BURLINGTON, Ont. – Four student-athletes from the Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team were recognized on Friday afternoon (Nov. 1) as Ontario University Athletics announced the all-stars and major award winners from the 2024 OUA men's soccer season.
Cole Fernandez was named the OUA West Community Service Award winner to go along with his OUA First Team All-Star nod. Joining Fernandez as 2024 OUA All-Stars are
Gray Yates,
Jacob Cabral and
Dante Ruddock, who were all named to the second team.
Gryphons Men's Soccer 2024 OUA All-Stars and Major Awards
Cole Fernandez – OUA West Community Service Award and First Team All-Star
For the fifth time in program history, a U of G student-athlete has earned provincial recognition as the OUA's Community Service Award winner in men's soccer. Gryphons men's soccer centre back,
Cole Fernandez, is the 2024 recipient of the OUA Community Service Award for his work on and off the pitch. Fernandez has been an active and valued volunteer member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph throughout the past year. Through this charity organization, Cole has been connecting with students at nearby Kortright Hills Public School, engaging with elementary school students on a regular basis in a mentorship role, helping to boost morale and academic motivation of local youth. For Fernandez, a sociology major at the University of Guelph and a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, volunteering at a local school was a perfect fit for the 22-year-old, who has aspirations of becoming a teacher in the future. The Hamilton native is currently in the process of applying for teacher's college and is set to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in December of 2024. Fernandez was also named as an OUA First Team All-Star as one of the top defenders in the conference. The sociology major is one of the leaders of the Gryphon back line helping his team to an OUA-best six clean sheets on the season to go along with scoring a goal.
Alongside Fernandez, fellow Gryphon teammates
Gray Yates,
Jacob Cabral and
Dante Ruddock have earned the nod as OUA All-Stars.
Fourth-year midfielder
Gray Yates has been named an OUA Second Team All-Star for the second time in his career. Yates, a local product and captain of the team, scored 3 goals on the season, providing his versatility on the pitch as a holding and attacking midfielder. Fellow midfielder, earning his first OUA All-Star nod, is standout sophomore,
Jacob Cabral. Cabral, a second-year psychology major, plays a key role in the Gryphon midfield utilizing his great distribution skills to help the team's link up play. The Mississauga native saw action all 14 games for the Gryphons this season and now earns the title of OUA All-Star after a sensational rookie campaign a season ago in which he was named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team. Also making his first appearance on the OUA All-Star team is third-year forward,
Dante Ruddock. The human kinetics major provided stability to the Gryphon attack and was a constant threat up top, scoring twice on the season. See below for a complete list of OUA All-Stars and award winners for the 2024 men's soccer season.
2024 OUA West Division Major Awards
Most Valuable Player: Christian Zeppieri, York Lions
Coach of the Year: Tristan Joyce, McMaster Marauders
Rookie of the Year: Luca Accettola, York Lions
Community Service Award: Cole Fernandez, Guelph Gryphons
2024 OUA West Division First Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Dino Bontis, Western Mustangs
Defender: Matthew Paiva, McMaster Marauders
Defender: Kelvin Ramirez, York Lions
Defender: Daniel Oshana, Western Mustangs
Defender: Cole Fernandez, Guelph Gryphons
Midfielder: Christian Zeppieri, York Lions
Midfielder: Mohmed Alshakman, McMaster Marauders
Midfielder: Luca Accettola, York Lions
Striker: Amir Shirazi, McMaster Marauders
Striker: Yigal Bruk, York Lions
Striker: Luc Coulombe, Western Mustangs
2024 OUA West Division Second Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Alessio Carbone, York Lions
Defender: Conraad Czarnecki, Brock Badgers
Defender: Jaden Timmins, Algoma Thunderbirds
Defender: Thomas Ribiero, Western Mustangs
Midfielder: Gray Yates, Guelph Gryphons
Midfielder: Ryan Robinson, York Lions
Midfielder: Ibrahim Saadi, Western Mustangs
Midfielder: Jacob Cabral, Guelph Gryphons
Striker: Dante Ruddock, Guelph Gryphons
Striker: Andrea Chiechi, Laurier Golden Hawks
Striker: Malik Darbi, Brock Badgers
2024 OUA East Division Major Awards
Most Valuable Player: Kairo Coore, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Coach of the Year: Ilya Orlov, Toronto Varsity Blues
Rookie of the Year: Niklas Hallam, Toronto Varsity Blues
Community Service Award: Yusuf Osman, Carleton Ravens
2024 OUA East Division First Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Kevon Grant, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Defender: Alexander Irwin, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Defender: Brady Curkovic, Carleton Ravens
Defender: Akeim Villous, TMU Bold
Defender: Shon Siegelwachs, Toronto Varsity Blues
Midfielder: Mehdi Essoussi, Toronto Varsity Blues
Midfielder: Jack Sears, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Midfielder: Yusuf Osman, Carleton Ravens
Striker: Kairo Coore, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Striker: Andrea Schifano, Toronto Varsity Blues
Striker: Osuman Maheshe, Carleton Ravens
2024 OUA East Division Second Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper: Dane Ferraro, TMU Bold
Defender: Ainsley Bryan, Trent Excalibur
Defender: Josh Crete, Queen's Gaels
Defender: Julian Srock, Nipissing Lakers
Midfielder: Chris Campoli, TMU Bold
Midfielder: Niklas Hallam, Toronto Varsity Blues
Midfielder: Adam N'Goran, Carleton Ravens
Midfielder: Leo Frans, Trent Excalibur
Striker: Jevontae Layne, TMU Bold
Striker: Warren Chambers, Trent Excalibur
Striker: Timi Aliu, Laurentian Voyageurs
