Trinidad and Tobago and Carib Magnolias hockey star Stacey Siu Butt will be inducted into the American University (AU) Hall of Fame next January in recognition of her deft skills and winning mentality, which helped the United States university earn nationwide recognition in the mid-1990s.

Siu Butt's three-year stay at AU reaped 103 goals, 39 assists and 245 points and three successive team MVP accolades along with a bucket of individual records.

The 34-year-old hockey queen, who was recognised by the Trinidad and Tobago government as one of the country's most gifted athletes of the last millennium, follows former national football captain and Caribbean Player of the Year, David Nakhid, into the AU Hall of Fame.

Nakhid, who played professionally in Switzerland, Greece, Lebanon and Trinidad and Tobago, became a Hall of Famer in 2005 after graduating in 1987.

The striker, who is retired from international duty, joined AU in 1994 and immediately grabbed the spotlight with 35 goals and 12 assists as she led the nation in points per game (4.56) and was US collegiate's Rookie of the Year and a first team All-Central Athletic Association (CAA) pick.

Siu Butt was first team All-CAA again in her second year, despite playing half the season with a soft cast on her arm, and again led the nation in points per game (3.56). She was also featured in the Washington Post.

In her final year, she took the "Eagles" to the CAA finals for the first time-they lost 3-2 to Old Dominion-and, despite missing three games to represent her country at the World Cup preliminary stage, finished the season with an AU record 41 goals and 19 assists.

She became only the second Trinidad and Tobago hockey player to earn All-America first team status in 1996 after her 2003 Indoor World Cup teammate and Malvern star Sherlan Cabralis who won the prestigious nomination in 1991. Ventures attacker Yesenia Luces joined her two compatriots when she was named on the 2005 All-America first team.

Siu Butt was also profiled by USA Today and a "Face in the Crowd" for Sports Illustrated while she was co-MVP of the CAA tournament and was named to the USA National Indoor Championship all-tournament team.

Siu Butt represented Trinidad and Tobago at two World Cup tournaments-the 1993 Junior World Cup (Spain) and the 2003 Indoor World Championship (Germany)-and is a six-time national hockey player of the year. But she told the Express that AU holds a special place in her heart, and she was thrilled at her Hall of Fame award.

"I am really honoured," said Siu Butt. "Words cannot express how you feel when you get something like that. I put a lot of hard work in and I played my best hockey ever in those years at AU."

Siu Butt hopes to have more Trinbagonian company in the Hall of Fame soon as former American schoolmate, Avery John, distinguished himself in soccer at AU before going on to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 Germany World Cup tournament.

Siu Butt holds AU records in several categories:

Most goals in a game (six-done three times)

Most points in a game (14)

Most goals in a season (41)

Most points in a season (101)

Most career points and goals

 

Siu Butt is also joint-holder of the CAA record for goals in a tournament game with four, against VCU.