Chown, Rizakos secure top honours while vying for championship glory

Burlington, Ont. – Leading their teams to the conference championship was not enough for Toronto's Hannah Chown and Guelph's Olivia Rizakos, as they claim the league's top honours and highlight the star-studded class of 2025 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's soccer all-stars and award winners. 

Most Valuable Player (East) – Hannah Chown, Toronto Varsity Blues

The four-time OUA all-star adds to her impressive career with the Varsity Blues by taking home the top honours in the conference. Chown led Toronto to first place in the OUA East division with a 9-2-1 record. The local Mississauga, Ont. product appeared in all 12 regular season matches serving as the team's primary centre back.

Her defensive prowess allowed the Blues to tie for third in the province in goals allowed, conceding only 10 through the 12 regular season matches.

On the offensive side, Chown, who is studying to become a teacher, added one goal and two assists to her season stat line.

A leader on and off the field, Chown is an active member of her community, a member of the OUA student-athlete advisory council, and was also honoured this year with the league's community service award.

Most Valuable Player (West) – Olivia Rizakos, Guelph Gryphons

Rizakos was a driving force for the division-leading Gryphons this season. She covered the scoresheet from every angle, leading the OUA with 20 points and nine assists. The veteran playmaker also netted 11 goals for second-best in the conference.

Rizakos was the do-it-all forward for the Gryphons this season as she was in the starting lineup all season and scored or contributed in 10 of her 12 regular season games.

She had plenty of highlight reel moments as well including a four-point game against Waterloo and a hat trick against McMaster in early September.

A two-time OUA all-star, Rizakos becomes the fourth Gryphon to be hounred with the player of the year award.

Rookie of the Year (East) – Taylor Fazzari, TMU Bold

Fazzari's name was heard often this year in her debut season with the TMU Bold. The first-year forward led her team and finished tied for sixth in the OUA with seven goals. Her offensive execution played a key role in helping the Bold reach the playoffs.

Fazzari delivered a standout performance with two goals and six shots, leading the Bold to an upset win over nationally-ranked Toronto. The Aurora, Ont. native left her mark on her team and the conference, leading the Bold with 26 shots on the season and scoring in three straight games.

Demonstrating strong leadership, the business management student proudly wore the captain's armband in the late September match against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Rookie of the Year (West) – Shalagh Guha, McMaster Marauders

Stepping on to the conference stage for the first time was no daunting task for this rookie as Guha played and started all 12 games for the McMaster Marauders. The centre back scored three goals and four assists. In her debut season, her contributions either tied or closely followed her team's leaders.

One of Guha's best outings came against the Waterloo Warriors where the first-year tallied one goal and supported on two more in McMaster's 7-1 win.

Studying engineering, Guha helped the Marauders finish third in the OUA West and go on a solid playoff run, ending their season in the quarterfinals.

Community Service Award (East) – Hannah Chown, Toronto Varsity Blues

Chown truly leads by example, playing an active role in the Varsity Blues community. The fifth-year defender, who is studying to be a teacher, has worked in many ways with her colleagues and administrators to shape the future of the student-athlete experience.

She is the student lead for Student-Athlete Services in the University of Toronto Athletics Department, co-chair of the Council of Athletics and Recreation and Budget Committee, and president of the Varsity Board at U of T, where she leads initiatives to connect student-athletes with staff.

Supporting women's sports, Chown also sits on the Women's Athletic Association Trust Advisory Committee, which supports the selection and funding of women's sports initiatives at the University of Toronto.

Her leadership extends beyond her university community meanwhile, as she leads the Toronto women's soccer community engagement and outreach with SC Toronto youth girls' soccer programs as well.

Community Service Award (West) – McKenna Burt, Guelph Gryphons

For Burt, giving back to her community is second nature; she finds countless ways to do so. She is involved with motionball, a national not-for-profit organization with a mandate to introduce the next generation of donors, volunteers, and sponsors to the Special Olympics movement through sports. The fourth-year midfielder is both the Gryphons' team representative and the University of Guelph motionball director.  

As the motionball director, she helped increase awareness around the national "No Good Way" campaign on campus. This season, she coordinated a gameday experience for local Special Olympics athletes at a Gryphons women's soccer game, where the athletes participated in a halftime event.

Supporting her fellow Gryphons, Burt is also a Student-Athlete Mentor on campus helping to tutor first-year student-athletes.

