StFX's Dan Hayfield named AUS MVP for 2017 season
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2017 men's soccer all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's 10 head coaches following regular season play.
Third-year StFX X-Men midfielder Dan Hayfield of Exeter, England, has been named the 2017 AUS most valuable player.
The AUS rookie of the year is Cape Breton Capers forward Charlie Waters of Lancashire, England.
Zachary Visser, a third-year Acadia Axemen defender from Winsloe South, P.E.I., is this year's recipient of the AUS student-athlete community service award.
And in his fourth year at the help of the Cape Breton Capers program, Deano Morley has been selected by his peers as the AUS coach of the year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Dan Hayfield, StFX X-Men
Dan Hayfield, a third-year midfielder from the U SPORTS no. 7-ranked StFX X-Men, has been named the Atlantic University Sport men's soccer most valuable player.
The Exeter, England, native led the AUS conference and finished fourth in the country in scoring with 13 goals this season—breaking a StFX school record set in 1966.
He also led the conference in game-winning goals with six.
Hayfield led the X-Men to a 9-1-2 record this season and a second-place finish in the regular season standings—earning them a first-round playoff bye in this weekend's AUS championship.
In addition to being named league MVP, Hayfield was also named an AUS first team all-star today. This marks his second time being named to an all-star team. He earned second team honours last season.
This marks the fourth time a member of the StFX X-Men has been named the AUS MVP and the first time since 2010.
Hayfield joins the ranks of former X-Men standouts Michael Marousek, Ian Bilek and Glenn MacDougall who earned MVP nods in 2010, 1997 and 1988, respectively.
Hayfield will now represent the Atlantic conference as the league's nominee for the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the U SPORTS player of the year.
A StFX student-athlete has yet to win the national award. Atlantic conference nominees have taken home the honour in 2014, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1998 and 1996.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Charlie Waters, Cape Breton Capers
Cape Breton Capers striker Charlie Waters has been chosen by the coaches as the 2017 Atlantic University Sport rookie of the year.
A community studies student from Lancashire, England, Waters led the U SPORTS no. 1-ranked Capers in goals this season with eight and in points with 12.
The freshman forward helped lead the Cape Breton squad to an undefeated 11-0-1 regular season record, a first-place finish in the AUS standings and a first-round playoff bye through to the semi-final round of this weekend's championship.
Waters becomes the fourth player from the Capers to be named AUS rookie of the year. Current teammate Joel Eckert-Ayenza earned the honour most recently for Cape Breton in his inaugural season in 2015. Former Capers standouts Ian Greedy and Paul Hamilton won the award in 2010 and 2006, respectively.
Waters now becomes the AUS nominee for the Lou Bilek Award for U SPORTS rookie of the year.
UNB's John Fish was the last AUS men's soccer player to earn national rookie of the year honours. He took home the award in 2004. Dalhousie's Simon Richardson is the only other Atlantic University Sport player to be named CIS (now U SPORTS) rookie of the year. He earned the title in 2001.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Zachary Visser, Acadia Axemen
Zachary Visser, a third-year defender with the Acadia Axemen, is the 2017 AUS student-athlete community service award recipient.
A chemistry student from Winsloe South, P.E.I., Visser played in 11 of 12 games for the Axemen this regular season, while also maintaining a 3.98 cumulative GPA in the classroom.
He is heavily involved in the community, volunteering his time with an array of initiatives. He coordinates and organizes team fundraisers for the Canadian Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Society of Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
He also serves as an instructor for Acadia's S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory Motor Instructional Learning Experience) program and has volunteered at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, P.E.I., during the summer months since 2012.
"Zach is a leader and role model for all of our student-athletes, which includes attempting to make a significant difference in the lives of others," said Kevin Dickie, executive director of Acadia Athletics.
Visser is the first player from the Acadia Axemen to receive the men's soccer student-athlete community service award. He will now represent the Atlantic conference as the nominee for the national student-athlete community service award.
Since the inception of the national award in 2005, AUS student-athletes have claimed the honour nine times (in 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2006). Dalhousie's Jonathan Doucett was last year's winner.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Deano Morley, Cape Breton Capers
Head coach Deano Morley of the U SPORTS no. 1-ranked Cape Breton Capers has been selected by his peers as the 2017 AUS men's soccer coach of the year for the second time in his career.
