Green named national rookie of the year

TORONTO – University of Calgary Dinos defender Isabella Green was named the winner of the Joyce Slipp Award as U SPORTS Rookie of the Year on Thursday at the 2022 U SPORTS Women's Field Hockey Championship in Victoria, BC.

Veteran University of Victoria defender Anna Mollenhauer became the first three-time winner of the Liz Hoffman Award as the national player of the year, while other major award winners at Thursday's banquet include Frankie St. Louis from York University, who was presented with the Gail Wilson Award for community engagement, Lelia Sacré who was named the U SPORTS Umpire of the Year and Lynne Beecroft who earned the nod as the Fox 40 U SPORTS Coach of the Year Award and the Marina Van Der Merwe Trophy.

Green becomes the third Dinos field hockey player to win the Joyce Slipp Award, joining current teammate Tayler Guy in 2019 and Sabrina Wong in 2015.

"Isabella was a strong contributor to both penalty corner offensive and defensive units for the Dinos and her versatility became a huge asset to our young squad," said Dinos field hockey head coach Jenn Swagar. "Her commitment to improvement and her consistent effort are important character traits for us. She never complains, she is not flashy or does she make crazy plays, she is a steady and fundamentally sound player that you can rely on and help build a team around."

Green came to the Calgary Dinos hot off a successful individual performance at the U18 FHC National Championship, where she co-captained a Vancouver Island-based BC team. Her tireless work ethic, efficiency in both directions on the pitch and her leadership shown in the summer transitioned flawlessly to her first-year season with the Dinos.

Usually an attacker or midfielder, Green slid into one of the most challenging defensive positions on the pitch, at left defence. Tasked with managing the opponent's strongest and often fastest strikers who are attacking on their forehand, Green didn't seem phased. Starting and playing nearly every minute of every game was a testament to Green's strength and fitness heading into the Canada West season, and her fearless, gritty nature made her a key cog to the Dinos' defence.
 
Green rivalled with the best, tackling top players, many of who have been through the recent Canadian Junior World Cup and NextGEN cycles with full confidence. A demeanour on the pitch that carried maturity and experience is something any coach would value for a rookie stepping into the backline, and that was what Green delivered.

Additionally, Green was named a First Team All-Canadian selection, marking the fifth consecutive season the Dinos have had at least one member on the nation's top honour's list.