2009 Canada West women’s soccer awards and all-stars announced

by Canada West Communications Office

EDMONTON - Canada West announces the 2009-10 women's soccer Awards and All-Stars, as selected by head coaches conference-wide.

Kendra Flock, a fifth-year striker of the UVic Vikes, has been named 2009 Canada West women's soccer Player of the Year and a First Team All-Star. Flock scored a league-high 14 goals, which was the second highest single-season total in Canada West history and also broke a UVic school record. Flock scored in 11 of 14 games, and along with two assists, she accounted for 64% of the Vikes offence. The Kinesiology major's 2009 performance was so impressive, she was seconded for the Canadian Senior National team's training camp in Florida, November 3-11.

"Kendra has been our major powerhouse on offence. She does everything - score goals, setup goals, attack - she does everything," said UVic head coach Tracy David. "She has capped off her four years at UVic with her best season to date, and to be invited to the National team camp is a testament to what she achieved and the player she is."

Getting the nod as conference Rookie of the Year is Alicia Tesan of the Trinity Western Spartans.

As a forward with the Spartans, Tesan, from Vancouver, has had an immediate impact with the squad. In her 12 matches she has found the back of the net seven times and set up her teammates for three helpers to give her ten points in her inaugural season with TWU. Her totals put her sixth in points per game at 0.83 and fifth in total goals and goals per game. The Vancouver native did not take long to show her impact as she scored three times in the Spartans first three road games to give TWU three crucial road victories to start the season. The Human Kinetics major finished the season with 24 total shots of which 50 percent (12) found the target.

"Alicia has been one of the most consistent and dangerous threats to opposing teams all season. She has scored timely goals against the strongest competition in the conference and has been a major force in helping TWU to it first ever Canada West League title," said Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh.

The speedy forward was also a member of this year's Team B.C. who won gold at the Canada Summer Games.

The 2009 women's Coach of the Year is Trinity Western University sideline boss Graham Roxburgh.

In his 11th season with the Spartans Roxburgh has built Trinity Western's women's soccer program into a perennial contender. During his tenure Roxburgh's has accumulated an impressive 125-74-38 (114-57-35 in CIS) record which includes two CIS championships in 2008 and 2004, two Canada West championships, in 2006 and 2004.

This season Roxburgh led one of his youngest teams, who average just over two years of CIS experience, to the programs first ever Canada West league title finishing the season with a 11-2-1 record and in the process setting school records for 11 wins and 34 points in a season.

"What a great honour for Graham, to be selected by his peers for this prestigious award. Graham has set the standard for coaching excellence at TWU in a number of areas under our Complete Champion Approach - he has built an excellent expert-based staff around him, recruited top student athletes who fit the high performance - high character culture he demands," stated Trinity Western University Director of Athletics Murray Hall, adding, "Graham's team knows the game of soccer, but are also always learning more and more about what it means to be contributing and serving, local and global citizens in outreach and cross-cultural impact."

Statistically this year's Spartans finished third in total goals, with 28, and goals per game at two on offence, while finishing second in Canada West in defence, giving up only eight goals for an average of 0.57 per game. Their defence also led the league in only allowing teams 8.36 total shots and 3.93 shots on goal per game.

Fifth-year Education major, Alberta Pandas defender Veronique Mayer, was voted winner of the Student-Athlete award.

After starting her career as a goalkeeper, Mayer made the switch to defender in her second year, and has thrived at the position ever since. She is the Pandas' team captain, served as a team captain for the Canadian team at 25th Summer Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia this past July and was in 2007 she was a Canada West All-Star.

Mayer has coached high school soccer and basketball, run volunteer goal-keeper soccer camps, and day camps for education week at Bon Accord high school. She is also involved in the annual U of A United Way sub day, and has been the Pandas soccer rep on the student union board. She also sits on the Pandas alumni board, and coaches Pandas summer camps and Mayer also participates in the Bear Hugs program at the Stollery Children's Hospital.

"Veronique, or ‘Fro' as she is known, has been one of the most remarkable student-athletes to have come through the Pandas soccer program in any of my years with the program as a player, and member of the coaching staff," said Pandas head coach Liz Jepsen. "Her perseverance, dedication, camaraderie, sportsmanship, respect and sense of humour have touched many in the community. She has been a great leader for the Pandas soccer program, and contributor and mentor to the community at large."

Of note on this year's First All-Star team are Holly Fiddick of Victoria, Chelsea Stang of UBC, TWU's Nikki Wright and Jaclyn Dunnett, all CIS All-Canadians a year ago. Wright was 2008 Canada West Player of the Year and CIS Rookie of the Year. Dunnett is now a conference All-Star four years running, Fiddick has made the grade three straight years, and Stang, now in her fifth year, has made All-Canadian status each the past two seasons. Desiree Scott, 2005 CWUAA Rookie of the Year, was a First Team selection last season and is a First Teamer again in this, her final Canada West campaign.

Following is a complete list of all 2009 Canada West women's soccer Awards and All-Stars:

Awards
Player of the Year: Kendra Flock, Victoria
Rookie of the Year: Alicia Tesan, Trinity Western
Coach of the Year: Graham Roxburgh, Trinity Western
Student-Athlete Award: Veronique Mayer, Alberta
Fair Play Award: Calgary

All-Stars
First Team
Goalkeeper: Jaclyn Dunnett, UBC
Fullback: Chelsea Stang, UBC
Fullback: Holly Fiddick, Victoria
Fullback: Veronique Mayer, Alberta
Fullback: Kelly Isberg, UBC
Midfielders: Desiree Scott, Manitoba
Midfielder: Jackie Snell, Victoria
Midfielder: Melissa Mobilio, Trinity Western
Midfielder: Lisa Furutani, UBC
Striker: Kendra Flock, Victoria
Striker: Nikki Wright, Trinity Western

Second Team
Goalkeeper: Stephanie Parker, Victoria
Fullback: Shayla Behrens, Victoria
Fullback: Keshia Wallin, Alberta
Fullback: Dana Baker, Manitoba
Fullback: Jilian Dietrich, Trinity Western Midfielder: Lyndsay Stewart, Alberta
Midfielder: Sarah Clark, Victoria
Midfielder: Natalie Boyd, Trinity Western
Midfielder: Daniela Fuenzalida, Saskatchewan
Striker: Caley Miskimmin, Manitoba
Striker: Alicia Tesan, Trinity Western

Major award winners now become finalists for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national awards, to be handed out at the end of the season. The 2009 CIS women's soccer championship goes November 12-15 at the University of Toronto. The two gold medal finalists at this weekend's Final Four will advance to Nationals.

About CWUAA "Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of 14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, the CWUAA produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues and events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games."