KOVACEVIC HEADLINES OCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - Fanshawe College's Jade Kovacevic (Georgetown) is the 2015 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's soccer player of the year. She received the award in a ceremony held in Peterborough, Ont., on Wednesday evening.

The OCAA scoring champion set a new OCAA single season record scoring 26 goals in 10 matches, surpassing the 20 scored by Durham College's Katie Watts in 2008. Kovacevic scored at least one goal in every contest, and had six multi-goal games. In a match Fanshawe needed to win to clinch the central region title, she scored all four goals for the Falcons in a 4-1 victory over St. Clair.

Along with her player of the year award, Kovacevic is also an OCAA all-star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian.

Sylvie Avedissian (Ottawa) of Algonquin College is also a CCAA all-Canadian and OCAA all-star. The fourth-year midfielder scored four goals in 12 games and helped lead the Thunder to a perfect 12-0-0 record, while allowing just four goals against.

The CCAA coach of the year nominee from Ontario is Steve Vagnini of St. Clair College for the second straight season. Vagnini led the Saints to a perfect 9-0-0 record before their loss in the regular season finale against Fanshawe. The Saints were the only team to defeat Fanshawe earlier in the year. St. Clair outscored its opponents 43-9. Along with Vagnini representing the west, other OCAA coaches of the year are Dominic Oliveri of Algonquin from the east region, and Vince Pileggi and Mauro Ongaro of Humber College from the central.

Becky Leese (Ottawa) of Algonquin is the OCAA overall rookie of the year. The midfielder was the team co-leader in goals with seven in 10 games. Along with Leese representing the east, other OCAA rookies of the year include Seneca College goalkeeper Angela Naccarato (Markham) from the central, and St. Clair defender Marisa Stratis (Windsor) from the west.

The OCAA defensive players of the year include Algonquin's Melissa Harrison (Burlington) from the east; Niagara College's Natalie Semenuk (Pelham) from the central; and St. Clair's Emily Ditty (Lakeshore) from the west. All three student-athletes are fourth-year defenders.

Along with Kovacevic, two other regional scoring champions were honoured, including Cambrian College third-year forward Tiffany Johnson (Val Caron) for her 18 goals in 12 east region matches; and Humber fourth-year forward Ashley Osorio (Toronto) for her 10 goals in eight central region matches.

The OCAA's top goalkeepers for 2015 are Algonquin's Karleigh Bell (Ottawa) and Jenna King (Ajax) representing the east; Sheridan College's Balpreet Bal (Mississauga) representing the central; and St. Clair's Katrina Arnold (Essex) representing the west.

The three regional regular season champions are also the top defensive teams in their respective divisions. The Algonquin Thunder allowed just four goals in 12 east region matches; the Humber Hawks allowed seven goals in 10 central region matches; and the Fanshawe Falcons allowed five goals in 10 west region matches.

Each OCAA team nominates two all-stars. The OCAA all-stars from the east region include Avedissian and Harrison of Algonquin; second-year defender Tamara Johnson (Val Caron) and Tiffany Johnson of Cambrian; fourth-year player Daniela Calleri (Pickering) and first-year player Samantha Calvelli (Pickering) of Centennial College; first-year player Taylor Ford (Brooklin) and three-year veteran Kayla Hellam (Oshawa) of Durham; third-year defender Kelly McInerney (Oshawa) and second-year midfielder Jenna Nugent (Newcastle) of Fleming College; second-year midfielder Kylie Holiday (Cornwall) and second-year defender Stephanie Young (Aurora) of Loyalist College; and first-year midfielder Nicole Cathcart (Kingston) and third-year midfielder Mallory McQueen (Kingston) St. Lawrence College.

