Provost, Fleming-Thompson claim top honors after commanding performances on the pitch
Burlington, Ont. – It was a star-studded season on and off the field. Ottawa's Cassandra Provost, now a four-time major award winner, and York's Nia Fleming-Thompson, former OUA rookie of the year, powered their way to most valuable player honours in their respective divisions, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2024 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's soccer season.
Most Valuable Player (East) - Cassandra Provost, Ottawa
Provost had a powerful season for the Garnet and Grey, leading the entire OUA in goals with 13 in the 2024 regular season, while finishing first in her division (second overall) with 15 points.
The management student broke the Gee-Gees all-time regular season scoring record this season, surpassing the 58 goals recorded by two-time OUA East Player of the Year, Pilar Khoury. She now stands at 61 career goals in 44 regular season games played.
Provost from Acton Vale, Que., has been the leading goal scorer across the OUA for the past three seasons and is the first Gee-Gees soccer player to be named the conference's player of the year three times. The fourth-year striker was also named the OUA East Division Rookie of the Year in 2021, giving her a major OUA award in each of her campaign in the nation's capital. She was named the U SPORTS Player of the Year in 2022.
Most Valuable Player (West) - Nia Fleming-Thompson, York
Fleming-Thompson picked up right where she left off after a year away in the NCAA. She returned to the Lions to lead their squad with 12 goals on the year, good enough for second in the OUA. The Mississauga, Ont. native helped the York Lions finish the regular season with a 5-3-4 record and an exciting playoff run.
The dynamic forward opened the season with goals in five consecutive matches and found the back of the net in eight of York's 12 games in the regular season. She had two multi-goal games, tallying six goals in York's two games against Algoma.
She is a well decorated student-athlete. The biology student was named rookie of the year and awarded a first team all-star nod in 2022. Fleming-Thompson's win marks the 10th time a York player has received this award.
Rookie of the Year (East) - Hannah Neville, Nipissing
Neville made her presence felt in her first year, tallying eight points and helping the Nipissing Lakers finish with a 9-3 record and earn their first berth in the OUA championship game. The Paradise, NL native started in six of the Lakers games, getting field time in all but one in the regular season.
The criminal justice student had many shining performances throughout the season, including a four-point game in Nipissing's game against Trent and a three-point effort in their win over RMC.
Neville also got the start in Nipissing's thrilling 6-4 overtime win in the first round of the playoffs and put up solid minutes in the Lakers 2-1 win over York in the snow during the OUA semifinal.
This is just the start of what is sure to be a sensational career with the Nipissing Lakers.
Rookie of the Year (West) – Ashley Greco, Laurier
Greco made her mark on the OUA in her rookie campaign. The Vaughan, Ont. product started in all of Laurier's regular season games. She totaled 1,078 regular season minutes just 12 minutes shy of being on the field for the entire season.
In her extended time on the pitch, the forward scored one goal and had one assist for the Golden Hawks.
The kinesiology and physical education student put in her time in the playoffs too, playing 120 minutes in Laurier's Round 1 overtime loss to McMaster, taking one shot on goal.
Greco is the fifth Golden Hawk to be named rookie of the year, and is poised to add to this accolade in the years to come.
Coach of the Year (East) - Steve Johnson, Ottawa
Johnson led the Gee-Gees to an 11-1-0 record and the top overall position in the league standings in his 30th OUA season as head coach. 2024 marked the 15th time the Gee-Gees finished at the top of the OUA East standings, and they did so on the heels of a league-leading 45 goals scored and just four goals against in regular season play.
The 2024 coach of the year award is the eighth of Johnson's remarkable career. His career regular season record is 303-33-66 and his overall record including playoffs is 392-69-70.
He has also been named the U SPORTS Coach of the Year twice, in 1996 and 2005.
Coach of the Year (West) – Shayne Campbell
This is the seventh time in program history that a Guelph women's soccer coach has been named OUA West Coach of the Year and the third time for Campbell, who has won it in 2018, 2022, and now 2024.
Campbell led the Gryphons to an 8-3-1 record during the regular season, helping Guelph secure an opening-round bye in the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the OUA West. In the playoffs, Campbell and the Gryphons defeated the McMaster Marauders to reach the OUA semifinal stage, where they would fall just short in a penalty kicks in Ottawa against the two-time defending OUA champion Gee-Gees.
A former University of Guelph standout soccer player himself, Campbell has significant ties to the Guelph soccer community with an extensive playing and coaching resume. Back in 2017, in his first season as head coach, he led the Gryphons to their lone OUA title in program history.
Community Service Award (East) - Chloe Lachance-Soulard, Carleton
Lachance-Soulard is a major part of the athletics community at Carleton. The fourth-year goalkeeper is a member of the Carleton Ravens varsity council. She has had her hand in many events within the athletics community, including the Bell Let's Talk initiative and a toy drive for children in need during the holiday season.
The local Ottawa native is also a mainstay in Carleton's Jr. Ravens program, which provides coaching to younger players in the Ottawa community and sees Ravens players and coaches work directly with the participants. The program focuses on age-appropriate graduated skill development as well as staying fit, having fun, and making friends.
Lachance-Soulard was awarded 2024 Undergraduate University Medal in Cognitive Science and picked up OUA Academic Achievement Awards over the past five years.
"Chloe's dedication to community service exemplifies the true spirit of leadership," raves Ravens' head coach Dominic Oliveri. "Winning the OUA Community Service Award is a testament to her commitment to making a difference in the lives of others."
