Saskatchewan Huskies hockey player Taran Kozun has earned the Canada West conference’s top honour.
The goalie was named the 2019-20 Canada West’s male athlete of the year on Thursday. Kozun is the sixth Huskie in school history to receive the award since it started in 1993.
Kozun led the conference in every key goaltending statistic this past season, posting a 1.87 goals-against average, .931 save percentage, five shutouts and 17 wins.
The Nipawin, Sask., native also became the second goalie in Canada West history to score on Jan. 18 against the Calgary Dinos.
The netminder for the 2020 Canada West champions would later go on to receive the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as U Sports men’s hockey player of the year, joining Jon Barkman (2001-02) as the lone Huskies to have captured the award.
“To be recognized as a top athlete is a huge honour and I’m happy that I’ll be able to look back on this accomplishment when I’m older,” Kozun said in a statement.
The third-year University of Saskatchewan student will now move forward as a Canada West nominee for the Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards, which honour the nation’s top male and female student-athletes.
Kozun is shooting to become the second Huskie to claim top honours in Canada after Adam Ens captured the title in 2003-04 with an MVP volleyball season on a national championship-winning team.
The Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards are scheduled to be announced on June 25.