | West Chester University |
2007‐2008 | Forward | #8 | Jim Gehring | West Chester University |
2006‐2007 | Forward | #18 | Will McMahon | Oakland University |
2005‐2006 | Goalie | #29 | Anthony Feyock | University of Rhode Island |
2004‐2005 | Forward | #12 | Mike Roesch | University of Illinois |
2003‐2004 | Goalie | #30 | Brian Gallagher | Ohio University |
2002‐2003 | Goalie | #1 | Tim Danlow | University of Illinois |
2001‐2002 | Forward | #10 | Neal Price | Pennsylvania State University |
2000‐2001 | Forward | #8 | Glenn Detulleo | Iowa State University |
1999‐2000 | Forward | #9 | Alon Eizenman | Pennsylvania State University |
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About American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) was founded in 1991 and is the national association for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. Our organization of more than 450 colleges and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide. With approximately 13,000 players and coaches as well as countless volunteers and game officials, the ACHA has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and continues to be a viable option for college bound student-athletes to continue playing competitive hockey nationwide. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA’s primary mission is to support the growth of Collegiate Hockey while emphasizing academic performance, personal development, and opportunities for regional, national, and international competition. The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and finished its 33rd season in March 2024. For more information, visit achahockey.org.