FOUR LIONS EARN WOMEN'S SOCCER ALL-STAR HONOURS

Four members of the York University Lions women’s soccer team earned Ontario University Athletics (OUA) all-star honours on Thursday (Oct. 27).

Receiving the awards are midfielder Nicole Markowitz, who was named to the first team, as well as defenders Taylor Lyons and Felicia Turone, and goalkeeper Sarah Fiorini, who were also recognized on the second team.

Markowitz, a fifth-year fine arts student from Toronto, received all-star honours for the fourth time and is now one of the most decorated women’s soccer players in the program’s history. This year’s award represents the second time she has been named to the first team (2009), to go along with two placements on the second team (2008 and 2010). The only senior on the squad this year was instrumental to the team’s success thanks to both her skills and tremendous leadership. She finished the regular season with three goals and also tallied one in the team’s first-round playoff win.

The other three all-star awards going to players on the defensive side of the ball is reflective of a team that allowed just 10 goals in 14 games, the third lowest total in the OUA.

Fiorini, a third-year film student from Newmarket, Ont., has now been an all-star in each of her three years with the program. This season she recorded seven shutouts and was in net for every minute of the team’s 5-4-5 regular season.

Turone, a fourth-year kinesiology and health science student from Brampton, Ont., and Lyons, an environmental science student also from Brampton, Ont., are both all-stars for the first time this year after tremendous play on the back end. Lyons also scored her first career goal on Wednesday, the game winner in the playoff win over Guelph.

The Lions will be back in action on Saturday afternoon for an OUA quarter-final game against the Laurier Golden Hawks, beginning at 1pm in Waterloo. The two teams will be vying for a spot in the OUA Final Four Championships, taking place next weekend at the home of the highest remaining seed in the West after this weekend’s games.

OUA West Major Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: Alyssa Lagonia (Laurier)
Rookie of the Year: Emily Brown (Laurier)
Community Service Award: Melissa Corso (Guelph)
Coach of the Year: Randy Ragan (Guelph)

First-Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Rebecca Singer (Windsor)
Defender: Kelsey Tikka (Laurier)
Defender: Sadie Anderson (Laurier)
Defender: Melissa Corso (Guelph)
Defender: Cristina Leonardelli (McMaster)
Midfielder: Alyssa Lagonia (Laurier)
Midfielder: Tania Pedron (Laurier)
Midfielder: Nicole Markowitz (York)
Midfielder: Melanie Van Der Hoop (McMaster)
Forward: Krista Celucci (Laurier)
Forward: Natalie Brace (McMaster)

Second-Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Sarah Fiorini (York)
Defender: Sarah Kox (Windsor)
Defender: Felicia Turone (York)
Defender: Stephanie DiMartino (Brock)
Defender: Taylor Lyons (York)
Midfielder: Emily Maganja (Western)
Midfielder: Mereasa Brownlie (Windsor)
Midfielder: Heather Malizia (Laurier)
Midfielder: Natalie Schott (Guelph)
Forward: Candance Garrod (Windsor)
Forward: Tiffany Phillips