In receiving the Travis Roy Award one week ago as Maine’s top senior ice hockey player, Cam Poussard did his best to deflect attention from his stunning numbers.

Instead, he focused on his experiences as a teammate, a friend and a student.

And while all of those things contributed to his success, the reality is, Poussard’s numbers are what they are: Brilliant.

With a career goals-against average south of 1.75, a career save percentage better than .950 and a remarkable 27 shutouts and 55 victories in four years, Poussard’s numbers rank him among the best ever in Maine high school hockey history.

And it all started with a vote of confidence early in his freshman season from a veteran coach.

“I’d like to thank Coach (Norm) Gagne of Scarborough for giving that first shot my freshman year at Bangor.” Poussard said during his Travis Roy Award speech. “That really is what got me started with the success I’ve had the last couple of years.”

Poussard grabbed his opportunity and ran with it.

“I was just hoping to get some starts here and there, and one thing happened, and then another,” Poussard said. “It was just a chain reaction. I got more and more starts. He’s really what started my career.”

Once his career began, there was no slowing him down. Fifty-five wins and 27 shutouts later, the senior earned Class A hockey’s ultimate prize, the Travis Roy Award, and in doing so became the first Lewiston player to collect that praise.

“If you think about all of the good hockey players who have come through Lewiston over the years, I think it’s real special for Cam to be the first one to win this award,” Lewiston coach Jamie Belleau said. “It’s certainly well-deserved.”

If there is one knock on Poussard’s career, it’s that in four seasons, the keeper never won a state title with the history-rich Blue Devils, who have failed to capture the state’s top team prize since 2002.

“One of my goals has always been to win a state championship with Lewiston,” Poussard said. “Lewiston’s won many state championships in the past, but never have we had a Travis Roy Award winner. I think the program respects that. Although we didn’t get done what we wanted to at the state game this year, I think getting the Travis Roy, it’s a big thing, not just for me, but for the program as well.”

And, Poussard said, ultimately, the state crown is just another statistic.

“What I’ll remember from my hockey career in high school is not the ups or the downs, not the accomplishments or the failures, but the memories I shared with my brothers on the Lewiston High School hockey team this year,” Poussard said during his speech.

And afterward, he reflected deeper on that concept.

“It’s really meant more to me than any statistics,” Poussard said. “It’s not going to be, fifty years from now, ‘Oh, didn’t I shut out this team or have this many wins.’ It is what it is. The things I’ll remember are the times in the locker room, the fooling around, the playing tricks on coaches, all of that stuff we had. It’s a good way to end.”

Poussard can add one more statistic to end of his long and distinguished resume. For his stellar on-ice performance this season, Poussard is the 2010-11 Sun Journal Boys’ Ice Hockey Player of the Year.

 

First Team

Kolby Arnold F Poland/Gray-NG

Sam Cloutier F Lewiston

Dakota Keene F St. Dom’s

Alex Parker F St. Dom’s

Colt Steele F Lewiston

Ben Wigant F Lewiston

Will Desmarais D St. Dom’s

Cody Dussault D Lewiston

Scott Nadeau D Lewiston

Dylan Rodrigue D St. Dom’s

Austin Christopher G St. Dom’s

Cam Poussard G Lewiston

Second Team

Nate Bergeron F St. Dom’s

Cooper Legee F Leavitt

Spencer Martin F St. Dom’s

Dylan Nadeau F Edward Little

Cody Rodrigue F St. Dom’s

Cody Russell F Edward Little

Ian Durgin D Leavitt

Connor Lacasse D MHW

Sam Meyer D Poland/Gray-NG

Zack Parker D Lewiston

Grant Carrier G St. Dom’s

Rich Belanger G Edward Little