McGill grad McConnell named CIS coach of the year
LANGLEY, B.C. -- McGill graduate Kevin McConnell, who coaches
the Montreal Carabins women’s soccer team, has earned CIS
coach-of-the-year honours. McConnell, who holds a BA and Masters in
sports psychology from McGill, wore the Redmen colours for five
seasons, capturing the CIS title in 1997 under current Carabins
men’s 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’s 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’s 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.
“Kevin 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,” said Montreal director
of intercollegiate sports, Manon Simard. “This award is a true
honour for our entire program.”
Among other women’s 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’s great
Eilish McConville was the nation’s top freshman in 2003 and was
named player of the year three seasons later.
Other CIS major award winners were Trinity Western’s Nikki Wright
of Cloverdale, B.C., who was named rookie of the year and Alberta’s
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:
www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/w_soccer/2008
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’s W-League.
“Last year Stefania had an outstanding season. This year she has
been truly magnificent,” said York head coach Paul James. “With
such a young team we needed her to step up and to provide great
leadership and she’s 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.”
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’s faced playing
with the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program.
“Nikki 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,” said Spartans head coach Graham
Roxburgh. “I 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.”
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’s 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.
“Jackie’s natural kindness, generosity and willingness to help out
touches everyone that meets her,” said Alberta head coach Liz
Jepsen. “She 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.”
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 Émilie Mercier of
Longueuil, Que., UBC defender Chelsea Stang of Surrey, B.C.,
Montreal midfielder Véronique 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’s, and Sherbrooke striker Josée Bélanger of
Sherbrooke, Que.
Mercier, Stang and Bélanger all return from last year’s 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 Bélanger was the nation’s 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
Justine Labrecque of Quebec City, McMaster midfielder Cheryl
Druchok of Caledon, Ont., UBC midfielder Caitlin Davie of
Tsawwassen, B.C., Sherbrooke midfielder Andréanne Gagné 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
Athlete
University
Year
Hometown
Faculty
Goalkeeper
Amy
Holt
McMaster
5
Hamilton,
Ont.
Economics
Defender
Holly
Fiddick
Victoria
3
Victoria,
B.C.
Human & Social Development
Defender
Émilie
Mercier
Montreal
4
Longueuil,
Que.
Administration
Defender
Chelsea
Stang
UBC
4
Surrey,
B.C.
Arts
Midfielder
Véronique
Maranda
Montreal
3
Montreal,
Que.
Administration
Midfielder
Hannah
Abenheimer
Cape Breton
4
Sydney,
N.S.
Science
Striker /
Mid.
Erica
Basso
Toronto
3
King City,
Ont.
Arts & Science
Forward
Nikki
Wright
Trinity
Western
1
Cloverdale,
B.C.
Human Kinetics
Striker
Stefania
Morra
York
2
Scarborough,
Ont.
Sociology
Forward
Laura
Breen
Memorial
4
St. John’s,
Nfld.
Arts
Striker
Josée
Bélanger
Sherbrooke
3
Sherbrooke,
Que.
Kinesiology
Second Team
Goalkeeper
Jaclyn
Dunnett
UBC
4
Burnaby,
B.C.
Arts
Defender
Caitlin
Shaw
Cape Breton
3
Toronto,
Ont.
BACS
Defender
Jeanette
Huck
Dalhousie
3
Halifax,
N.S.
Commerce
Midfielder
Justine
Labrecque
UQAM
2
Quebec City,
Que.
Tourism
Midfielder
Cheryl
Druchok
McMaster
3
Caledon,
Ont.
Kinesiology
Midfielder
Caitlin
Davie
UBC
3
Tsawwassen,
B.C.
Arts
Midfielder
Andréanne
Gagné
Sherbrooke
2
St-Hyacinthe,
Que.
Political Sciences
Forward
Malorie
Harris
Memorial
4
Mount Pearl,
Nfld.
Arts
Striker
Kristina
Weatherbie
Cape Breton
5
West Covehead, P.E.I. Nursing
Forward
Andrea
Raso
Ryerson
2
Toronto,
Ont.
Business Management
Striker
Caroline
Vaillancourt
Laval
4
Quebec City,
Que.
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 Bélanger
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca