WELLAND, Ont. - Algonquin College's Stephane Emard (Ottawa) is the 2014 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men's soccer player of the year. He received the award in a ceremony held in Welland, Ont. on Thursday evening.

The third-year player appeared in all seven regular season matches and was a work horse in the middle of the pitch. Although he didn't appear on the score sheet, Emard was integral to the Algonquin offensive attack, being credited with eight assists throughout the season.

The Algonquin co-captain is also an OCAA all-star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian.

David Velastegui (Ecuador) of Sheridan College is also a CCAA all-Canadian. The fifth-year midfielder was the league and west regional scoring champion, scoring nine goals in eight matches. Velastegui is also an OCAA all-star.

Ontario's CCAA coach of the year nominee is Mike Baraslievski of St. Clair College. The Saints flirted with an undefeated record for most of the regular season, only losing the finale to west regional champion Humber. St. Clair's 5-1-2 record included an upset victory over then undefeated Sheridan in the next to last match of the season. Baraslievski is the OCAA west coach of the year.

The OCAA west and overall rookie of the year is Raheem Edwards (Toronto) of Sheridan. Edwards was one goal shy of OCAA scoring leader and teammate Velastegui with eight goals in seven matches. The rookie and veteran produced the top scoring combination in the league.

Julian Carr of Centennial College is the east coach of the year. Centennial's only loss of the regular season came against perfect Algonquin, losing 1-0. Centennial's 4-1-2 record earned the Colts third place in the east region.

The OCAA east rookie of the year is midfielder Isiah Passley (Pickering, Ont.) of Durham College. Passley showcased his speed, uncanny technical ability and a strong work ethic the entire season, helping lead the Lords to second place in the east region.

Algonquin's Isaac Johnson and Simon Brown were named the top defensive player and goalkeeper in the east region, respectively. Johnson (Ottawa), a third-year defender, and Brown (Ottawa), a fourth-year keeper, were key reasons why Algonquin was the top defensive team in the east allowing only two goals against. Not surprisingly, they also won the regional championship with a record of 7-0-0.

Humber College's Kingsley Boasiako and Alex Pothemont were named the top defensive player and goalkeeper in the west region, respectively. Boasiako (Brampton, Ont.), a second-year centre back, and Pothemont (Mississauga, Ont.), a second-year keeper, helped limit the opposition to just four goals, giving first-place Humber defensive team of the year honours.

First-year forward Kyle Laborde-Ayres (Scarborough, Ont.) of Seneca College is the east scoring champion, scoring seven goals in seven games. He is also an OCAA all-star.

Each OCAA team nominates two all-stars. The OCAA all-stars from the east region include Emard and third-year player Abraham Kamara (Guinea) of Algonquin; fifth-year player Stephane Legrand (Sudbury, Ont.) and third-year goalkeeper Evan Phillips (Toronto) of Cambrian College; third-year player Davinder Johal (Scarborough, Ont.) and third-year striker Mark Tarazhi (Detroit, Mich.) of Centennial; fourth-year defender Duncan Mitchell (Oshawa, Ont.) and first-year forward Sasa Vukoje (Etobicoke, Ont.) of Durham; first-year goalkeeper Tyler Delpellaro (Frankford, Ont.) and second-year midfielder Joey Penello (Fraserville, Ont.) of Fleming College; second-year goalkeeper Milad Kahani (Iran) and third-year defender Marti Mayrhofer-Lima (Toronto) of George Brown College; fourth-year midfielder Jeff Borges (Kingston, Ont.) and third-year midfielder Andre Vandel (Brockville, Ont.) of St. Lawrence College; as well as first-year defender Emmanuel Adjei (Toronto) and Laborde-Ayres of Seneca.

The OCAA West all-stars include first-year player Francesco Capriglione (New Hamburg, Ont.) and first-year forward Yalcin Uyar (Kitchener, Ont.) of Conestoga College; third-year forward Cedric N'Guessan (France) and first-year midfielder Onilede Oyeyemi Abimbola (Nigeria) of Fanshawe College; third-year midfielder Gerardo Magno (Brampton, Ont.) and fourth-year left back Dominic Roberts (Ajax, Ont.) of Humber; first-year goalkeeper Kellan Lindsay (Sarnia, Ont.) and first-year defender Beau Stonehouse (Sarnia, Ont.) of Lambton College; second-year defender Greg Green (Ancaster, Ont.) and second-year forward Anthony Halm (Brampton, Ont.) of Mohawk College; second-year midfielder Jordi Amores (St. Catharines, Ont.) and second-year forward Carlos Williams (St. Catharines, Ont.) of Niagara College; fourth-year midfielder Josh Elgeti (Peterborough, Ont.) and fourth-year goalkeeper Matt Koning (Hamilton, Ont.) of Redeemer University College; second-year defender Jamar Kelly (Windsor, Ont.) and fifth-year forward Brian Santos (Leamington, Ont.) of St. Clair; and second-year player Molham Babouli (Mississauga, Ont.) and Velastegui of Sheridan.

2014 OCAA MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

OCAA Men's Soccer Player of the Year
Stephane Emard, Algonquin

CCAA All-Canadians
Stephane Emard, Algonquin

David Velastegui, Sheridan

CCAA Men's Coach of the Year Nominee
Mike Baraslievski, St. Clair

OCAA Men's Soccer League Scoring Champion
David Velastegui, Sheridan

OCAA Men's Soccer Overall Rookie of the Year
Raheem Edwards, Sheridan

OCAA Regular Season Champions
East - Algonquin Thunder
West - Humber Hawks

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Coach of the Year
Julian Carr, Centennial

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Coach of the Year
Mike Baraslievski, St. Clair

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Rookie of the Year
Isiah Passley, Durham

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Rookie of the Year
Raheem Edwards, Sheridan

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Isaac Johnson, Algonquin

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Kingsley Boasiako, Humber

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Scoring Champion
Kyle Laborde-Ayres, Seneca

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Scoring Champion
David Velastegui, Sheridan

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Best Defensive Team
Algonquin Thunder

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Best Defensive Team
Humber Hawks

OCAA Men's Soccer East Division Top Goalkeeper
Simon Brown, Algonquin

OCAA Men's Soccer West Division Top Goalkeeper
Alex Pothemont, Humber

OCAA Men's Soccer League All-Stars
Stephane Emard, Algonquin
Abraham Kamara, Algonquin
Stephane Legrand, Cambrian
Evan Phillips, Cambrian
Davinder Johal, Centennial
Mark Tarazhi, Centennial
Duncan Mitchell, Durham
Sasa Vukoje, Durham
Tyler Delpellaro, Fleming
Joey Penello, Fleming
Milad Kahani, George Brown
Marti Mayrhofer-Lima, George Brown
Jeff Borges, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Andre Vandel, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Emmanuel Adjei, Seneca
Kyle Laborde-Ayres, Seneca
Francesco Capriglione, Conestoga
Yalcin Uyar, Conestoga
Cedric N'Guessan, Fanshawe
Onilede Oyeyemi Abimbola, Fanshawe
Gerardo Magno, Humber
Dominic Roberts, Humber
Kellan Lindsay, Lambton
Beau Stonehouse, Lambton
Greg Green, Mohawk
Anthony Halm, Mohawk
Jordi Amores, Niagara
Carlos Williams, Niagara
Josh Elgeti, Redeemer
Matt Koning, Redeemer
Jamar Kelly, St. Clair
Brian Santos, St. Clair

Molham Babouli, Sheridan
David Velastegui, Sheridan

- OCAA -

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