Awards and All-Canadians

After claiming back-to-back OUA scoring titles with 19 goals in 13 games in 2008 and 30 markers in 14 matches in 2009, Stairs was even better this season with a mindboggling 32 goals in 14 league contests, 17 more than her closest competitor. Thanks to her 27 assists – also an OUA high – the fourth-year senior was in on 69 per cent of Guelph's conference-leading 85 goals.

Selected as an all-Canadian for the third straight year – including back-to-back first-team nods – the speedy forward guided the Gryphons to a team-record 13 wins to only one loss in the regular season and two more victories in the playoffs, including a 3-2 OUA final win over archrival Toronto for their second straight conference banner. Thanks in large part to Stairs' brilliant play, Guelph enters this week's CIS championship as the No. 1 favourite as the team hopes to take advantage of home field to capture its first-ever McCrae Cup.

"Brie is an extraordinary athlete with the WOW factor," said Guelph head coach Michelle Turley. "What immediately attracts attention to Brie is her natural speed, quick hands and outrageous level of competition. She has a work ethic second to none which is an inspiration to all of her team-mates. Anyone who has the opportunity to see her in action is astonished."

Saint Mary's Mandy Avery of Halifax and UBC's Sarah MacAulay of Vancouver, both midfielders, were the other nominees for CIS MVP honours.

JOYCE SLIPP AWARD (rookie of the year): Natalie Sourisseau, UBC

Sourisseau became the second Thunderbird in as many years to claim the Joyce Slipp award, following Abigail Raye in 2009. Laura Dowling was the only other previous recipient from UBC, in 2003.

Sourisseau made an immediate impact as a freshman for the defending CIS champion T-Birds, who lost nine of 11 starters following their triumph in 2009. A quiet leader who played both forward and midfield, she scored four times in 12 matches in her rookie campaign, including the goal that clinched UBC's eighth straight Canada West title in the next to last game of the season. Considered one of the finest Junior National team players in the country, the human kinetics student will get her first taste of the CIS championship this week as 12-time titlist UBC will try to add to its record McCrae Cup tally.

"Nat is an extremely talented, hard working player who leads by example and is respected for her tenacity and commitment," said UBC head coach Hash Kanjee. "Her excellent work ethic and her attacking skills have been instrumental in helping UBC create numerous scoring chances and set play opportunities."

Saint Mary's Taylor Shupe of Cole Harbour, N.S., and Western Ontario's Alli Nelson of Erin, Ont., were also in the running for the top freshman award.

GAIL WILSON AWARD (outstanding contributor): Jessica Lawson, Waterloo

Lawson is the second Waterloo player to receive the Gail Wilson award, which rewards exceptional human qualities, leadership and overall performance. Former Warrior Robin Leslie was a co-recipient in 2002.

The defender and current team captain played her fifth and final season with the Warriors in 2010. In addition to providing leadership and support to both her coach and teammates, she has given back to the University of Waterloo and the community.

The science and business student has served on the Warriors Inter-University Athletics Council for the past two years and this fall, was voted an Executive Member. She has also been a member of the Warriors Team-Up Youth Outreach Program for three years. An active member of the field hockey community in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, she is a certified umpire and has officiated high school games as well as U13, U16 and U18 club matches. She is also very keen on becoming a qualified coach and assisted with the K-W Dragons Club with their recreational teams and their U18 competitive squad.

In years past, Lawson has been a member of the University of Waterloo FEDS Food Bank Program and a Campus Ambassador for the University's Public Relations.

"After I took over coaching duties in January 2010, Jessica was voted in as team captain," said head coach Steven Rodrigues. "Over the past eight months, she has assisted me in several capacities: as team manager, with recruitment, planning pre-season training camp, organizing our annual high school camp, attending Athletics Department meetings, and organizing several team events. She has definitely gone out of her way to support the program, given all her other responsibilities."

Dalhousie's Danielle Dempsey of Halifax and Calgary's Stephanie Petrowitsch of Calgary were also nominated.

MARINA VAN DER MERWE AWARD (coach of the year), presented by Coaches of Canada: Jenn Swagar, Calgary

Honoured by her Canada West peers on three occasions in her four seasons as Calgary head coach, Swagar is a first-time recipient of the Marina Van Der Merwe award. The only previous Dino coach to win the CIS award was Deb Covey-Barnett, back in 1997.

