By Sheldon Spackman

Kings’ Keeper wins Coach of the Year for ACAC Men’s hockey

Mar 17, 2018 | 10:49 AM

The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference has announced RDC Kings hockey coach Trevor Keeper as the ACAC 2017-2018 Men’s Hockey Coach of the Year.

Keeper, an instructor in RDC’s Kinesiology & Sport Studies department has been the Head Coach of the Kings since their return to ACAC competition in 2013-2014 and has steadily built up the program again.

This season, the Kings finished with a 19-7-2-0 record and finished third in the regular season standings but lost in the playoff semi-finals to Grant MacEwan University.

“Trevor has been able to build a team which is very successful academically and athletically,” said Diane St-Denis, RDC Athletic Director in a college press release. “Winning this award is representative of his five-year vision for Kings hockey.”

Two of Keeper’s players have also been recognized for their outstanding achievements. Tanner Butler and Tyler Berkholtz have been named to the ACAC Men’s Hockey First All-Conference team.

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Butler, the Kings captain, is a fourth-year student athlete from Souris, Manitoba who recorded 12 goals and 21 assists along the blueline this season and was considered an integral part of the King’s special teams.

“I think that Tanner is the best two-way defenseman in the league,” said Keeper. “He led the d-men in scoring and finished fourth in league scoring. He is so good defensively, penalty killing and one-on-one.”

Fellow all-star and fifth-year student athlete Tyler Berkholtz is described as having a strong work ethic and being one of the tream’s heart and soul players. The Management Certificate student and assistant captain from Penticton, B.C. earned 16 goals and 22 assists this season, placing him second in league scoring.

“Tyler has gotten better every year over the four years that he has been here,” said Keeper. “He is a competitor, never quits and always wants to win. He’s a mature player and he was a great leader for us.”

The awards were announced at the opening game of the ACAC Men’s Hockey finals March 16.