Whitecaps women win CSA awards

January 15, 2008

Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Christine Sinclair, and midfielders Sophie Schmidt and Monica Lam-Feist, all claimed 2007 Canadian Player of the Year awards this week.

On Tuesday, Sinclair won the Senior Women’s Player of the Year award for a third consecutive year after being honoured in a vote that was shared between members of the Canadian media and top-level coaches from across Canada. Schmidt, meanwhile, was named Canadian U-20 Women’s Player of the Year on Monday, while fellow midfielder Lam-Feist claimed the U-17 Women’s Player of the Year award on Sunday. Both Schmidt and Lam-Feist were honoured in a vote that was shared between members of the Canadian national team coaching staff and top-level coaches from across the country.

2007 was a milestone year for Sinclair, as the Burnaby, BC, native became the third Canadian player to reach 100 senior international caps. As team captain, the striker was part of the squad’s year-long residency program in Vancouver, as Canada prepared for two major tournaments in the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and last September’s FIFA Women's World Cup finals in China.

Considered one of women’s soccer’s top players, Sinclair scored 16 goals in 14 games for Canada last year. Her three goals at China 2007 made her the country’s all-time leader in World Cup goals with six. Sinclair also posted two hat-tricks in helping Canada to a Pan American bronze medal in Brazil, while also becoming the third Canadian to have a second-career four-goal game. Of more significance, the 24-year-old became Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer in 2007, with the forward having now amassed 84 goals in 103 international games.

"Since her first selection to the senior team at 15 years old, Christine Sinclair has been a constant member of my team - and not just any member," said head coach Even Pellerud. "It is hard to recall either a simple practice or an international game in which she has not had a massive impact on the team. Christine has set new standards for all Canadian players growing up and those standards are high. Any new talent coming up will be compared to the still-young Christine. You can't find a better measuring stick today!"

As a member of the Whitecaps, the former University of Portland star helped the club to the 2006 USL W-League championship title and is sixth all-time in points with 21 goals and 10 assists in 20 games.

Sinclair’s teammate Schmidt claimed the U-20 award making the most of the 2007 W-League season with Whitecaps women’s team. The former Abbotsford Rush player appeared in all 12 league games for Bob Birarda’s side and was second in minutes played with 1036. Despite not being initially part of the Canadian national team’s residency camp, the 19-year-old made Pellerud’s World Cup squad and went on to appear in all three of Canada’s group games in China, scoring one goal. Schmidt’s previous international experience includes appearances at the last two FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Thailand 2004 and as team captain in Russia 2006.

As a redshirt freshman, Schmidt also helped the University of Portland to the NCAA Division I quarterfinals last November, with the Pilots losing in extra-time to Canadian international teammate Kara Lang and the UCLA Bruins. For Schmidt, the U-20 award comes after the youngster was also named the 2007 Senior Female Player of the Year by the British Columbia Soccer Association.

Lam-Feist, meanwhile, claimed the U-17 honour after making huge progress with both the Whitecaps and the Canadian U-17 national team. The talented 16-year-old helped the Whitecaps reserves to an undefeated regular-season finish in the Pacific Coast Soccer League last summer and has since been training six times-a-week with the club’s winter program. The Surrey, BC, native also appeared at all three U-17 national team preparatory camps in 2007, where she had the honour of captaining the side and scoring her first international goal against Chile in Florida last November. Lam-Feist is expected to be a major part of head coach Bryan Rosenfeld’s plans towards Canada’s hopes of qualifying for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals in New Zealand later this year. Like Schmidt, the U-17 honour comes after Lam-Feist was named 2007 Youth Female Player of the Year by the BCSA.

2008 has also begun positively for Lam-Feist, as she has earned a call-up to the senior national team for this week’s Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China, with Sinclair and Schmidt also part of Pellerud’s 21-player squad for the three-game tournament against the USA, hosts China, and Finland. The tournament is part of Canada’s preparations towards this April’s CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualification tournament in Mexico.

On the men’s side, the U-17 Player of the Year award went to Montreal defender Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis, while the U-20 award went to Portsmouth goalkeeper and Edmonton, Alberta, native Asmir Begovic. On Thursday, the Senior Men’s Player of the Year award went to Canada forward Dwayne de Rosario following a stellar 2007 season for his club and country. This culminated in a successful MLS Cup title defence and the Final MVP award with Houston Dynamo last November.


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