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LANGLEY, B.C. -- McGill graduate Kevin McConnell, who coaches the Montreal Carabins women鈥檚 soccer team, has earned CIS coach-of-the-year honours. McConnell, who holds a BA and Masters in sports psychology from McGill, wore the Redmen colours for five seasons, capturing the CIS title in 1997 under current Carabins men鈥檚 coach Pat Raimondo.

McConnell is the first Carabins' sideline boss to be chosen CIS coach of the year since the Montreal-based club joined the QSSF in 2001.

In his fourth year at the helm, McConnell guided his troops to the best campaign in the program鈥檚 short history. The Carabins led the nation in goals scored (42) and tied for first in goals allowed (5) en route to a sparkling 13-1 record and the team鈥檚 first regular-season title. The UdeM girls, ranked No. 1 in the final seven national coaches polls of the season, achieved another first in the playoffs when they beat Sherbrooke 2-0 in the conference final to claim the QSSF banner.

McConnell joined the Carabins as an assistant coach in 2004 and has guided the team to a combined 36-3-17 conference mark since he took over as head coach the following year. In 2001, he was named CCAA coach of the year after he led the John Abbott Lady Islanders to the national final.

鈥淜evin is passionate about soccer, and over a relatively short period of time, he has demonstrated his ability to recruit, manage and develop a high-level university team,鈥� said Montreal director of intercollegiate sports, Manon Simard. 鈥淭his award is a true honour for our entire program.鈥�

Among other women鈥檚 soccer awards handed out by Canadian Interuniversity Sport during the All-Canadian Banquet announced Wednesday night, York sophomore striker Stefania Morra was named the player of the year

Morra of Scarborough, Ont., is the first Lion to receive the Chantal Navert Memorial Award since the inception of the trophy in 1995, and becomes the first player to capture MVP honours one year after being named CIS rookie of the year. Former Queen鈥檚 great Eilish McConville was the nation鈥檚 top freshman in 2003 and was named player of the year three seasons later.

Other CIS major award winners were Trinity Western鈥檚 Nikki Wright of Cloverdale, B.C., who was named rookie of the year and Alberta鈥檚 Jacqueline Smith of Sherwood Park, Alta., who received the second annual Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

The 2008 CIS championship gets under way Thursday at Trinity Western University. The gold-medal final is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Pacific.

Championship web site: 听听听

There was no sophomore jinx in 2008 for Morra, who followed up a remarkable freshman season with an equally impressive second campaign. One year after leading the nation with 19 goals in 14 conference outings, the sociology student made it back-to-back scoring crowns, this time notching 18 markers in 14 games. The 21-year-old kicked off the season with consecutive three-goal performances and never looked back, finishing with a CIS-leading four hat tricks.

Her scoring prowess earned Morra OUA MVP and first-team all-Canadian status for the second straight year, and helped the Lions reach the top of the national rankings for the first time in team history, on September 9. York took first place in the OUA West standings with a 9-2-3 mark but was upset by Brock in the quarter-final round of the Ontario playoffs.

Morra is also a member of the Toronto Lady Lynx soccer club of the United Soccer League鈥檚 W-League.

鈥淟ast year Stefania had an outstanding season. This year she has been truly magnificent,鈥� said York head coach Paul James. 鈥淲ith such a young team we needed her to step up and to provide great leadership and she鈥檚 done that. Scoring 18 goals is a testament to her ability at this level. When you consider that she competed as a central midfield player for the majority of the season, it magnifies her ability.鈥�

Wright is the first Spartan to be named CIS rookie of the year since Trinity Western joined Canada West in 2001.

The graduate of Langley Secondary School scored twice as many goals as the next best freshman in the nation during the regular season, winning the Canada West scoring race and placing sixth in CIS with 12 markers in 14 games. She also led Canada West in points (18) and game-winning goals (4) as the Spartans finished second with a 9-2-3 league record and went on to reach the conference final.

Wright, a human kinetics major, is the first player to be named Canada West rookie of the year and MVP in the same season since the conference began handing out soccer awards in 1995 and, like Morra a year ago, earned a spot on the first all-Canadian team in her university debut. Her early success with TWU can be largely attributed to the high level of competition she鈥檚 faced playing with the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program.

鈥淣ikki has had an outstanding rookie season. We knew in recruiting her that she had the potential to come in and make an immediate impact in the league with her talent, pace and ability to finish and she has certainly done that,鈥� said Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh. 鈥淚 have been impressed with her ability to adjust to the strength of defenders in the league and continue to be a dominant player. She is a great young player that will only get better and better.鈥�

Smith, a fourth-year central midfielder was a key component to an Alberta offence that finished fourth in Canada West with 25 goals. The 21-year-old led the conference with nine helpers in 14 games.

A CIS Academic All-Canadian in 2007-08, the education student volunteers with the Bear Hugs Program at U of A, the Stollery Children鈥檚 Hospital, and Education Week in elementary schools. She was the program director for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Pandas Summer Camps, and coaches in the off-season with community and club soccer teams as well as club level volleyball and junior high basketball.

