2022-23 Griffins Awards: Introducing our Male Athlete of the Year finalists
March 30, 2023

2022-23 Griffins Awards: Introducing our Male Athlete of the Year finalists

MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Another season of Griffins Athletics is in the books with big wins and great memories to cherish.

Excellence was evident on the field, court and ice as MacEwan student-athletes displayed character, commitment and talent throughout the 2022-23 season.

As we count down to the our annual MacEwan Griffins' Awards Banquet this Saturday we will be revealing the finalists for our major awards in the following order:

Monday: Male Rookie of the Year

Tuesday: Female Rookie of the Year

Wednesday: Female Athlete of the Year

Today: Male Athlete of the Year

Friday: Academic Team of the Year and Team of the Year

Here are the three finalists for Male Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order by last name):  

Ashton Abel, men's hockey

The backbone of the Griffins men's hockey team this season, Abel was in goal for eight of team's nine wins during the 2022-23 campaign. In those wins, he stopped 256 of 274 shots for a save percentage of .934. Abel finished the season leading Canada West in games played (23), shots against (788), minutes played (1,275:02) and was tied for fourth in wins (8). His calm, collected demeanour gave MacEwan confidence and led them to several upset victories over more established programs.

Notable 2022-23 stats:

1,275:02 minutes played (1st MacEwan, 1st CW, 7th U SPORTS)

702 saves (1st MacEwan, 1st CW, 2nd U SPORTS)

4.05 GAA (1st MacEwan, 10th CW, 38th U SPORTS)

.891 save percentage (1st MacEwan, 10th CW, 36th U SPORTS)

8 wins (1st MacEwan, T4th CW , T18th U SPORTS)

Awards & Honours:

• MacEwan Sandman Player of the Month (October) 

• Made the MacEwan Athletics' Three Stars of the Week list twice (2nd star – Oct. 11, Oct. 25).

Records broken:

• Set a new record for most minutes by a Griffins goaltender in its CW era (1,275:02), which is also the eighth-most in the program's overall history 

• Broke the program record for most saves in a CW season (702), which is the third-most since Griffins men's hockey began in 1998 

• Also set new standards in the program's Canada West era for goals against average (4.05), save percentage (.891) and wins (8) 

• Recorded the longest shutout streak since the Griffins joined Canada West (65:14 from Oct. 22-28, 2022).

Notable accomplishments:

• Had the third-most saves by a Griffins goaltender in a CW game when he stopped 48 at Alberta on Oct. 7, 2022, leading MacEwan to its first win over the Golden Bears since 2007

• He also appears on the top-10 list for most saves in a CW game three other times from 2022-23 when he recorded 46 saves vs. Alberta on Dec. 2, 44 at UBC on Oct. 29 and 44 vs. Mount Royal on Feb. 3.

Ashton Abel stares down a point-blank chance from Mount Royal during a game earlier this season. He finished with a conference-leading 702 saves in 2022-23 (Joel Kingston photo).

Matthew Osunde, men's basketball

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the point guard's season is how he managed to fill the stats sheet across the board, leading the Griffins in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, free throws and three-pointers. Osunde did everything but mop the floor for the Griffins men's basketball team in one of the most impressive multi-cat performances in program history. 

Notable 2022-23 stats:

34.5 minutes/game (1st MacEwan, 3rd CW, 9th U SPORTS)

271 points (1st MacEwan, 27th CW, 75th U SPORTS) 

13.6 PPG (1st MacEwan, 34th CW, 90th U SPORTS)

129 rebounds (1st MacEwan, 18th CW, 53rd U SPORTS)

81 assists (1st MacEwan, 10th CW, 25th U SPORTS)

32 steals (1st MacEwan, 14th CW, T40th U SPORTS)

71/88 free throws (1st MacEwan, 8th CW, T24th U SPORTS)

32/138 three pointers (1st MacEwan, 27th CW, 85th U SPORTS)

Awards & Honours:

• Made the MacEwan Athletics' Three Stars of the Week list four times (2nd star – Nov. 22, Jan. 24; 3rd star – Jan. 10, Jan. 31)

Notable accomplishments:

• Averaged a career high 34.5 minutes/game in 2022-23 – the second-highest average by a Griffin in the program's CW history 

• His 271 points is the seventh-most by a Griffin in a CW season, while his 13.6 points/game average is tied for seventh 

• His 129 rebounds in 2022-23 is the second-most by a player in the program's CW history

• Osunde's 81 assists in 2022-23 is the second-most by a player since the Griffins joined CW in 2014 

• Produced two double-doubles in 2022-23, tied for the third-most in the program's CW 

• His 32 steals is tied for the third-most in MacEwan's CW history 

• Made 71 of 88 free throws in 2022-23 – the fourth-most in the program's CW history and his FT percentage (80.7) is seventh-best 

• Canned 32 of 138 three pointers in 2022-23 – the eighth-most by a Griffin in a CW season 

• Had the second-most turnovers by a Griffin in a CW season (82).

 Matthew Osunde had an incredible season for MacEwan, leading the Griffins in almost every statistical category (Lethbridge Sports photo).  

Alexei Walisser, men's volleyball

Only one player – 2019-20 Male Athlete of the Year Max Vriend – has ever recorded more kills in a Canada West season than Walisser did in 2022-23 as he accounted for 31 per cent of the Griffins' attack – numbers that placed him in the top 10 in the country. He put an exclamation point on a seven-year university athletics journey that began as a badminton student-athlete at King's University in 2016-17 with a season that was one of the best by anyone in the Canada West men's volleyball ranks.

Notable 2022-23 stats:

88 sets played (1st MacEwan, T24th CW, T24th U SPORTS)

289 kills (1st MacEwan, 7th CW, 10th U SPORTS)

3.28 kills/set (1st MacEwan, 9th CW, 22nd U SPORTS)

14 service aces (2nd MacEwan, T42 CW, T75th U SPORTS)

326.5 points (1st MacEwan, 10th CW, 13th U SPORTS)

3.7 points/set (1st MacEwan, 10th CW, T26th U SPORTS)

Awards & Honours:

• Made the MacEwan Athletics' Three Stars of the Week list three times (1st star – Nov. 8, Nov. 22, Feb. 21)

Records broken:

• Tied the program record for most service aces in a CW match when he had four against Trinity Western on Dec. 3, 2022

Notable accomplishments:

• Produced the second-most kills in a single Canada West season in program history (289), which is also fifth-best all-time (CW and ACAC) 

• His 3.28 kills/set average is third-best in the program's CW history 

• Produced 326.5 points (second best in the program's CW history and third in all-time program history) 

• His 3.7 points/set average is the fourth-best single season in the program's CW history 

• His 119 digs in 2022-23 is tied for the 10th most since the Griffins joined CW in 2014 

• Walisser's 23 kills against Calgary on Nov. 18, 2022 is tied for the seventh most by a Griffin in a CW match 

• Produced 25.0 points vs. Calgary on Nov. 18, 2022 – tied for the eighth-most by a Griffin in a CW match 

• Played a team-leading 88 sets in 2022-23 (tied for fifth in program history and T3rd by a Griffin in a CW season)

Alexei Walisser finished the season with 289 kills - the 10th highest total in the country and the second-most in a Canada West season by a Griffins player (Eduardo Perez photo).