Representing the central region as OCAA all-stars are fourth-year defender Rana Abdel Aziz (Toronto) and fourth-year defender Chelsea Fraser (Grimsby) of George Brown College; fourth-year midfielder Brittany Verge (Brampton) and fourth-year defender Alora Walcott (Toronto) of Humber; fourth-year player Jackie Lawther (Beamsville) and second-year player Rebecca Morrison (Erin) of Niagara; fifth-year defender Hilda Chimat (Mississauga) and fourth-year forward Mariam El-Masri (Scarborough) of Seneca; fourth-year midfielder Kendra Cooper (Brampton) and third-year defender Brooke Rumboldt (Brampton) of Sheridan; and first-year players Sara Atkinson (Mississauga) and Vanessa Cesario (Mississauga) of the University of Toronto Mississauga.

The west region OCAA all-stars are first-year midfielder Taya Ambrose (Ayr) and third-year player Jen Farquhar (Waterloo) of Conestoga College; Kovacevic and fourth-year player Nicole McDonald (St. Thomas) of Fanshawe; Deirdre Bradd and Chelsea Wagner of Lambton College; second-year midfielder Michele DiDionisio (Hamilton) and first-year player Gabrielle Krebs (Hamilton) of Mohawk College; third-year player Meaghan Rudd (Cambridge) and second-year midfielder Lauren Tamming (Stoney Creek) of Redeemer University College; and Ditty and fourth-year midfielder Robyn Preston (Tecumseh) of St. Clair.

2015 OCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

OCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Year
Jade Kovacevic, Fanshawe

CCAA Women's Soccer All-Canadians
Sylvie Avedissian, Algonquin
Jade Kovacevic, Fanshawe

CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Steve Vagnini, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Soccer League Scoring Champion
Jade Kovacevic, Fanshawe

OCAA Women's Soccer Overall Rookie of the Year
Becky Leese, Algonquin

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
Vince Pileggi & Mauro Ongaro, Humber

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Coach of the Year
Steve Vagnini, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Rookie of the Year
Becky Leese, Algonquin

OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Rookie of the Year
Angela Naccarato, Seneca

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Rookie of the Year
Marissa Stratis, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Melissa Harrison, Algonquin

OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Defensive Player of the Year
Natalie Semenuk, Niagara

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Emily Ditty, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Soccer East Division Scoring Champion
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian

OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Scoring Champion
Ashley Osorio, Humber

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Scoring Champion
Jade Kovacevic, 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 Top Goalkeeper
Karleigh Bell and Jenna King, Algonquin

OCAA Women's Soccer Central Division Top Goalkeeper
Balpreet Bal, Sheridan

OCAA Women's Soccer West Division Top Goalkeeper
Katrina Arnold, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Soccer All-Stars
Sylvie Avedissian, Algonquin
Melissa Harrison, Algonquin
Tamara Johnson, Cambrian
Tiffany Johnson, Cambrian
Daniela Calleri, Centennial
Samantha Calvelli, Centennial
Taya Ambrose, Conestoga
Jen Farquhar, Conestoga
Taylor Ford, Durham
Kayla Hellam, Durham
Jade Kovacevic, Fanshawe
Nicole McDonald, Fanshawe
Kelly McInerney, Fleming
Jenna Nugent, Fleming
Rana Abdel Aziz, George Brown
Chelsea Fraser, George Brown
Brittany Verge, Humber
Alora Walcott, Humber
Deirdre Bradd, Lambton
Chelsea Wagner, Lambton
Kylie Holiday, Loyalist
Stephanie Young, Loyalist
Michele DiDionisio, Mohawk
Gabrielle Krebs, Mohawk
Jackie Lawther, Niagara
Rebecca Morrison, Niagara
Meaghan Rudd, Redeemer
Lauren Tamming, Redeemer
Hilda Chimat, Seneca
Mariam El-Masri, Seneca
Kendra Cooper, Sheridan
Brooke Rumboldt, Sheridan
Nicole Cathcart, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Mallory McQueen, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Emily Ditty, St. Clair
Robyn Preston, St. Clair
Sara Atkinson, UTM
Vanessa Cesario, UTM

- OCAA -

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 30 members sponsoring 11 sports.

For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com