AVALOS EARNS TOP HONOURS IN OCAA WOMEN’S SOCCER

OTTAWA - Algonquin College's Kelly Avalos is the 2012 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's soccer player of the year. She received the award in a ceremony held in Ottawa on Friday morning.

Avalos (Ottawa) led the Thunder to a undefeated season and an OCAA East championship. Algonquin was the top defensive team in its division, due in large part to Avalos' skills. The fourth-year midfielder played a full 90 minutes in all eight regular season matches as Algonquin allowed a league-low three goals.

This is Avalos' second player of the year award, winning it in 2010. She is also an OCAA all-star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian.

Centennial head coach Diarmuid O'Connor is the OCAA East coach of the year and a nominee for the CCAA coach of the year. In his fourth season, O'Connor led the Colts to their best record since 2004. Centennial finished in fifth place in the East with a record of 3-4-1, earning its first post-season berth in eight seasons. The Colts have added two more playoff victories, and will play in their first OCAA semifinal since 2001.

Under O'Connor's guidance, third-year player Chelsea Gordon (Pickering) also earns a major award, being named East defensive player of the year. Gordon and teammate Mariam El-Masri (Scarborough) are OCAA all-stars.

Fanshawe first-year forward Marisa Oliveira (London) is the OCAA West and overall rookie of the year. Oliveira shared the overall OCAA scoring title, leading all West players scoring six goals in six games. Durham second-year midfielder Megan Arsenault (Ajax) is the other scoring champion, leading the East with eight goals in eight games. Both Oliveira and Arsenault are OCAA all-stars.

Paul Angelini of Sheridan is the West coach of the year. In his 17th season, Angelini guided the Bruins to the OCAA West championship with a record of 7-1-0. Sheridan was also the top defensive team in the division, allowing three goals in eight matches. This is in large part due to the play of third-year player Sarah Couto (Brampton), the West defensive player of the year. Couto and Sheridan's Kendra Cooper (Brampton) are OCAA all-stars.

Seneca second-year player Liana Tome (Markham) is the top goalkeeper in the East. Seneca allowed just seven goals in eight games. Fourth-year player Katerina Conde (Toronto) of Humber is the top goalkeeper in the West. Humber allowed five goals in eight matches.

Last but not least, Caroline Gratton (Ottawa) of La Cite is the East rookie of the year. The midfielder led the Coyotes in scoring with three goals.

Each OCAA team nominates two all-stars. Along with the previously mentioned players, the East all-stars include Algonquin's Jaymie Baldree (Cornwall); Katie Andrighetti (Sudbury) and Shannon Persi (Lively) of Cambrian; La Cite's Amélie Dugas (Ottawa) and Michelle DeRepentigny (Cornwall); Chelsey Rogatinsky (Pickering) of Durham; Fleming's Ashley White (Peterborough) and Michelle O'Brien (Peterborough); Tangye Seymour (Bridgewater, N.S.) and Elva-Ann Simpson (Wooler) of Loyalist; St. Lawrence-Kingston's Brooke Blaskie (Kingston) and Megan Hutcheson (Kingston); and Natalie Colangelo (Richmond Hill) and Victoria Curci (Richmond Hill) of Seneca.

The OCAA West all-stars include Conestoga's Kim Amaral (Cambridge) and Amanda John (St. George); Nicole McDonald (St. Thomas) of Fanshawe; Humber's Natasha Kroon (Orono) and Sonia Rocha (Mississauga); Jordan Hamilton (Guelph) and Katrina Kraayenbrink (Port Lambton) of Lambton; Mohawk's Shelby Dawdy (Hamilton) and Jody Hagan (Ancaster); Sarah Charlton (Strathroy) and Brittany Johnston (Ridgeway) of Niagara; Redeemer's Rachel Passchier (Pickering) and Carly Voortman (Caledonia); and Sara Kox (Denfield) and Stefanie Dummer (Windsor) of St. Clair.

The 2012 OCAA Women's Soccer Championship takes place Friday and Saturday at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

2012 OCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

OCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Year/CCAA All-Canadian
Kelly Avalos, Algonquin

CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Diarmuid O'Connor, Centennial

OCAA Women's Soccer League Scoring Champion
Megan Arsenault, Durham
Marisa Oliveira, Fanshawe

OCAA Women's Soccer Overall Rookie of the Year
Marisa Oliveira, Fanshawe

OCAA Women's Soccer Regular Season Champions
East - Algonquin Thunder
West - Sheridan Bruins

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Coach of the Year
Diarmuid O'Connor, Centennial

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Coach of the Year
Paul Angelini, Sheridan

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Rookie of the Year
Caroline Gratton, La Cite

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Rookie of the Year
Marisa Oliveira, Fanshawe

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Chelsea Gordon, Centennial

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Sarah Couto, Sheridan

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Scoring Champion
Megan Arsenault, Durham

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Scoring Champion
Marisa Oliveira, Fanshawe

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

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Best Defensive Team
Sheridan Bruins

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Top Goalkeeper
Liana Tome, Seneca

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Top Goalkeeper
Katerina Conde, Humber

OCAA Women's Soccer League All-Stars
Kelly Avalos, Algonquin
Jaymie Baldree, Algonquin
Katie Andrighetti, Cambrian
Shannon Persi, Cambrian
Mariam El-Masri, Centennial
Chelsea Gordon, Centennial
Michelle DeRepentigny, La Cite
Amélie Dugas, La Cite
Megan Arsenault, Durham
Chelsey Rogatinsky, Durham
Michelle O'Brien, Fleming
Ashley White, Fleming
Tangye Seymour, Loyalist
Elva-Ann Simpson, Loyalist
Brooke Blaskie, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Megan Hutcheson, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Natalie Colangelo, Seneca
Victoria Curci, Seneca
Kim Amaral, Conestoga
Amanda John, Conestoga
Nicole McDonald, Fanshawe
Marisa Oliveira, Fanshawe
Natasha Kroon, Humber
Sonia Rocha, Humber
Jordan Hamilton, Lambton
Katrina Kraayenbrink, Lambton
Shelby Dawdy, Mohawk
Jody Hagan, Mohawk
Sarah Charlton, Niagara
Brittany Johnston, Niagara
Rachel Passchier, Redeemer
Carly Voortman, Redeemer
Stefanie Dummer, St. Clair
Sara Kox, St. Clair
Kendra Cooper, Sheridan
Sarah Couto, Sheridan

- OCAA -

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