Masterful goal-scorer McCrory named most valuable player

Burlington, Ont. – Sam McCrory's name was synonymous with goal-scoring this season. Her offensive efforts not only outpaced the conference pack, but helped the Toronto Varsity Blues star take home the most valuable player nod, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2022 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) field hockey season.

Most Valuable Player – Sam McCrory, Toronto Varsity Blues



There was no stopping Toronto's Sam McCrory during the 2022 OUA season and she has earned MVP honours as a result.

An elite offensive talent at the forward position, McCrory led the OUA in goals with 20 during the regular season, managing to find the back of the net in every game but their season opener. Her nine-game goal-scoring streak to end the season coincided with an identical winning streak for the Blues, as the Kitchener, Ont. product anchored the prolific play from the country's No. 1 team.

McCrory is in her second season with Blues after guiding the University of Victoria Vikes to a U SPORTS title in 2018, and Toronto's co-captain is looking to be just as instrumental to help her current team take home the national title. While the kinesiology major has stood out among her field hockey peers week in and week out, she was also tabbed as the conference's athlete of the week for the period ending October 2 after scoring seven goals in the team's three games that week.

McCrory's award-winning season adds to an impressive list of MVPs from the Varsity Blues, becoming the 12 different player to take home the honour.

Rookie of the Year – Harper Griffin, Guelph Gryphons



There has been a strong track record of fantastic freshman seasons for the Guelph program and 2022 first-year Harper Griffin adds to the team's award-winners therein with the latest OUA rookie of the year selection.

While Griffin, a molecular and biology genetics student from Waterloo, Ont., didn't jump off the score sheet with her one assist on the year, her impact went well beyond the numbers, as she played an irreplaceable role as a midfielder/forward for Guelph. The talented rookie jumped right into a key role for the defending finalists and consistent championship contenders, starting in all 10 games for the Gryphons and helping them secure a West Division leading 7-1-2 record on the year.

The award is the 11th for a Guelph rookie, and the second straight season in which they've taken home the first-year honour (Arden Goddard-Despot, 2021).

Goalkeeper of the Year – Marley Dowling, Waterloo Warriors



No stranger to the recognition, Waterloo's Marley Dowling earns the OUA's goalkeeper of the year award following her 2022 performance between the pipes.

The fourth-year netminder for the Warriors has always been an important part of the team's success, having been recognized with this recognition in back-to-back seasons heading into 2022. Entering her final season, the Waterloo, Ont. local made it three straight years as the conference's top goalie after finishing with a 3-5-2 record and helping her squad finish fifth overall in the OUA. Dowling was integral to Waterloo's trio of victories on the year, picking up shutouts in all three winning efforts.

The 2022 all-stars also finished among the conference leaders in saves (3rd in OUA), save percentage (4th in OUA), and goals-against average (1.60).

Coach of the Year – Jonathan Roberts, McMaster Marauders



In his first season with McMaster, and a successful one at that, Jonathan Roberts takes home the top coaching nod for the 2022 OUA campaign.

Jonathan Roberts sparked a solid season from his McMaster squad, who went from a winless record a season ago to a much-improved 2-6-2 mark in 2022. The Marauders scored in all but two games and kept things close against some of the province's top competition. The first-year head coach also saw one of his players – Serena Uppal – reach all-star level this season, a first in recent years for the program.

An experienced Canadian field hockey athlete with an impressive résumé, Roberts uses his connection with the game to equip his athletes with the same opportunity for success that saw him capture three gold medals for Canada at the Indoor Pan American Cup (2005, 2010, 2014) as well as MVP and top goal-scorer honours in both the 2010 and 2017 Indoor Pan Am Cups.

Gail Wilson Outstanding Contributor – Frankie St. Louis, York Lions



Frankie St. Louis' name can be found all over York field hockey during her varsity tenure and she caps off her Lions career as the Gail Wilson Outstanding Contributor selection for the 2022 season.

On the field, the dynamic defender proved potent offensively as well, ranking second in conference scoring with 10 goals. She netted nine of those tallies in a two-game stretch earlier in the season against McGill as part of a record-tying slate of games for York offensively. Her impact went beyond the score sheet; however, as the senior from Toronto, Ont. also proved to be a pivotal leader for a youthful Lions squad that is competing for an OUA championship despite their youth-filled roster.

St. Louis, a kinesiology and health science major, also helped the transition of the York Sport Council, acting in a mentorship role for the new council executive as the outgoing president. Outside of the Lions athletic department, meanwhile, the former all-Canadian and 2019 York MVP also served as an assistant coach and team manager with Team Ontario U16 over the last summer while completing an internship at Deloitte.

St. Louis' well-rounded efforts help her become the first member of the York program to be recognized with the conference accolade since 2005 (Nicole Zaharopoulos).

The complete list of 2022 OUA field hockey award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player – Sam McCrory, Toronto
Rookie of the Year – Harper Griffin, Guelph
Goalkeeper of the Year – Marley Dowling, Waterloo
Coach of the Year – Jonathan Roberts, McMaster
Gail Wilson Outstanding Contributor – Frankie St. Louis, York

All-Stars
Sam McCrory, Toronto
Rebecca Carvalho, Toronto
Frankie St. Louis, York
Abby Warriner, Guelph
Payten Lang, Western
Serena Uppal, McMaster
Hannah Cook, Waterloo
Isabelle Mastantuono, Queen's
Elly Peters, Guelph
Nina Watson, Queen's
Marley Dowling, Waterloo