9I制作厂免费 grad McConnell named CIS coach of the year
LANGLEY, B.C. -- 9I制作厂免费 graduate Kevin McConnell, who coaches
the Montreal Carabins women鈥檚 soccer team, has earned CIS
coach-of-the-year honours. McConnell, who holds a BA and Masters in
sports psychology from 9I制作厂免费, wore the Redmen colours for five
seasons, capturing the CIS title in 1997 under current Carabins
men鈥檚 coach Pat Raimondo.
McConnell is the first Carabins' sideline boss to be chosen CIS
coach of the year since the Montreal-based club joined the QSSF in
2001.
In his fourth year at the helm, McConnell guided his troops to the
best campaign in the program鈥檚 short history. The Carabins led the
nation in goals scored (42) and tied for first in goals allowed (5)
en route to a sparkling 13-1 record and the team鈥檚 first
regular-season title. The UdeM girls, ranked No. 1 in the final
seven national coaches polls of the season, achieved another first
in the playoffs when they beat Sherbrooke 2-0 in the conference
final to claim the QSSF banner.
McConnell joined the Carabins as an assistant coach in 2004 and has
guided the team to a combined 36-3-17 conference mark since he took
over as head coach the following year. In 2001, he was named CCAA
coach of the year after he led the John Abbott Lady Islanders to
the national final.
鈥淜evin is passionate about soccer, and over a relatively short
period of time, he has demonstrated his ability to recruit, manage
and develop a high-level university team,鈥 said Montreal director
of intercollegiate sports, Manon Simard. 鈥淭his award is a true
honour for our entire program.鈥
Among other women鈥檚 soccer awards handed out by Canadian
Interuniversity Sport during the All-Canadian Banquet announced
Wednesday night, York sophomore striker Stefania Morra was named
the player of the year
Morra of Scarborough, Ont., is the first Lion to receive the
Chantal Navert Memorial Award since the inception of the trophy in
1995, and becomes the first player to capture MVP honours one year
after being named CIS rookie of the year. Former Queen鈥檚 great
Eilish McConville was the nation鈥檚 top freshman in 2003 and was
named player of the year three seasons later.
Other CIS major award winners were Trinity Western鈥檚 Nikki Wright
of Cloverdale, B.C., who was named rookie of the year and Alberta鈥檚
Jacqueline Smith of Sherwood Park, Alta., who received the second
annual Student-Athlete Community Service Award.
The 2008 CIS championship gets under way Thursday at Trinity
Western University. The gold-medal final is scheduled for Sunday at
3:30 p.m. Pacific.
Championship web site:
听听听
There was no sophomore jinx in 2008 for Morra, who followed up a
remarkable freshman season with an equally impressive second
campaign. One year after leading the nation with 19 goals in 14
conference outings, the sociology student made it back-to-back
scoring crowns, this time notching 18 markers in 14 games. The
21-year-old kicked off the season with consecutive three-goal
performances and never looked back, finishing with a CIS-leading
four hat tricks.
Her scoring prowess earned Morra OUA MVP and first-team
all-Canadian status for the second straight year, and helped the
Lions reach the top of the national rankings for the first time in
team history, on September 9. York took first place in the OUA West
standings with a 9-2-3 mark but was upset by Brock in the
quarter-final round of the Ontario playoffs.
Morra is also a member of the Toronto Lady Lynx soccer club of the
United Soccer League鈥檚 W-League.
鈥淟ast year Stefania had an outstanding season. This year she has
been truly magnificent,鈥 said York head coach Paul James. 鈥淲ith
such a young team we needed her to step up and to provide great
leadership and she鈥檚 done that. Scoring 18 goals is a testament to
her ability at this level. When you consider that she competed as a
central midfield player for the majority of the season, it
magnifies her ability.鈥
Wright is the first Spartan to be named CIS rookie of the year
since Trinity Western joined Canada West in 2001.
The graduate of Langley Secondary School scored twice as many goals
as the next best freshman in the nation during the regular season,
winning the Canada West scoring race and placing sixth in CIS with
12 markers in 14 games. She also led Canada West in points (18) and
game-winning goals (4) as the Spartans finished second with a 9-2-3
league record and went on to reach the conference final.
Wright, a human kinetics major, is the first player to be named
Canada West rookie of the year and MVP in the same season since the
conference began handing out soccer awards in 1995 and, like Morra
a year ago, earned a spot on the first all-Canadian team in her
university debut. Her early success with TWU can be largely
attributed to the high level of competition she鈥檚 faced playing
with the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program.
鈥淣ikki has had an outstanding rookie season. We knew in recruiting
her that she had the potential to come in and make an immediate
impact in the league with her talent, pace and ability to finish
and she has certainly done that,鈥 said Spartans head coach Graham
Roxburgh. 鈥淚 have been impressed with her ability to adjust to the
strength of defenders in the league and continue to be a dominant
player. She is a great young player that will only get better and
better.鈥
Smith, a fourth-year central midfielder was a key component to an
Alberta offence that finished fourth in Canada West with 25 goals.
The 21-year-old led the conference with nine helpers in 14
games.
A CIS Academic All-Canadian in 2007-08, the education student
volunteers with the Bear Hugs Program at U of A, the Stollery
Children鈥檚 Hospital, and Education Week in elementary schools. She
was the program director for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Pandas Summer
Camps, and coaches in the off-season with community and club soccer
teams as well as club level volleyball and junior high
basketball.