Swagar's U of C teams have gotten progressively better in every year she has coached, improving their win total each season. In 2010, the Dinos finished the season at .500 with a 5-5-2 record, good for third place in the Canada West standings – the program's best finish since 2000. The Dinos went into the final weekend of the season with a chance to advance to the CIS championship for the first time since 1997 – a far cry from the team Swagar took over in 2007 that hadn't won a game in nearly four years.

"Jenn has continued to show her passion for field hockey, and the success of our team is a reflection of that," said Kevin Boyles, the University of Calgary's director of athletics. "The Dinos have posted their best record in several years in 2010, and Jenn is to be applauded for her efforts."

UNB's Simon Cragg and McGill's Laurent Fayer were the other nominees for the Van Der Merwe award.

ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS

The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday, with powerhouses Guelph, UBC and Victoria each placing two players on the first squad. The Gryphons had four selections overall, while the Thunderbirds and Vikes had three apiece.

The 10 players joining Stairs on the first CIS team were Liz Hoffman award nominees Avery and MacAulay, as well as UBC's Kirsten Bertsch of Duncan, B.C., Alberta's Jacqueline Trautman of Delta, B.C., and Toronto's Kaelan Watson of Richmond, B.C., on defence; Calgary's Courtney Campbell of Calgary, York's Effie Petrou of Oakville, Ont., and Victoria teammates Perri Espeseth of Duncan and Danielle Hennig of Kelowna, B.C., at midfield; and Guelph's Brittany Seidler of Oliver, Ont., at forward.

Trautman, Watson, Avery and Petrou all return from last year's first unit.

The CIS rookie of the year in 2006, Petrou accomplished a rare feat as she became a five-time all-Canadian, including first-team nods four years running.

Joining Sourisseau on the second CIS unit for 2010 are Guelph goalkeeper Kaye McLagan of Mitchell, Ont.; Victoria's Kyla Kirby of Victoria, Alberta's Jennifer Peacock of Calgary and Calgary's Carolina Romeo of Calgary on defence; Dalhousie's Jessie Janes of Halifax, McGill's Camille St-Cyr of Richmond, B.C., and Toronto's Hannah Tighe of Penticton, B.C., at midfield; and Toronto's Kyesia O'Neale of Mississauga, Ont., Western's Megan Scraper of West Vancouver, B.C., and Guelph's Tegan Stairs of Kitchener, Ont., at forward.

First Team

Position - Athlete - University - Year - Hometown - Faculty

Midfield Mandy Avery Saint Mary's 3 Halifax, N.S. Arts
Defence Kirsten Bertsch UBC 4 Duncan, B.C. Arts
Midfield Courtney Campbell Calgary 4 Calgary, Alta. Nursing
Mid./Def. Perri Espeseth Victoria 5 Duncan, B.C. Fine Arts
Mid./Forw. Danielle Hennig Victoria 3 Kelowna, B.C. Education
Midfield Sarah MacAulay UBC 4 Vancouver, B.C. Visiting
Midfield Effie Petrou York 5 Oakville, Ont. Health
Forward Brittany Seidler Guelph 2 Oliver, Ont. Arts
Forward Brienne Stairs Guelph 4 Kitchener, Ont. Biomedical Sciences
Defence Jacqueline Trautman Alberta 3 Delta, B.C. Sciences
Defence Kaelan Watson Toronto 3 Richmond, B.C. Physical Education

Second Team

Midfield Jessie Janes Dalhousie 2 Halifax, N.S. Kinesiology
Defence Kyla Kirby Victoria 2 Victoria, B.C. Social Sciences
Goalkeeper Kaye McLagan Guelph 2 Mitchell, Ont. Arts
Forw./Mid. Kyesia O'Neale Toronto 5 Mississauga, Ont. Engineering
Defence Jennifer Peacock Alberta 5 Calgary, Alta. Nursing
Defence Carolina Romeo Calgary 3 Calgary, Alta. Engineering
Forward Megan Scraper Western 3 West Vancouver, B.C. IMS
Midfield Natalie Sourisseau UBC 1 Kelowna, B.C. Human Kinetics
Forward Tegan Stairs Guelph 2 Kitchener, Ont. BAH. CJPP
Midfield Camille St-Cyr McGill 3 Richmond, B.C. Biology
Midfield Hannah Tighe Toronto 4 Penticton, B.C. European Studies

-CIS-