WSOC | Voyageurs Have 3 All-Stars, 1 Major Award Winner
The OUA named the women’s soccer all-stars Thursday and four Voyageurs were recognized in the annual awards. For the first time since 2013, the Laurentian roster features an OUA first-team all-star and in 2016, two Voyageurs, defender Amy Fitzgerald and midfielder Catherine Rocca, have been selected to the squad.
After being named a second-team all-star a season ago, Fitzgerald is an OUA first-team all-star for the first time her career after she appeared in all 16 games, anchoring a stingy Vees defence that only allowed 1.18 goals against per game. In just her second year, Rocca appeared in 15 games for Laurentian, scoring a pair of goals, while adding an assist this season. Forward Sarah Sanford will represent the Voyageurs as an OUA second-team for a second consecutive year after she led the team with 8 points (6G, 2A).
The Voyageurs roster also features a major award winner as defender Allison Pilon (Whitby, Ont.) has been recognized for her accomplishments away from the pitch with the OUA East Division Community Service Award.
Since 2007, Pilon has been involved with “Free the Children” where she volunteers domestically and internationally to help raise funds to build a school in Kenya. The third-year health promotion major has also volunteered with the organization on several other events, including We Day, Water Walk and Vow of Silence. In addition to traveling to Kenya, Pilon has visited China to build clean water systems as well as to Costa Rica where she taught English while assisting with sustainable community development projects. Back at home, the Whitby, Ont. native gives regularly of her time to the girls’ junior and senior soccer teams at Father Leo J Austin Secondary School.
The awards and recognition wrap up a successful season for the team who bowed out of the playoffs in the OUA East Semi-Finals after finishing 4th in the regular season.