Adding to her unmatched efforts, she helped to raise funds during the Guelph Gryphons Bowl for Kids fundraiser for Big Brothers and Big Sisters last spring.

Beyond the campus community, Burt has contributed to the Guelph Soccer Club by assisting with strength and conditioning and coaching local rep teams.

Champion of EDI Award (East) – Josée Jones, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks

Jones is a leader within her team and in the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks athletic department. The second-year midfielder took it upon herself to revamp and re-engage Ontario Tech's BIPOC Athlete Association this year. She was appointed president and actively recruited other members to form the executive team.

In only two months, Jones led her team in redefining the vision and mission of the association and implemented a strategic plan that involved a complete relaunch, rebuilding the social media presence, and initiating scholarship and fundraising activities.

The BIPOC Athlete Association's first initiative was hosting two Anti-Racism Awareness games and ensuring the Ridgebacks had a strong presence during OUA Anti-Racism Awareness Week campaign.

In addition to relaunching the BIPOC Athlete Association, the Ajax, Ont. native has spent much of her time actively researching funding, scholarships, awards, and bursaries, creating an extensive list to support BIPOC student-athletes in their search for additional resources.

Champion of EDI Award (West) – Yvonne Barnes, Algoma Thunderbirds

Barnes is a leader and goes above and beyond through, not only her words but her  consistent action to make everyone feel included.

On the pitch, the second-year winger is a fierce competitor- driven, relentless, and dedicated to her craft. Her intensity in competition sets the tone for her teammates and earns the respect of her opponents. What truly sets her apart is the way she competes with integrity, humility, and grace. She plays hard, but is always fair, battling every minute, while maintaining respect for officials, teammates, and even those on the other side of the ball.

Off the field, the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. local's leadership shines just as brightly. She is thoughtful and compassionate, always willing to listen and lend a hand. She understands the differences that make each of her teammates unique and works to ensure that every person in the locker room feels valued and included.

Whether welcoming a first-year player or supporting a teammate through a tough time, Barnes consistently builds bridges and fosters unity.

Coach of the Year (East) – Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto Varsity Blues

In his seventh season behind the bench for the Varsity Blues, Cavalluzzo takes home the elusive OUA East coach of the year honours.

He led Toronto to a first-place finish in the OUA East with a 9-2-1 record, earning his squad the first-round playoff bye. Under Cavalluzzo's leadership, the Blues' league-leading season was also marked with four all-star nods and MVP honours for Hannah Chown.

The Blues bench boss supported a strong season on both ends of the field, ranking third in the province defensively with just 10 goals conceded across their 12 regular season games, while also putting up strong offensive numbers with 58 goals scored.

A memorable season for Cavalluzzo, also saw him surpass 50 career wins as head coach of the Varsity Blues.

Coach of the Year (West) – Shayne Campbell, Guelph Gryphons

Back-to-back coach of the year honours are not taken lightly in the competitive OUA West, and Campbell did just that. In his ninth season with the Gryphons, Campbell led his squad to the best record in the division, picking up eight wins and falling only once through the 12-game slate.

His side scored the fourth-most goals in the conference with a walloping 31tallies, while only allowing 10 goals against.

Under Campbell's guidance the Gryphons captured six clean sheets on the year.

The former Guelph standout soccer player has earned many OUA honours over his years, and this year he saw his squad collect five all-stars and two major awards, including West MVP Rizakos.

Major Award Winners

Most Valuable Player (East) – Hannah Chown, Toronto Varsity Blues
Most Valuable Player (West) – Olivia Rizakos, Guelph Gryphons
Rookie of the Year (East) – Taylor Fazzari, TMU Bold
Rookie of the Year (West) – Shalagh Guha, McMaster Marauders
Community Service Award (East) – Hannah Chown, Toronto Varsity Blues
Community Service Award (West) – McKenna Burt, Guelph Gryphons
Champion of EDI Award (East) – Josée Jones, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Champion of EDI Award (West) – Yvonne Barnes, Algoma Thunderbirds
Coach of the Year (East) – Angelo Cavalluzzo, Toronto Varsity Blues
Coach of the Year (West) – Shayne Campbell, Guelph Gryphons

First Team All-Stars (East)

First Team All-Stars (West)

Second Team All-Stars (East)

Second Team All-Stars (West)