TORONTO - Humber College's Marcelo Capozzolo was named the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men's soccer player of the year in a ceremony held at the Toronto Airport Hotel on Thursday evening.

The defender was part of a Humber squad that allowed a league-low four goals during the regular season. Humber also shut out the opposition five separate times. The Hawks finished as OCAA West region regular season champions with a 7-0-1 record, and was named the West's best defensive team.

"He has directed his defenders and as the last player at the back. His heart is bigger than his body and never gives up on a ball," praised Humber head coach Germain Sanchez. "He wins every 50-50 ball. Marcelo is the leader of his team."

Capozzolo (Toronto) was also named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian, the OCAA defensive player of the year in the West region as well as an OCAA all-star. Capozzolo's Humber College hosts the 2011 OCAA soccer championships beginning Friday.

Joining Capozzolo as an all-Canadian is Jose Bruno Mota of La Cite Coyotes. Mota (Guatemala, Guatemala) won his second straight OCAA scoring championship, netting 13 goals, averaging 1.86 per match. Mota was also named an OCAA all-star as well as scoring champion in the East region.

Conestoga's Matija Elez was named OCAA rookie of the year. The defender helped Conestoga give up a modest 12 goals in eight matches as the Condors clinched a playoff berth with a 4-3-1 record. Elez (Kitchener, Ont.) also scored one goal during the regular season. Elez was also named rookie of the year in the West region.

The CCAA coach of the year nominee from OCAA is Jimmy Zito of the Algonquin Thunder. Zito, a former player with the Thunder, led his team to the OCAA East region regular season championship with a record of 6-0-1. Algonquin was also the best defensive team in the East allowing just four goals against. Zito was also named OCAA coach of the year in the East region.

Other major award winners included West region scoring champion Robert Malbasic of St. Clair, who scored 10 goals in eight matches averaging 1.25 per game. Malbasic (Windsor, Ont.) was also named an OCAA all-star. Peter Koumoulas (Brampton, Ont.) of Humber was named top goalkeeper in the West region, while Marco Brundia (Pieggio, Italy) of Algonquin was given similar honours in the East. Both goalkeepers were members of the OCAA's top defensive teams.

Oshane Hylton (Ajax, Ont.) of Fleming-Peterborough was named the OCAA East region rookie of the year. The defender was also named an OCAA all-star. The Knights gave up a respectable 10 goals during the regular season. Sean Pound (Ottawa) of Algonquin was named the East region's top defender, helping his team record four shutouts in seven games.

Tony Silvestri of Sheridan was named the OCAA West region coach of the year. Sheridan tied Humber for the division's top record en route to a playoff berth.

A total of 34 OCAA all-stars were named, including Abdul Ibrahim (Ottawa) and Stef Emard (St. Lucia) of Algonquin; Charles Ubaja (Toronto) and E.J. Powell (Scarborough, Ont.) of Centennial; La Cite's Oussama Slimani (Ottawa); Duncan Mitchell (Pickering, Ont.) and Jelani De Jonge (Ajax, Ont.) of Durham; Mark Van Beek (Peterborough, Ont.) of Fleming-Peterborough; George Brown's Kyle Taitt (Toronto) and Anthony Ciccocelli (Mississauga, Ont.); Claudio Posca (Maple, Ont.) and Kailen Murphy (Scarborough, Ont.) of Seneca; Gereon Bayer (Montebello, Que.) and Matt Scrutton (Kingston, Ont.) of St. Lawrence-Kingston; Conestoga's Nathan Greene (Kitchener, Ont.) and Martin Mielnik (Kitchener, Ont.); Cedric N'Guessan (North Berger, N.J.) and Jordan Harvey (Port Perry, Ont.) of Fanshawe; Humber's Mario Orestano (Woodbridge, Ont.); Stuart Jodrell and Sean Robinson of Lambton; Mohawk's Alex Mickeloff (Caledonia, Ont.) and Adam Petrina (Grimsby, Ont.); Niagara's Mike Vitaterna (Niagara Falls, Ont.) and Ivan Ojvan (Thorold, Ont.); Jeremy Stevens (Limehouse, Ont.) and David Panza (Oakville, Ont.) of Redeemer; St. Clair's Mitchell Trevisol (Belle River, Ont.); and Nelson Cabral (Mississauga, Ont.) and Kevin Avila (Toronto) of Sheridan.

2011 OCAA MEN'S SOCCER MAJOR AWARDS AND ALL-STAR

Men's Soccer Player of the Year
Marcelo Capozzolo, Humber

CCAA All-Canadians
Marcelo Capozzolo, Humber
Jose Bruno Mota, La Cite

CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Jimmy Zito, Algonquin

Men's Soccer League Scoring Champion
Jose Bruno Mota, La Cite

Men's Soccer Overall Rookie of the Year
Matija Elez, Conestoga

Regular Season Champions
East - Algonquin Thunder
West - Humber Hawks

East Division Coach of the Year
Jimmy Zito, Algonquin

West Division Coach of the Year
Tony Silvestri, Sheridan

East Division Rookie of the Year
Oshane Hylton, Fleming-Peterbourgh

West Division Rookie of the Year
Matija Elez, Conestoga

East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Sean Pound, Algonquin

West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Marcelo Capozzolo, Humber

East Division Scoring Champion
Jose Bruno Mota, La Cite

West Division Scoring Champion
Robert Malbasic, St. Clair

East Division Best Defensive Team
Algonquin Thunder

West Division Best Defensive Team
Humber Hawks

West Division Top Goalkeeper
Peter Koumoulas, Humber

East Division Top Goalkeepers
Marco Brundia, Algonquin

OCAA League All-Stars
Stef Emard, Algonquin
Abdul Ibrahim, Algonquin
E.J. Powell, Centennial
Charles Ubaja, Centennial
Jose Bruno Mota, La Cite
Oussama Slimani, La Cite
Jelani De Jonge, Durham
Duncan Mitchell, Durham
Oshane Hylton, Fleming-Peterborough
Mark Van Beek, Fleming-Peterborough
Anthony Ciccocelli, George Brown
Kyle Taitt, George Brown
Claudio Posca, Seneca
Kailen Murphy, Seneca
Gereon Bayer, St. Lawrence Kingston
Matt Scrutton, St. Lawrence Kingston
Nathan Greene, Conestoga
Martin Mielnik, Conestoga
Jordan Harvey, Fanshawe
Cedric N'Guessan, Fanshawe
Marcelo Capozzolo, Humber
Mario Orestano, Humber
Stuart Jodrell, Lambton
Sean Robinson, Lambton
Alex Mickeloff, Mohawk
Adam Petrina, Mohawk
Ivan Ojvan, Niagara
Mike Vitaterna, Niagara
David Panza, Redeemer
Jeremy Stevens, Redeemer
Robert Malbasic, St. Clair
Mitchell Trevisol, St. Clair
Kevin Avila, Sheridan
Nelson Cabral, Sheridan

- OCAA -

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