Eight Canada West players honoured by U SPORTS
Canada West Communications
EDMONTON - A total of eight Canada West players were honoured Wednesday night by U SPORTS ahead of the 2017 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.
Along with its major award winners, U SPORTS unveiled the 2017 All-Canadians and All-Rookies.
Three CW players earned a spot on the first team, as Alberta's Noah Cunningham and Ajeej Sarkaria, along with CW Player of the Year Mitchell Popadynetz of TRU cracked the nation's top team
On the second team were Alberta goalkeeper Connor James, and forward Victory Shumbusho of UBC, who was also the CW nominee for national rookie of the year.
Rounding out the honourees were Saskatchewan's Kwame Opuko (M), UBC's Patrick Izett (M), and Shumbusho on the all-rookie squad.
Canada West did not receive a national individual award, as StFX striker Dan Hayfield was honoured with the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as U SPORTS men’s soccer Player of the Year,Carleton forward Gabriel Bitar captured the Lou Bilek Award as Rookie of the Year, while Acadia defender Zachary Visser earned the Student-Athlete Community Service Award for his outstanding contribution both on and off the playing field. Cape Breton bench boss Dean Morley received the Coach of the Year award.
Along with Popadynetz (Player of the Year) and Shumbusho (Rookie of the Year), the CW nominees for U SPORTS awards were: Toluwalope Esan (Alberta - Student-Athlete Community Service), and Mike Shearon (Trinity Western - Coach of the Year).
The U SPORTS championship opens Thursday with quarter-final action, as UBC takes on UNB (11 a.m. PST), and TRU takes on York (5 p.m PST).
2017 U SPORTS MEN’S SOCCER ALL-CANADIANS
First Team
POS. | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | SCHOOL | ELIGIBILITY | HOMETOWN | PROGRAM |
GK | Nizar | Houhou | Laval | 4 | Melun, France | Health & Phys. Ed. |
D | Daniel | Gogarty | York | 4 | Toronto, Ont. | Business Economics |
D | Noah | Cunningham | Alberta | 2 | St Albert, Alta. | Education |
M | Cristian | Cavallini | York | 2 | Woodbridge, Ont. | Liberal Arts |
M | Omar | Kreim | Montréal | 2 | Laval, Que. | Law |
M | Mitchell | Popadynetz | Thompson | 4 | Nelson, B.C. | Business |
M | Marcus | Lees | UNB | 5 | Barrie, Ont. | Sports & Recreation |
F | Ajeej | Sarkaria | Alberta | 2 | Edmonton, Alta. | Business |
F | Gabriel | Bitar | Carleton | 1 | Ottawa, Ont. | Arts |
F | Daniel | Hayfield | StFX | 3 | Exeter, U.K. | Arts |
F | Frederic | Gravel-Lajoie | Montréal | 4 | Gatineau, Que. | Psychology & Sociology |
Second Team
POS. | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | SCHOOL | ELIGIBILITY | HOMETOWN | PROGRAM |
GK | Connor | James | Alberta | 4 | Edmonton, Alta. | Business |
D | Hugo | Lapointe-Senecal | Laval | 5 | Quebec, Que. | Sciences |
D | Ismail | Sow | Montréal | 2 | Ottawa, Ont. | Business Admin. |
D | Ryan | Parris | Acadia | 4 | Pembroke, Bermuda | Business Admin. |
D | Devon | Bowyer | Toronto | 5 | Toronto, Ont. | Health Policy |
M | Cory | Bent | Cape Breton | 2 | Preston, U.K. | Business Admin. |
M | Felipe | Da Costa Souza | UQAM | 5 | Verdun, Que. | Marketing |
M | Charlie | Waters | Cape Breton | 1 | Lancashier, U.K. | Community Studies |
M | Lukas | MacNaughton | Toronto | 5 | Toronto, Ont. | Graduate Studies |
F | Jace | Kotsopoulos | Guelph | 3 | Burlington, Ont. | Management, Economics & Finance |
F | Victory | Shumbusho | UBC | 1 | Chilliwack, B.C. | Arts |
All-Rookie Team
POS. | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | SCHOOL | ELIGIBILITY | HOMETOWN | PROGRAM |
FB | Joe | Hamilton | UNB | 1 | Morecambe, U.K. | Arts |
M | Connor | Wilson | Western | 1 | London, Ont. | King's College |
M | Marko | Mandekic | Toronto | 1 | Kitchener, Ont. | Management |
M | Heikel | Jarras | Montréal | 1 | St-Léonard, Que. | Math |
M | Kwame | Opoku | Saskatchewan | 1 | Calgary, Alta. | Engineering |
M | Patrick | Izett | UBC | 1 | Delta, B.C. | Arts |
M | Blake | Fenton | StFX | 1 | Halifax, N.S. | Arts |
F | Gabriel | Bitar | Carleton | 1 | Ottawa, Ont. | Undeclared |
F | Simon | Malaborsa | Concorida | 1 | Montreal, Que. | Economics |
F | Charlie | Waters | Cape Breton | 1 | Lancashier, UK | Community Studies |
F | Victory | Shumbusho | UBC | 1 | Chilliwack, B.C. | Arts |