鈥淛ackie鈥檚 natural kindness, generosity and willingness to help out touches everyone that meets her,鈥� said Alberta head coach Liz Jepsen. 鈥淪he is a truly unique athlete, talented as a soccer player but gifted as a person for the selfless contributions she makes to those around her; be they in our immediate community or beyond, young or old.鈥�

The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.

The nine players joining Morra and Wright on the first CIS squad are McMaster goalkeeper Amy Holt of Hamilton, Victoria defender Holly Fiddick of Victoria, Montreal defender 脡milie Mercier of Longueuil, Que., UBC defender Chelsea Stang of Surrey, B.C., Montreal midfielder V茅ronique Maranda of Montreal, Cape Breton midfielder Hannah Abenheimer of Sydney, N.S., Toronto striker / midfielder Erica Basso of King City, Ont., Memorial forward Laura Breen of St. John鈥檚, and Sherbrooke striker Jos茅e B茅langer of Sherbrooke, Que.听听听聽

Mercier, Stang and B茅langer all return from last year鈥檚 first all-Canadian team, while Basso was a second-team CIS all-star last season. Mercier was the CIS rookie of the year in 2005 and is a four-time all-Canadian in as many seasons, including two first-team nods, while B茅langer was the nation鈥檚 top freshman in 2006 and is a three-time CIS all-star in as many campaigns, including a pair of first-team nominations.

The second CIS team for 2008 is comprised of UBC goalkeeper Jaclyn Dunnett of Burnaby, B.C., Cape Breton defender Caitlin Shaw of Toronto, Dalhousie defender Jeanette Huck of Halifax, UQAM midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Justine Labrecque of Quebec City, McMaster midfielder Cheryl Druchok of Caledon, Ont., UBC midfielder Caitlin Davie of Tsawwassen, B.C., Sherbrooke midfielder Andr茅anne Gagn茅 of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Memorial forward Malorie Harris of Mount Pearl, Nfld., Cape Breton striker Kristina Weatherbie of West Covehead, P.E.I., Ryerson forward Andrea Raso of Toronto, and Laval striker Caroline Vaillancourt of Quebec City.




2008 CIS WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS



Chantal Navert Memorial Award (player of the year): Stefania Morra, York

Rookie of the year: Nikki Wright, Trinity Western

Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Jacqueline Smith, Alberta

Coach of the year: Kevin McConnell, Montreal



First Team


Position听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Athlete听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 University听听听聽聽 Year听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Hometown听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Faculty听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽


Goalkeeper听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Amy Holt听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 McMaster听听听听听听聽 5听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Hamilton, Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Economics

Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Holly Fiddick听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Victoria听听听听听听听听听聽聽 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Victoria, B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Human & Social Development

Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽 脡milie Mercier听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Montreal听听听听听听听听听 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Longueuil, Que.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Administration

Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Chelsea Stang听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Surrey, B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Arts

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 V茅ronique Maranda听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Montreal听听听听听听听听听 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Montreal, Que.听听听听听听听听听听听听 Administration

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Hannah Abenheimer听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Cape Breton聽 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Sydney, N.S.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Science

Striker / Mid.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Erica Basso听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Toronto听听听听听听听听听听听听 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 King City, Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Arts & Science

Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Nikki Wright听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Trinity Western听听听听听听听听听聽聽 1听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Cloverdale, B.C.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Human Kinetics

Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Stefania Morra听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 York听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 2听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Scarborough, Ont.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Sociology

Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Laura Breen听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Memorial听听听听听听听听听 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 St. John鈥檚, Nfld.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Arts

Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Jos茅e B茅langer听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Sherbrooke听听听听听听 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Sherbrooke, Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Kinesiology



Second Team


Goalkeeper听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Jaclyn Dunnett听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Burnaby, B.C.听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Arts听听听聽聽

Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Caitlin Shaw听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Cape Breton聽 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Toronto, Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 BACS

Defender听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Jeanette Huck听听听听听听听听听听听听 Dalhousie听听听听听听听听听 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Halifax, N.S.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Commerce

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Justine Labrecque听听听听听听听听听聽聽 UQAM听听听听听听听听听听听听 2听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Quebec City, Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Tourism

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Cheryl Druchok听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 McMaster听听听听听听聽 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Caledon, Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Kinesiology

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Caitlin Davie听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 UBC听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 3听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Tsawwassen, B.C.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Arts

Midfielder听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Andr茅anne Gagn茅听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Sherbrooke听听听听听听 2听听听听听听听听听聽聽 St-Hyacinthe, Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Political Sciences

Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Malorie Harris听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Memorial听听听听听听听听听 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Mount Pearl, Nfld.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Arts

Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Kristina Weatherbie听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Cape Breton聽 5听听听听听听听听听聽聽 West Covehead, P.E.I.聽聽 Nursing

Forward听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Andrea Raso听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Ryerson听听听听听听听听听 2听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Toronto, Ont.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Business Management

Striker听听听听听听听听听听听听聽 Caroline Vaillancourt听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Laval听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听聽聽 4听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Quebec City, Que.听听听听听听听听听聽聽 Business Administration



-CIS-



For more information please contact:



Scott Stewart
Sports Information Director
Trinity Western University
Ph: (604) 513-2123
Cell: (604) 764-1533
ssstew [at] twu.ca


Michel B茅langer
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca