November 27, 2016--League 1 Ontario 2016 Awards Luncheon (by Rocket Robin)

Winners at the 2016 League 1 Ontario Luncheon held at the Fontana Primavera Event Centre in Vaughan
on Sunday November 27, 2016.   

I estimated there were about 120 people in attendance. 

Most of the winners had been announced over the last two weeks.  That takes the surprise out of who won
but it's become popular in sports like MLB baseball where giving out one award a day can keep baseball
in the headlines well after the season is over.  

The All Star teams were presented first with players or their stand-ins receiving diplomas.  
It was smart with the Men's Second team naming twenty players so all sixteen teams could
have at least one all star.  

Women's First Team All Stars (11 players)	
goalie         Stephanie Bukovec        Vaughan Azzurri   
defenders      Tamara Brown             Durham United FA
               Meghan Scott             FC London
               Diamond Simpson          Woodbridge Strikers
               Kira Bertrand            North Mississauga Panthers
midfielders    Sarah Stratigakis        Aurora United FC
               April Syme               Woodbridge Strikers
               Alyscha Mottershead      Woodbridge Strikers
               Cat Rogers               North Mississauga Panthers
forward        Jade Kovacevic           FC London
               Laura Gosse              Durham United FA

Women's Second Team All Stars (11 players)
goalie         Hope Sabadash            Woodbridge Strikers
defenders      Malikae Dawes            Woodbridge Strikers
               Shannon Wood             Vaughan Azzurri
               Kayla De Souza           Durham United FA
midfielders    Riley Filion             Kingston Clippers
               Julia Benatic            FC London
               Tori Chia                Darby FC
forwards       Sona Makulova            Sanjaxx Lions
               Christabel Oduro         Woodbridge Strikers
               Jackie GTessier          Kingston Clippers
               Nour Ghoneim             Vaughan Azzurri			   			   			   			       			   

Men's First Team All Stars (11 players)  
goalie         Matt George              Woodbridge Strikers    
defenders      Cameron Brooks           Woodbridge Strikers
               Niba MacDonald           North Toronto Nitros
               Bruce Cullen             Durham United FA
midfielders    Randy Ribeiro            FC London
               Kashiff De Jonge         Durham United FA 
               Joey Melo                North Mississaugha Panthers
               Joseph Di Chiarra        Vaughan Azzurri 			   
forwards       Leaford Allen            Sigma FC
               Elvir Gigolaj            FC London
               Jarek Whiteman           Vaughan Azzurri
			   			   
Men's Second Team All Stars (20 players)
goalies        Anthony Sokalaski        FC London
               Matt Zaikos              Sanjaxx Lions
defenders      Tyrell Rayne             Masters FA Saints
               Jerome Smith             Sigma FC
               Jarred Phillips          Vaughan Azzurri 
               Rocco Romeo              TFC Academy
               Thanujan Jeyathilaka     Toronto Skillz
               Kevin Dhillon            North Mississauga Panthers
midfielders    Stephen Almeida          Woodbridge Strikers 
               Justin Stoddard          Sigma FC
               Brandon Mills            Vaughan Azzurri
               Dylan Carreirro          Woodbridge Strikers
               Khody Ellis              Oakville Blue Devils
               Kota Sakurai             TFC Academy
               Mackenzie Roach          Kingston Clippers 
               Celso Carapau            Windsor Stars  
forwards       Simon Adjei              Aurora United FC
               Manny Slewa              Pro Stars FC
               Killian Elkinson         North Toronto Nitros
               Mario Kovacevic          Vaughan Azzurri  
			   			        			  
First team players who were there stayed for a group picture.

Next award given was Coach of the Year presented by Ontario Soccer Associataion 
technical director Gary Miller.  Michael Marcocccia from FC London was named
as the Women's coach.  Carmine Isacco from Vaughan Azzurri won for the Men.

Golden Boot winners were Jade Kovacevic from FC London for the Women and
Elvir Gigolaj from the Men's FC London.

Goalkeeper of the Year was Stephanie Bukovec from Vaughan Azzurri and
Matt George from Woodbridge Strikers who had to put down a pair of crutches
to be presented with his trophy.

Referee of the Year was named as David Barrie but I didn't see any trophy.

Defender of the Year was Tamara Brown of Durham United FA for the Women and 
Niba MacDonald of North Toronto Nitros for the Men     			   			   
			   
Young Player of the Year was categorized as being for players under 18 for
women and under 20 for men.  Sarah Stratagakis of Aurora United FA (age 17 and
returning from the U-20 Canadian National World Cup team that played 
in Papau New Guinea) won for the Women and Kota Sakurai (age 17) of TFC Academy 
for the Men.  This season he also played two games for the Toronto FC II USL team  			   
and 11 of the 14 games scheduled for their PDL team.  			   

The League MVP awards were given to FC London players Jade Kovacevic and Elvir
Gigolaj who had earlier won the Golden Boot awards.  

Team awards for League Cup Champions for both Men and Women were Vaughan Azzurri.

Women's League Champions was FC London and Men's League Champions were Vaughan
Azzurri.  
 
One of the only glitches of the afternoon was the announcement of the Goal of 
the Year when the projector that had been cycling the videos through the 
finalists all through the meal stopped working.  Michaela Krampert from North
Mississauga for her August 20th goal against Kingston Clippers won over other
top three finalists Chelsea Zavitz from FC London for her June 11th goal and
Vital Katz of Aurora for her August 13th goal.  Men's winner was Hilliard Serrao
of Sanjaxx Lions for his goal on May 14th against Sigma (actually a 3-1 loss)
over Andrew Derayeh of Woodbridge on June 17th against FC London and Randy Ribeiro
of FC London for his June 3rd goal against Windsor Stars.  About 80% of the goals
on the videos (available on the league website) were long shots over the goalie 
to the top corner.   

I was looking forward all afternoon to the speech by league chair Dino Rossi
after he got through the customary "Thank you's" to staff, players and team
officials.  He mentioned he was looking to the next level 'above' their own
league which I took to mean the new Canadian Premier League which will 
operate across Canada and is supposed to start in 2018.  He hoped for
a women's league too.  Rossi said L1O is going to be very supportive and 
that their players and game officials will be able to help their operations.  
Neither he nor Ron Smale President of the OSA who also went through the same 
thank-yous mentioned the new league by name.

I was expecting Rossi would announce any new L1O teams that would begin
in 2017 and asked him after the event was over but he said that information
will be announced at the League meeting in two weeks.  I can wait.     

I'd say L1O could help the new league fill quite a few roster spots.  Just like
players a few years ago had nowhere to go after they were teenagers, now that
some of these players in this league like Elvir Gigolaj, the leading scorer, 
has turned 24, does L1O really want them?  What does he do next year?  Try for 
30 goals? L1O is making its reputation as an Under 23 league with its
rules about how many U-23s must be on game day rosters.  I don't know enough   
about the new league's budgets as to whether or not they can pay an L1O player
a living wage if they draft him to play out of province.

League 1 Ontario Women's First Team All-Stars