VANCOUVER, B.C. – For just the second time in school history, the national player of the year in men's soccer has been awarded to a Guelph Gryphon. On Wednesday evening at the U SPORTS men's soccer gala in Vancouver, Gryphons' fourth-year forward Jace Kotsopoulos was named the recipient of the
Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the U SPORTS Player of the Year in men's soccer. Kotsopoulos joins Robbie Murphy (2011) as the only other Gryphon men's soccer player to take home the national honour.
2018 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Major Award Winners
Player of the Year: Jace Kotsopoulos (Guelph)
Rookie of the Year: Thomas Gardner (UBC)
Coach of the Year: Deano Morley (Cape Breton)
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Francesco Bartolillo (UNBC)
He was one of the most dangerous players in all of U SPORTS. Whenever
Jace Kotsopoulos got a touch on the ball, the fourth-year Guelph Gryphons striker induced panic in defenders and goalkeepers all-around the OUA. Kotsopoulos had a 2018 season to remember, finishing second in U SPORTS in goals with 15, while also eclipsing the University of Guelph's all-time goals record.
The Guelph hit man's 15 goals paced the OUA this season, with many coming at crucial moments to either tie or win a match. The majority of those 15 came in a memorable September when Kotsopoulos was named U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Month.
2018 U SPORTS Player of the Year Jace Kotsopoulos
He scored a brace in five of his seven matches that month and also became the University of Guelph men's all-time leading scorer when he bagged both goals in a 2-0 win over McMaster on Sept. 9. Kotsopoulos had 48 goals to that point, needing one to tie Guelph's all-time leader
Robbie Murphy at 49. He got it in the 75th minute, heading a ball home from inside the area. But Kotsopoulos wasn't done. He established the new school record six minutes later when he took a through ball from teammate Jon Amoo, held off a defender on his shoulder, and coolly finished with his left foot into the bottom corner of the McMaster net. He went on to score six more goals the rest of the season and currently sits in the top spot with 56.
"Jace had an amazing season, breaking the all-time Gryphon goal scoring record, leading the OUA in scoring and coming second in Canada," said Gryphons' head coach
Keith Mason. "But above all this, Jace is a tremendous individual, humble, talented, hardworking, and a leader. It is a pleasure to coach such a player with these qualities day in day out. He is fully deserving of this special award, but I am sure Jace would be the first to admit he could not have done it without the fantastic support, on and off the field, from his teammates."
U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians
| Pos. |
First Name |
Last Name |
School |
Elig. |
Hometown |
Program |
| GK |
Connor |
James |
Alberta |
5 |
Edmonton, Atla. |
Business |
| D |
Peter |
Schaale |
Cape Breton |
3 |
Bernkastel-Kues, Germany |
Business Admin. |
| D |
Bila |
Dicko-Raynauld |
Laval |
5 |
Montreal, Que. |
Entrepreneurship |
| D |
Daniel |
Gogarty |
York |
5 |
Scarborough, Ont. |
Business Economics |
| D |
Tammer |
Byrne |
Fraser Valley |
5 |
Abbotsford, B.C. |
Kinesiology |
| M |
Marcus |
Campanile |
Cape Breton |
3 |
Edinburgh, U.K. |
Community Studies |
| M |
Dario |
Conte |
Carleton |
2 |
Ottawa, Ont. |
Economics |
| M |
Thomas |
Gardner |
UBC |
1 |
North Vancouver, B.C. |
Arts |
| S |
Jace |
Kotsopoulos |
Guelph |
4 |
Burlington, Ont. |
Economics |
| S |
Frédéric |
Lajoie-Gravelle |
Montreal |
5 |
Gatineau, Que. |
Psychology and Sociology |
| S |
Cory |
Bent |
Cape Breton |
3 |
Preston, U.K. |
Community Studies |
U SPORTS 2nd Team All-Canadians
| Pos. |
First Name |
Last Name |
School |
Elig. |
Hometown |
Program |
| GK |
Nizar |
Houhou |
Laval |
5 |
Melun, France |
Phys. Ed & Health (Teaching) |
| D |
Josh |
Read |
StFX |
3 |
Bath, U.K. |
Human Kinetics |
| D |
Noah |
Cunningham |
Alberta |
3 |
St. Alberta, Alta. |
Education |
| D |
Connor |
Guilherme |
UBC |
3 |
Unionville, Ont. |
Science |
| D |
André |
Bona |
UQAM |
5 |
Montreal, Que. |
Environmental Sciences |
| M |
Omar |
Kreim |
Montreal |
3 |
Casablanca, Morocco |
Law |
| M |
Raheem |
Rose |
Ryerson |
5 |
Toronto, Ont. |
Arts & Contemporary Studies |
| M |
Ramzi |
Saim |
McGill |
2 |
Ile Bizard, Que. |
Finance |
| S |
Dan |
Hayfield |
StFX |
4 |
Exeter, U.K. |
Arts |
| S |
Ajeej |
Sarkaria |
Alberta |
3 |
Edmonton, Alta. |
Business |
| S |
Gabriel |
Bitar |
Carleton |
2 |
Ottawa, Ont. |
Arts |
U SPORTS All-Rookie Team
| Pos. |
First Name |
Last Name |
School |
Hometown |
Program |
| S |
Tristan |
Nkoghe |
UNB |
Sherbrooke, Que. |
Arts |
| M |
Felly |
Elonda |
Moncton |
St. John's, N.L. |
Arts |
| M |
Ayoub |
Al Arabi |
StFX |
Halifax, N.S. |
Human Kinetics |
| M |
Thomas |
Gardner |
UBC |
North Vancouver, B.C. |
Arts |
| S |
Nikolas |
Baikas |
Saskatchewan |
Saskatoon, Sask. |
Arts & Science |
| S |
Matteo |
Ventura |
Victoria |
Victoria, B.C. |
Humanities |
| M |
Pierre |
Lamothe |
Montreal |
Greenfield Park, Que. |
Physical & Health Ed. |
| S |
Florian |
Bettelli |
McGill |
Roquefort les Pins, France |
Science (Math & Computer) |
| M |
Jean-Philippe |
Lévesque |
Laval |
Quebec City, Que. |
Nutrition |
| S |
Sebastian |
Guerrieri |
Waterloo |
Oakville, Ont. |
Arts |
| D |
Kai |
Martin |
Ryerson |
Toronto, Ont. |
Business |
| D |
Cheikh |
Tchouambou |
McMaster |
Brampton, Ont. |
Life Sciences |
