2022-23 ACAC Women's Soccer Players of the Year
Edmonton, AB (October 27, 2022) –
North Player of the Year:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Felicia Rodney of the Keyano Huskies Women’s Soccer team has been selected as the 2022-23 ACAC Women’s Soccer North Division Player of the Year.
Rodney played a leading role in the Women’s Soccer Huskies achieving their best-ever regular season finish with a record of 10-1-1. Scoring 17 goals and adding 11 assists, Rodney led the North Division in scoring and in total points with 45.
Starting all 12 games for the Huskies, Rodney recorded at least a single goal in 10 of the matches and had five multi-goal games, highlighted by a four-goal performance against the Lakeland Rustlers on October 9. With Rodney in the lineup, the Women’s Soccer Huskies enjoyed a record setting seven-game winning streak during the 2022 outdoor season, also enjoying their best offensive season in program history.
Rodney’s superb season saw her establish a new program record for goals in a single season and move to third on the ACAC’s All-time Women’s Soccer goal scoring list with 54 career goals.
“I have had the privilege to coach Felicia for four years at the college level,” Head Coach Niels Slotboom said. “The growth that I have seen in her over those years is incredible. She has become an exceptional player and one of the very best that the league has seen.
“However, more importantly, she has also become an amazing individual. She is always there for her team and has the rare ability to bring a smile to anyone’s face, she is a corner piece of the culture within our program.”
A product of Calgary, Alta., Rodney is in her fourth year of eligibility and is studying Social Work. She was formerly recognized as ACAC Rookie of the Year in the 2018 outdoor season and has been recognized as a member of the ACAC’s All-Conference team in each of her four seasons.
In the classroom, Rodney is a three-time recipient of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Scholar Award.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2022 ACAC Women’s Soccer Championship hosted by Lethbridge College in Lethbridge, Alta.
South Player of the Year:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Sein Furuyama of the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens has been selected as the 2022-23 ACAC Female Soccer South Player of the Year.
Furuyama was on a tear through ACAC regular season competition scoring 25 goals in the matter of eight games. She was on pace to break the ACAC Single Season Goal Record in nine games. But it wasn’t until the second last game of the season against the Medicine Hat Rattlers when history was made. The rookie-striker scored in the 16th minute to tie the record and in the second half, a pass from teammate Alisha Coules set up Furuyama for the record-breaking 27th goal of her season. She was able to extend her lead in the record books with two more against the Olds College Broncos in the season finale to give her 29 on the season. Not only was she a goal-scoring machine, but she was also efficient at it too as she scored 40 percent of the time when she shot the ball.
Queens Head Coach Mazhiar Peyrow, who was named the 2022 ACAC Women’s Soccer South Coach of the Year, says she exceeded the expectations the coaching staff had coming into the season.
“Sein has been a massive asset to our team. We knew we had something special coming from Japan when I recruited her, but she completely exceeded our expectations in every way. I’m so proud of her for all her accomplishments in both the ACAC season as well as academically.”
Furuyama is in her first year of eligibility in the ACAC. She comes to Red Deer all the way from Kobe, Japan and currently is enrolled in Academic Upgrading. This year she helped Red Deer Polytechnic clinch only their second first place finish in the South Division in Queens soccer history (2015-2016 was the first). The international striker will be looking to continue her scoring ways this weekend when the Queens play in the first semi-final on Saturday, October 29 at the ACAC Championships in Raymond at Comet Stadium.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2022 ACAC Women’s Soccer Championship hosted by Lethbridge College in Raymond, AB.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, ACAC
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Jonathan Lambert, Keyano College
Director, Athletics & Recreation
780-791-4852
Jonathan.Lambert@keyano.ca
Randy Stewart, RDP Athletics
Director, Athletics & Student Life
403-342-3449
randy.stewart@rdpolytech.ca
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