Earning this award in his fourth season at the helm of the Capers program, Morley led his squad to an undefeated 11-0-1 regular season record, a first-place finish in the AUS standings and a first-round playoffs bye through to Friday's championship semifinals.
Morley's defending AUS champion Cape Breton squad allowed just six goals against all season for a goals against average of 0.50 per game—the best in U SPORTS.
The Capers scored an AUS-leading 32 goals in 12 games this season. They led the conference in shots (200), shots per game (16.7), shots on goal (115) and assists (19).
They also managed a league-leading seven shutouts.
Morley has led the Capers to the AUS postseason in each of his four seasons as head coach.
Prior to being appointed head coach, he served as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2013. Before joining the coaching staff, he was a student-athlete with the Capers program from 2004 to 2006.
A native of Nottingham, England, Morley has served on the Capers coaching staff for all four of their AUS championship wins and both CIS (now U SPORTS) medal wins (silver and bronze) at the national level.
Last season, he guided the Cape Breton team to an AUS championship win and an appearance at the national semifinals.
He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS coach of the year award.
Acadia's Findlay MacRae took home the honour for the Axemen last season.
Other national award wins by AUS coaches in recent years include UNB's Miles Pinsent in 2012, StFX's Graham Kennedy in 2010 and Dalhousie's Pat Nearing in 2008.
FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
The 2017 AUS men's soccer first and second team all-stars are as follows:
First Team All-Stars:
Keeper - Thomas Pieroway, StFX (4th year – Conception Bay, N.L.)
Defender - Peter Schaale, Cape Breton (2nd year – Bernkastel-Kues, Germany)
Defender - Josh Read, StFX (2nd year – Bath, England)
Defender - Blake Fenton, StFX (1st year – Halifax, N.S.)
Midfield - Ryan Parris, Acadia (4th year – Pembroke, Bermuda)
Midfield - Marcus Lees, UNB (5th year – Barrie, Ont.)
Midfield - Cory Bent, Cape Breton (2nd year – Preston, England)
Midfield - Marcus Campanile, Cape Breton (2nd year – Edinburgh, Scotland)?
Midfield - Charlie Waters, Cape Breton (1st year – Lancashire, England)
Midfield - Natneal Tecle, StFX (5th year – Calgary, Alta.)
Striker - Dan Hayfield, StFX (3rd year – Exeter, England)
Second Team All-Stars:
Keeper - Ben Jackson, Cape Breton (2nd year – Bury, England)
Defender - Daniel Pritchard, Cape Breton (3rd year – Nuneaton, England)
Defender - Jonathan Doucett, Dalhousie (5th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Defender - Joe Hamilton, UNB (1st year – Morecambe, England)
Defender - Alex Pretty, Memorial (5th year – St. John's, N.L.)
Midfield - Diego Padilha, UNB (5th year – Maceió, Brazil)
Midfield - Sam Smiley, UPEI (3rd year – Stratford, P.E.I.)
Midfield - Freddy Bekkers, Dalhousie (3rd year – Halifax, N.S.)
Striker - Stuart Heath, Cape Breton (4th year – Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Striker - Tyler Forsey, Memorial (5th year – St. Philip's, N.L.)
Striker - Dan Walker, UNB (3rd year – Fredericton, N.B.)
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The 2017 Subway AUS Men's Soccer Championship will be hosted by Cape Breton University at CBU Field in Sydney, N.S., Nov. 2 to 5, 2017.
The championship schedule is as follows:
Thursday, Nov. 2
Quarterfinal #1: Memorial (6th) vs. UNB (3rd), 4 p.m.
Quarterfinal #2: UPEI (5th) vs. Acadia (4th), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3
Semifinal #1: Lowest Remaining Seed vs. Cape Breton (1st), 4 p.m.
Semifinal #2: Highest Remaining Seed vs. StFX (2nd), 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5
Championship Game: Semifinal #1 Winner vs. Semifinal #2 Winner, 2 p.m.
*Note: All games of the championship will be available via webcast, live at www.AUStv.ca.
Final AUS men's soccer standings:
http://atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/msoc/2017-18/standings
The Atlantic University Sport conference receives two berths at the 2017 U SPORTS men's soccer championship being hosted by Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. Nov. 9 to 12, 2017.
The berths will go to the AUS championship winner and runner-up.
For more information on the national men's soccer championship, please visit the official website at: https://usports.ca/en/championships/soccer/m.