SUDBURY, Ont. - Cambrian College's Tiffany Johnson (Val Caron) is the 2017 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women's Soccer Player of the Year. She received the award in a ceremony held in Sudbury, Ont., on Wednesday evening.
Johnson was the OCAA League Scoring Champion for the second time, scoring 21 goals in nine matches. She entered the season as the OCAA's all-time scoring leader, as she concludes her stellar career with 83 goals. Johnson is also an OCAA All-Star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian.
Algonquin's Melissa Gilligan (Cornwall) is also a CCAA All-Canadian. Gilligan was the East Division Scoring Champion with 17 goals in a dozen matches. Gilligan is also an OCAA All-Star.
Gilligan's head coach, Dominic Oliveri, is the OCAA's nominee for CCAA Coach of the Year. The East Division Coach of the Year, Oliveri led Algonquin to an unblemished regular season record of 12-0-0, as the Thunder earned the East Division championship and Best Defensive Team award allowing just two goals against. Other candidates for the award were Central Division Coach of the Year Peter Mackie of Conestoga, and West Division Coach of the Year Renzo Castellani of Mohawk.
The Overall Rookie of the Year is Bailey Colangelo (Whitby) of Durham. The freshman defender is also the East Division Defensive Player of the Year. Colangelo is also an OCAA All-Star. Other candidates for the award were Central Division Rookie of the Year Cassidy Chantler (Brampton) of Sheridan and West Division Rookie of the Year Michelle Maecker (Fonthill) of Niagara.
Other top defenders for 2017 include Central Division Defensive Player of the Year Alexandra Giannone (Mississauga) of Humber and West Division Defensive Player of the Year Alexis Hebert (Waterdown) of Niagara. Also honoured was West Division Scoring Champion Sheree Uyl (Blyth) of Fanshawe.
All three regular season champions, Algonquin in the East Division, Humber in the Central Division and Fanshawe in the West Division, were the best defensive teams in each of the respective divisions.
Several OCAA All-Stars were also recognized. In addition to Gilligan and Colangelo, OCAA East Division All-Stars include Chantal Cifuentes (North York) of Seneca; Emily Coons (Orono) of Durham; Megan Edwards (Belleville) of St. Lawrence-Kingston; Zoe Harrington (Peterborough) of Fleming; Natassha Hassenstein (Oshawa) of Durham; Georgia Iliopoulos (Ottawa) of Algonquin; Korina Lyte (Scarborough) of Seneca; Mallory McQueen (Kingston) of Algonquin; Francesca Pedulla (Richmond Hill) of Seneca; and Michelle Wilson (Ottawa) of Algonquin.
In addition to Johnson, OCAA Central Division All-Stars include Shaniece Bennett (Toronto) of Humber; Danielle Canhoto (Georgetown) of Humber; Kendra Challis (Burlington) of Sheridan; Vanessa Fiore (Brampton) of Humber; Alexandra Giannone (Mississauga) of Humber; Tiffany Lenselink (Palmerston) of Conestoga; Clarissa McArthur (Durham) of Cambrian; Claudia Piazza (Brampton) of Humber; Madison Roberts (Mississauga) of Sheridan; Rebecca Spratt (Mississauga) of Humber; and Giulia Zanardi (Tottenham) of Humber.
The OCAA West Division All-Stars include Julia Albeartie (Belle River) of St. Clair; Daniela Cardillo (Oakville) of Mohawk; Alexis Clements (London) of Fanshawe; Melanie Jubenville (Windsor) of St. Clair; Caitlin Laughlin (Waterdown) of Mohawk; Sylvia Lemay (Hamilton) of Mohawk; Sabrina Mariani (Guelph) of Mohawk; Alyssa O'Brien (Fort Erie) of Mohawk; Selena Roberts (London) of Fanshawe; Laura Stankovic (Stoney Creek) of Mohawk; and Chelsea Zavitz (St. Thomas) of Fanshawe.
2017 OCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
OCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Year
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
CCAA Women's Soccer All-Canadians
Melissa Gilligan, Algonquin
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Dominic Oliveri, Algonquin
OCAA Women's Soccer League Scoring Champion
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
OCAA Women's Soccer Overall Rookie of the Year
Bailey Colangelo, Durham
Regular Season Champions
East - Algonquin Thunder
Central - Humber Hawks
West - Fanshawe Falcons
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Coach of the Year
Dominic Oliveri, Algonquin
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Coach of the Year
Peter Mackie, Conestoga
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Coach of the Year
Renzo Castellani, Mohawk
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Rookie of the Year
Bailey Colangelo, Durham
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Rookie of the Year
Cassidy Chantler, Sheridan
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Rookie of the Year
Michelle Maecker, Niagara
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Bailey Colangelo, Durham
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Defensive Player of the Year
Alexandra Giannone, Humber
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Alexis Hebert, Niagara
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Scoring Champion
Melissa Gilligan, Algonquin
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Scoring Champion
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Scoring Champion
Sheree Uyl, Fanshawe
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Best Defensive Team
Algonquin Thunder
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Best Defensive Team
Humber Hawks
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Best Defensive Team
Fanshawe Falcons
OCAA Women's Soccer East Division All-Stars
Chantal Cifuentes, Seneca
Bailey Colangelo, Durham
Emily Coons, Durham
Megan Edwards, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Melissa Gilligan, Algonquin
Zoe Harrington, Fleming
Natassha Hassenstein, Durham
Georgia Iliopoulos, Algonquin
Korina Lyte, Seneca
Mallory McQueen, Algonquin
Francesca Pedulla, Seneca
Michelle Wilson, Algonquin
OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division All-Stars
Shaniece Bennett, Humber
Danielle Canhoto, Humber
Kendra Challis, Sheridan
Vanessa Fiore, Humber
Alexandra Giannone, Humber
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
Tiffany Lenselink, Conestoga
Clarissa McArthur, Cambrian
Claudia Piazza, Humber
Madison Roberts, Sheridan
Rebecca Spratt, Humber
Giulia Zanardi, Humber
OCAA Women's Soccer West Division All-Stars
Julia Albeartie, St. Clair
Daniela Cardillo, Mohawk
Alexis Clements, Fanshawe
Melanie Jubenville, St. Clair
Caitlin Laughlin, Mohawk
Sylvia Lemay, Mohawk
Sabrina Mariani, Mohawk
Alyssa O’Brien, Mohawk
Selena Roberts, Fanshawe
Laura Stankovic, Mohawk
Chelsea Zavitz, Fanshawe
- OCAA -
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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
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E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com