Philippe Maillet of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds and Sarah Bujold of the St. Francis Xavier University X-Women are the AUS finalists for the 2016-17 BLG Awards which recognize the best university athletes in Canada. (U SPORTS photos)

Two hockey players from the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference are among the eight finalists for the U SPORTS (formerly CIS) male and female athlete of the year award.

Forwards Philippe Maillet of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds and Sarah Bujold of the St. Francis Xavier University X-Women were recently named as the AUS finalists for the 2016-17 BLG Awards which recognize the best university athletes in Canada.

The BLG Awards, sponsored by the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais, honours the top university athletes in the country, drawn from more than 12,000 student-athletes representing the 56 institutions which make up U SPORTS.

Maillet led the Varsity Reds to their second straight University Cup title this past season and was named the MVP both in U SPORTS men's hockey and at the national championship tournament.

The four-year university star from Terrebonne, Que. had four assists in the Reds 5-3 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies in the University Cup final. He finished the event with 10 points (4G, 6A) and was a plus-10 in his team's three games.

In his time at UNB, Maillet tallied 166 points (60G, 106A) in 101 games. Before joining the college ranks, he toiled for three seasons with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, totaling 240 points (92G, 148A) in 252 junior contests.

He is also a two-time AUS MVP, three-time AUS first team all-star and two-time all-Canadian while twice (2015 and 2017) being been named top male athlete at UNB.

Maillet has since signed an amateur tryout (ATO) deal with LA Kings affiliate Ontario (California) Reign of the American Hockey League.

The other male finalists for the BLG Award (Doug Mitchell Trophy) are Laval Rouge et Or football player Mathieu Betts, York Lions soccer player Jonathan Lao and Trinity Western Spartans volleyball player Ryan Sclater.

Sarah Bujold, who hails from Riverview, N.B., led the nation in goals (24), points (43), and game winning markers with six in 24 games this past season. The third-year student-athlete captured the conference MVP award and was also named to the U SPORTS first-team all-star squad.

During her first year at St. FX, Bujold was a dual-sport athlete, playing both varsity hockey and soccer, but following an injury on the pitch she has since focused all her attention to the ice. In her three seasons with the X-Women, she has tallied 62 points (36G, 26A) in 72 games played.

The other female finalists for the BLG Award (Jim Thompson Trophy) are Laval Rouge et Or soccer player Arielle Roy-Petitclerc, Queen's Gaels cross-country runner Claire Sumner and University of British Columbia Thunderbirds volleyball player Danielle Brisebois.

The male and female winners of the BLG Awards, which were established in 1993, will each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship while all eight finalists will receive a commemorative gold ring.

The winners will be announced next week in Calgary. Alta. with the 2017 ceremony being aired nationally on Sportsnet later in May.