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WSOC: Leonard named CW Player of the Year

November 4, 2021

VANCOUVER - After a record breaking season on the pitch for the Calgary Dinos, Montana Leonard was named the Canada West women's soccer Player of the Year on Thursday.

The fifth-year forward from Richmond, B.C. scored a conference record 17 times in 2021, breaking the previous record of 16 set just a season ago in 2019-20.

Leonard's record breaking season helped the Dinos to a 9-2-1 mark during the regular season, and a second place finish in the conference's Central Division.

The conference also handed out three other individual major awards on Thursday. UBC's Sophia Ferreira was named the Rookie of the Year, Mount Royal's Janai Martens was honoured with the Student-Athlete Community Service Award and Trinity Western Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh was named the Coach of the Year.

In addition to the individual awards, the conference also announced the Trinity Western Spartans and Victoria Vikes as co-winners of the Canada West Fair Play Award, given annually to the program least penalized throughout the season.

WOMEN'S AWARD WINNERS

The Canada West season will come to a close this weekend with the Canada West Final Four is set to kick off in Langley, B.C. on Friday.

The hosts and top seed out of the West Division, the Trinity Western Spartans (11-0-1) take on the top seed from the East Division, the Saskatchewan Huskies (7-2-3) in the first of two semifinals at 4:30 p.m. PDT on Friday.

The MacEwan Griffins (10-2-0), the No. 1 seed out of the Central Division will face the second seed out of the West Division, the UBC Thunderbirds (9-1-2), in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. PDT.

Saturday's bronze medal match is set for 4:30 p.m. PDT, with the championship to follow at 7:30 p.m. PDT. All four matches will be available live on Canada West TV Presented by Co-op.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Montana Leonard, Calgary

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Calgary's Montana Leonard is the 2021 Canada West Player of the Year after a record breaking campaign for the Dinos.

The Richmond, B.C. product scored 17 goals in 12 matches this season, eclipsing the previous record of 14. Leonard scored in 10 of the Calgary's 12 regular season games, recording five multi-goal games, including a pair of hat-tricks, along the way. The fifth-year Dino also scored the game winning goal five times in the match.

Leonard is the fifth Dino to win the Player of the Year award, and the first since Jordan Smith in 2016. Leonard will move forward as the Canada West nominee for the U SPORTS Player of the Year Award looking to become the third straight conference nominee to win the national award.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Sophia Ferreira, UBC

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UBC Thunderbirds first-year defender Sophia Ferreira is the 2021 Canada West Rookie of the Year after an outstanding first season on the back line.

The Coquitlam, B.C. native started 10 matches for UBC this season and led the T-Birds with six assists. The Kinesiology student's six assists were also good enough to tie for third in the conference.

Ferreira's defensive efforts helped lead a stout UBC defence that allowed a conference-low four goals during the regular season.

Ferreira is the ninth Thunderbird to win the conference Rookie of the Year award, and will move forward as the conference's nominee for the national award.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD - Janai Martens, Mount Royal

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Fifth-year Mount Royal Cougar Janai Martens is the 2021 Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award recipient after displaying excellence athletically, academically and in the community.

Martens is a four-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian after posting a 4.0 GPA through four years at Mount Royal.

The fifth-year Cougar has volunteered with various organizations including the Alberta Sport and Recreation Centre for the Blind, Calgary Women's Run, and the Transitional Vocational Program, assisting with adults with disabilities.

The Grande Prairie, Alta. native has also spent time giving back to the soccer community as a coach with various age groups in both Calgary and Grande Prairie.

Martens, who is the first women's soccer student-athlete from Mount Royal to receive the award, will move forward as the conference's nominee for the national award.

COACH OF THE YEAR - Graham Roxburgh

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Trinity Western Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh is the 2021 Canada West Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second straight season.

In his 22nd season as the Spartans head coach, Roxburgh guided Trinity Western to an unblemished 11-0-1 record in 2021. The Spartans earned the top seed in the West Division and advanced through the quarter-final round to host the 2021 Women's Soccer Final Four.

As a team, Trinity Western led the conference in scoring with 34 goals in 12 matches. The Spartans also tied for the conference lead in goals allowed, with just four, and posted a conference best nine shutouts.

It's the fifth-time Roxburgh has been honoured by his coaching colleagues across the Canada West after also winning the award in 2019, 2016, 2014, and 2011.