BRANDON - Nolan Melanson's marvelous futsal season has earned him a major award in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference.
 
The Bobcats' rookie has been recognized as the MCAC's most valuable player following his team-leading 20-goal performance during the regular season.
 
"It is incredibly humbling to earn the MVP award and it means that all our hard work is starting to pay off," said Melanson. "I would not have been considered for this honour if I did not have the group of guys around me that I do. My teammates deserve a ton of the credit."
 
"We are thrilled to see Nolan rewarded for his efforts this futsal season," said interim head coach Kaiten Critchlow. "Nolan was a constant threat on the court and is one of the most committed and hardest working players on the team."
 
The majority of Melanson's offence came in game tying or game winning situations for BU as he guided the team to a second-place finish in the men's standings with a record of 6-2-and-2.
 
Among the highlights for Melanson was scoring twice in 20 seconds in the final minute in a 6-5 victory over the Red River Rebels on February 4.
 
Meanwhile, first-year goaltender Dan Harrison has been named to the all-conference team following a stellar season between the pipes for the Bobcats.
 
"Dan steps into goal everyday and immediately gives us the belief and confidence that he can win any game for us," added Critchlow. "It is fantastic to see Dan rewarded in his first season in the MCAC."

At the MCAC Final Four tournament over the weekend, Melanson continued to lead the offensive charge, but the Bobcats came up short of capturing the title. Melanson netted a hat trick in BU's 6-5 loss to the eventual league champion Red River Rebels in Saturday's semifinal.