Smith and Jurus receive U SPORTS award distinctions

STFX X-Women midfielder Amanda Smith was honoured as a U SPORTS second team All-Canadian at the annual All-Canadian Gala, while Brynn Jurus was named to the U SPORTS all-rookie team.

Calgary's Montana Leonard headlines U SPORTS women's soccer major award winners

CAPE BRETON, N.S- Calgary midfielder Montana Leonard was honoured with the Chantal Navert Memorial Award as U SPORTS women's soccer Player of the Year Wednesday night, as the national award winners were celebrated at the annual All-Canadian Gala.

Past Award Winners

Guelph Midfielder Cloey Uddenberg captured Rookie of the Year, while Bishop's Defender Kayla Kyle earned the Student-Athlete Community Service Award for her outstanding contribution both on and off the playing field. Trinity Western bench boss Graham Roxburgh was named Fox 40 Coach of the Year.

CHANTAL NAVERT MEMORIAL AWARD (Player of the Year): Montana Leonard, Calgary

After a record-breaking season on the pitch for the Calgary Dinos, Montana Leonard was named the U SPORTS women's soccer Player of the Year.

The fifth-year forward from Richmond, B.C. scored a conference record 17 times in 2021, breaking the previous record of 16 set just a season ago in 2019-20 and became the Dino's all-time leading scorer with her triumphant season

Leonard's record-breaking season helped the Dinos to a 9-2-1 mark during the regular season, and a second-place finish in the conference's Central Division.

Leonard is the fifth Dino to win the Player of the Year award, and the first since Jordan Smith in 2016.

Nominees
CW : Montana Leonard, Calgary (winner)
OUA :  Emma Lefebvre, Ottawa       
RSEQ : Marie-Ève Bernard O'Breham, Montreal
AUS : Holly O'Neill, Memorial 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Cloey Uddenberg, Guelph

After an excellent rookie campaign with the Guelph Gryphons, midfielder Cloey Uddenberg has been named U SPORTS rookie of the year.

The Richmond Hill, Ont. native who is currently in her second year of study at the Guelph, played almost every minute of every game for the Gryphons in 2021, helping lead the team to a 6-2-2 regular season record and berth in the OUA postseason as the conference's No. 5 seed.

Almost immediately emerging as the engine in the Gryphons' midfield, the bio-medical science student showcased an elite level of fitness throughout the season to go along with tremendous technical skills and on-field vision.

Continuing what has already been an impressive season, Uddenberg is also expected to take part in CONCACAF Women's World Cup qualifying, where suiting up at the international level with Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Nominees
CW: Sophia Ferreira, UBC
OUA: Cloey Uddenberg, Guelph (Winner)
RSEQ: Mara Bouchard, McGill
AUS: Megan Chiasson, Dalhousie 

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Kayla Kyle, Bishop's

McMaster centre back Cheikh Tchouambou Youmbi is 2021 recipient of the U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

Bishop's centre back Kayla Kyle is the 2021 recipient of the U SPORTS Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

Kyle, fourth-year Gaiters' captain, led Bishop's throughout the 2021 RSEQ season playing in all 14 games. Kyle scored 3 goals, added 2 assists for the Gaiters. 

As a two-time Academic All-Canadian and RSEQ All-Star, Kyle has been a leader and role model within the Bishop's and Sherbrooke communities. The sociology student was an active founding member of our Bishop's University Student-Athlete Leadership Council (SALC) and was instrumental in developing the council's mission, vision, and values, while also creating a code of conduct. As a volunteer with the Jr Gaiters Program and regular community events like the Terry Fox Run, Pumpkin Patrol, Kyle has become a role model to young female athletes in the community. 

"Kayla raised the standards of what excellence looks like for all student-athletes at Bishop's.  It's not because of her ability to dominate games, but because of her consistent pursuit of becoming a better version of herself." said Bishop's head coach, Paul Ballard, "Kayla is never satisfied with being good, she wants to be great.  This has translated into continuous improvements athletically, academically, and personally."

Nominees
CW: Janai Martens, Mount Royal
OUA: Sayan Ladhani, Guelph
RSEQ: Kayla Kyle, Bishop's (Winner)
AUS: Holly Buckler, Dalhousie 

FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR: Graham Roxburgh, Trinity Western

Trinity Western Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh is the 2021 Fox 40 Coach of the Year, after being nominated for the second straight season.
 
In his 22^nd season as the Spartans head coach, Roxburgh guided Trinity Western to an unblemished 11-0-1 record in 2021. The Spartans earned the top seed in Canada West's West Division and earned the Canada West conference banner, defeating UBC 1-0.
 
As a team, Trinity Western led the conference in scoring with 34 goals in 12 matches. The Spartans also tied for the conference lead in goals allowed, with just four, and posted a conference best nine shutouts.

Nominees
CW: Graham Roxburgh, Trinity Western (Winner)
OUA: Steve Johnson, Ottawa
RSEQ: Kevin McConnell, Montreal
AUS: Mike Power, Memorial 

2021 U SPORTS WOMEN'S SOCCER ALL-CANADIANS

First Team

Second Team

All-Rookie Team