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2009 OUA awards and all-stars announced
HAMILTON, Ont. – Guelph’s Brienne and Tegan Stairs
dominated the field hockey season and have the hardware to prove
it, as Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce
the 2009 field hockey all-stars and major award winners.
Brienne Stairs (Kitchener, Ont.) claims the OUA player of the year
prize, and with good reason. The third-year forward was the league
leader in scoring during the regular season with 30 goals in 14
games to lead the Gryphons to a 12-0-2 record, the best in school
history.
Sister Tegan Stairs (Kitchener, Ont.) is the recipient of the
rookie of the year award and after a stand-out recruit season, she
earned it. The first-year forward worked in tandem with her older
sister and netted seven goals of her own.
The Gail Wilson Award, given to the player who makes the most
outstanding contribution to field hockey, is awarded to
Western’s Petra Kovacs (Strathroy, Ont.). Kovacs has been a
central part of a rebuilding project at Western, a program that was
winless in her first season in 2005 and is now a legitimate
powerhouse in OUA finishing the 2009 season with a record of 8-4-2.
She is also a leader off the field, spearheading a field hockey
camp for youth in London, Ont., as well as volunteering at Camp
Trillium, a program that supports young cancer patients.
Waterloo’s head coach Eshan Ali was named the OUA’s
coach of the year. The Warriors finished in fourth place with a
record of 7-4-3, an 11-point turnaround from 2008. It is the
team’s first winning season since 2005.
In addition to winning the player of the year award, Brienne Stairs
is also named a first-team all-star, along with fifth-year
teammates Angela Lancaster (Burlington, Ont.) and Krissy Wishart
(Hamilton, Ont.). Lancaster and Wishart were both in the Top 10 for
scoring in the regular season with seven and 10 goals,
respectively.
The Toronto Varsity Blues take four first-team all-star spots.
Fourth-year forward Kyesia O’Neale (Mississauga, Ont.) was
named to the second-team last year, making her first appearance on
the first-team in 2009. Fifth-year defender Kristen Shier (North
Vancouver, B.C.) is also a first-team all-star for the second time,
as is second-year defender Kaelan Watson (Richmond, B.C.). Shier
was tied for second in OUA scoring with 11 goals. Rounding out the
list for Varsity Blues all-stars is third-year midfielder and
first-time all-star Hannah Tighe (Penticton, B.C.).
York’s Brittany Blount (Ottawa, Ont.), a fifth-year
goalkeeper, is named to the first-team for the second time.
Fourth-year midfielder Effie Petrou (Oakville, Ont.) is named a
first-team all-star for the fourth year in a row.
Western and McGill each had one athlete named a first-team
all-star. Camille St. Cyr (Richmond, B.C.) of the Martlets is named
an all-star for the second time, but makes her first appearance on
the first-team. Western’s Michelle Weber (Ilderton, Ont.) is
named a first-team all-star for the fourth time in her five-year
university career. Weber tied Shier for second place in OUA scoring
with 11 goals.
The second-team all-star list is loaded with Waterloo Warriors.
Rookie forward Courtney Bisch (Wellesley, Ont.), along with
second-year midfielder Kara Moro (Port Moody, Ont.) and first-year
goalkeeper Amy Tabbert (Nithburg, Ont.) are all recognized as
all-stars for the first time. Fifth-year defender Katherine Olsen
(Calgary) mades a repeat appearance on the second-team.
Three Western Mustangs were named second-team all-stars, including
the 2008 Gail Wilson Award winner and fourth-year midfielder Sarah
Cobourn (Mississauga, Ont.), former Queen’s Gael Kirsten
Jewell (Toronto) and fourth-year midfielder Louise Radford (Guelph,
Ont.), who was named a second-team all-star for the third year in a
row.
Rounding out the second-team are Queen’s Gaels Emily Newton
(Vancouver) and Mary-Anne Reid (Gananoque, Ont.), as well as rookie
of the year Teagan Stairs and Rianna Sterk (Embro, Ont.) of the
Toronto Varsity Blues.
OUA MAJOR AWARD
WINNERS AND ALL-STARS
Player of the Year
Brienne Stairs (Guelph)
Rookie of the Year
Tegan Stairs (Guelph)
OUA Gail Wilson Award
Petra Kovacs (Western)
Coach of the Year
Ehsan Ali (Waterloo)
FIRST-TEAM ALL-STARS
Brittany Blount (Ottawa) - York
Angela Lancaster (Burlington, Ont.) - Guelph
Kyesia O’Neale (Mississauga, Ont.) - Toronto
Effie Petrou (Oakville, Ont.) - York
Kristen Shier (North Vancouver, B.C.) - Toronto
Camille St. Cyr (Richmond, B.C.) - McGill
Brienne Stairs (Kitchener, Ont.) - Guelph
Hannah Tighe (Penticton, B.C.) - Toronto
Kaelan Watson (Richmond, B.C.) - Toronto
Michelle Weber (Ilderton, Ont.) - Western
Krissy Wishart (Hamilton, Ont.) - Guelph
SECOND-TEAM ALL-STARS
Courtney Bisch (Wellesley, Ont.) - Waterloo
Sarah Cobourn (Mississauga, Ont.) - Western
Kirsten Jewell (Toronto) - Western
Kara Moro (Port Moody, Ont.) - Waterloo
Emily Newton (Vancouver) - Queen’s
Katherine Olsen (Calgary) - Waterloo
Louise Radford (Guelph, Ont.) - Western
Mary-Anne Reid (Gananoque, Ont.) - Queen’s
Tegan Stairs (Kitchener, Ont.) - Guelph
Rianna Sterk (Embro, Ont.) - Toronto
Amy Tabbert (Nithberg, Ont.) - Waterloo
– OUA –