Lachance-Soulard's nod is the second time a Carleton Raven has received this award.
Community Service Award (West) - Priyanka Chakravarti, Waterloo
Chakravarti is an exceptional student-athlete who excels both on the soccer field and in numerous leadership roles, consistently demonstrating dedication, initiative, and a passion for empowering others.
As the conference co-chair of the Professional Engineers Ontario Student Conference, she led a team of 30 students to organize a provincial conference focused on guiding 100 engineering students from across Ontario in their transition from academia to the workforce.
In her role as Vice President of Finance for the University of Waterloo Engineering Society, she managed a six-figure budget, collaborated with over 30 directors, and oversaw expenditures to enhance services for 8000 students.
The third-year defender also served as Director of the National Conference on Diversity in Engineering, where she organized an event for 150 students from 30 universities, promoting diversity and inclusion within the engineering field.
Her commitment to community building extended to her role on the Education Committee for University of Waterloo Engineering Orientation, where she coordinated orientation activities for 1000 incoming students.
Chakravarti participated in the "In Her Corner" Canadian Women in Sport initiative and the Fast and Female Mentorship Program, engaging in discussions on reducing barriers for females in sports and consulting on ways to keep young women involved in athletics.
Her dedication to sports also led her to coach in her hometown of Richmond Hill, Ont. in the Grassroots Soccer program with the Richmond Hill Soccer Club, where she coached children aged four to six in various soccer programs and helped run the girls' soccer school to build confidence in young female athletes.
Champion of EDI Award - Jenine Alkhatib, McMaster Marauders
Alkhatib is an active member of the McMaster community. The third-year goalkeeper is an executive and one of the founding members of the McMaster 2SLGBTQ+ Athlete Advocacy Group (LAAG).
She helped spearhead many initiatives, including the inaugural Pride games for McMaster soccer and basketball, a fundraiser for the Hamilton Trans Health Coalition, and the Nikki Hiltz Pride 5K to fundraise for LGBTQ+ nonprofits.
The Ajax, Ont. native's involvement doesn't stop there. She is part of the McMaster Women's Athletic Leadership Committee (WALC) as a team representative for women's soccer. She helped run a soccer clinic for girls at a local Hamilton high school.
"Jenine exemplifies everything it means to be a great teammate," said McMaster head coach Garrett Peters. "She holds the highest character and strives to push our program forward each day. It is of course no surprise that she exhibits these qualities throughout the university and within the community as well. We are ecstatic to be able to congratulate Jenine on this accomplishment and we expect her to continue to be a leader within the community for many years to come!"
The complete list of 2024 OUA women's soccer award winners and all-stars is as follows:
MAJOR AWARDS
Most Valuable Player (East) – Cassandra Provost, Ottawa
Most Valuable Player (West) – Nia Fleming-Thompson, York
Rookie of the Year (East) – Hannah Neville, Nipissing
Rookie of the Year (West)– Ashley Greco, Laurier
Coach of the Year (East) – Steve Johnson, Ottawa
Coach of the Year (West)– Shayne Campbell, Guelph
Community Service Award (East) – Chloe Lachance-Soulard, Carleton
Community Service Award (West) – Priyanka Chakravarti, Waterloo
Champion of EDI Award – Jenine Alkhatib, McMaster
FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
East Division
Goalkeeper – Madison Heeley, Nipissing
Defender – Maya Smith, Ottawa
Defender – Clare Sun, Queen's
Defender – Hannah Chown, Toronto
Midfielder – Nibo Dlamini, Ottawa
Midfielder – Kendra Couto, Queen's
Midfielder – Taylor Schell, Nipissing
Midfielder – Eva Bouity, Ottawa
Striker – Cassandra Provost, Ottawa
Striker – Cassidy Brooks, Nipissing
Striker – Mattson Strickler, Queen's
West Division
Goalkeeper – Natalie Mouradian, Waterloo
Defender – Elise Bell, Guelph
Defender – Avarie Thomas, Western
Defender – Bryanna Caldwell, McMaster
Midfielder – Jade Abreo, McMaster
Midfielder – Brianne Desa, York
Midfielder – Samantha Murphy, Wilfrid Laurier
Midfielder – Kalifornia Mitchell, York
Striker – Nia Fleming Thomas, York
Striker – Olivia Rizakos, Guelph
Striker – Sasha Marikano, Wilfrid Laurier
SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
East Division
Goalkeeper – Cassidy Joslin, Ottawa
Defender – Emily Tierney, Nipissing
Defender – Quinn Snell, Carleton
Defender – Abbie Russell, Ontario Tech
Defender – Cassie Chan, Toronto
Midfielder – Hannah Anderson, Toronto
Midfielder – Mikayla Moser, Carleton
Midfielder – Natalie Moynihan, TMU
Striker – Jenna Matsukubo, Ottawa
Striker – Lauren Illman, Carleton
Striker – Taliyah Walker, TMU
West Division
Goalkeeper – Samantha St. Croix, Western
Defender – Brook-Lynne Mitchell, York
Defender – Tamara Lisser, Wilfrid Laurier
Defender – Jasmine Burke, Guelph
Defender – Reese Fowler, Western
Midfielder – Mackenzie Bilotta, Western
Midfielder – Aislynn Essibrah, Windsor
Midfielder – Nicole Astaiza, McMaster
Striker – Stefanie Young, Brock
Striker – Christina Gomes, Guelph
Striker – Maia Torelli, York