鈥淛ackie鈥檚 natural kindness, generosity and willingness to help out
touches everyone that meets her,鈥 said Alberta head coach Liz
Jepsen. 鈥淪he is a truly unique athlete, talented as a soccer player
but gifted as a person for the selfless contributions she makes to
those around her; be they in our immediate community or beyond,
young or old.鈥
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.
The nine players joining Morra and Wright on the first CIS squad
are McMaster goalkeeper Amy Holt of Hamilton, Victoria defender
Holly Fiddick of Victoria, Montreal defender 脡milie Mercier of
Longueuil, Que., UBC defender Chelsea Stang of Surrey, B.C.,
Montreal midfielder V茅ronique Maranda of Montreal, Cape Breton
midfielder Hannah Abenheimer of Sydney, N.S., Toronto striker /
midfielder Erica Basso of King City, Ont., Memorial forward Laura
Breen of St. John鈥檚, and Sherbrooke striker Jos茅e B茅langer of
Sherbrooke, Que.听听听聽
Mercier, Stang and B茅langer all return from last year鈥檚 first
all-Canadian team, while Basso was a second-team CIS all-star last
season. Mercier was the CIS rookie of the year in 2005 and is a
four-time all-Canadian in as many seasons, including two first-team
nods, while B茅langer was the nation鈥檚 top freshman in 2006 and is a
three-time CIS all-star in as many campaigns, including a pair of
first-team nominations.
The second CIS team for 2008 is comprised of UBC goalkeeper Jaclyn
Dunnett of Burnaby, B.C., Cape Breton defender Caitlin Shaw of
Toronto, Dalhousie defender Jeanette Huck of Halifax, UQAM
midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Justine Labrecque of Quebec City, McMaster midfielder Cheryl
Druchok of Caledon, Ont., UBC midfielder Caitlin Davie of
Tsawwassen, B.C., Sherbrooke midfielder Andr茅anne Gagn茅 of
St-Hyacinthe, Que., Memorial forward Malorie Harris of Mount Pearl,
Nfld., Cape Breton striker Kristina Weatherbie of West Covehead,
P.E.I., Ryerson forward Andrea Raso of Toronto, and Laval striker
Caroline Vaillancourt of Quebec City.
2008 CIS WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
Chantal Navert Memorial Award (player of the year): Stefania Morra,
York
Rookie of the year: Nikki Wright, Trinity Western
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Jacqueline Smith,
Alberta
Coach of the year: Kevin McConnell, Montreal
First Team
Position听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Athlete听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
University听听听聽聽
Year听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Hometown听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Faculty听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Goalkeeper听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Amy
Holt听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
McMaster听听听听听听聽
5听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Hamilton,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Economics
Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Holly
Fiddick听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Victoria听听听听听听听听听聽聽
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Victoria,
B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Human & Social Development
Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽
脡milie
Mercier听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Montreal听听听听听听听听听
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Longueuil,
Que.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Administration
Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Chelsea
Stang听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Surrey,
B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Arts
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
V茅ronique
Maranda听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Montreal听听听听听听听听听
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Montreal,
Que.听听听听听听听听听听听听
Administration
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Hannah
Abenheimer听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Cape Breton聽
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Sydney,
N.S.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Science
Striker /
Mid.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Erica
Basso听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Toronto听听听听听听听听听听听听
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
King City,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Arts & Science
Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Nikki
Wright听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Trinity
Western听听听听听听听听听聽聽
1听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Cloverdale,
B.C.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Human Kinetics
Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Stefania
Morra听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
York听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
2听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Scarborough,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Sociology
Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Laura
Breen听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Memorial听听听听听听听听听
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
St. John鈥檚,
Nfld.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Arts
Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Jos茅e
B茅langer听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Sherbrooke听听听听听听
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Sherbrooke,
Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Kinesiology
Second Team
Goalkeeper听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Jaclyn
Dunnett听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Burnaby,
B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Arts听听听聽聽
Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Caitlin
Shaw听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Cape Breton聽
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Toronto,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
BACS
Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Jeanette
Huck听听听听听听听听听听听听
Dalhousie听听听听听听听听听
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Halifax,
N.S.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Commerce
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Justine
Labrecque听听听听听听听听听聽聽
UQAM听听听听听听听听听听听听
2听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Quebec City,
Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Tourism
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Cheryl
Druchok听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
McMaster听听听听听听聽
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Caledon,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Kinesiology
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Caitlin
Davie听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
3听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Tsawwassen,
B.C.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Arts
Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Andr茅anne
Gagn茅听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Sherbrooke听听听听听听
2听听听听听听听听听聽聽
St-Hyacinthe,
Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Political Sciences
Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Malorie
Harris听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Memorial听听听听听听听听听
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Mount Pearl,
Nfld.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Arts
Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Kristina
Weatherbie听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Cape Breton聽
5听听听听听听听听听聽聽
West Covehead, P.E.I.聽聽 Nursing
Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Andrea
Raso听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Ryerson听听听听听听听听听
2听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Toronto,
Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Business Management
Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽
Caroline
Vaillancourt听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Laval听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽
4听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Quebec City,
Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽
Business Administration
-CIS-
For more information please contact:
Scott Stewart
Sports Information Director
Trinity Western University
Ph: (604) 513-2123
Cell: (604) 764-1533
ssstew [at] twu.ca
Michel B茅langer
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca