TRINITY WESTERN’S PERUGINI NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nick Perugini CIS Player of the Year

Men's Soccer (CIS National Championship)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
(National Awards)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TRINITY WESTERN'S PERUGINI NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

VANCOUVER (CIS) - Trinity Western University fifth-year midfielder Nick Perugini is the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's soccer player of the year for the 2007 season.

Perugini of Montreal becomes the first Spartan to claim the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy since TWU joined CIS in 2001.

Other CIS major award winners announced Wednesday night during the All-Canadian Banquet were York's Moreno Alberti of Winnipeg, who was named the nation's top rookie, Saint Mary's Keith MacMillan of Coldbrook, N.S., who received the inaugural Student-Athlete Community Service Award, and York's Carmine Isacco, who earned coach-of-the-year honours in his first season with the Lions.

The 2007 CIS championship gets under way on Thursday at the University of British Columbia. The gold-medal final is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.

Championship web site: www.universitysport.ca/e/championships/m_soccer/2007

Perugini, 24, ends his brilliant university career with five selections as a Canada West all-star in as many seasons, four straight nominations to the all-Canadian teams, including a pair to the first CIS squad (2007, 2004), and a spot on the CIS championship all-star team in 2005. This season, the former conference rookie of the year (2003) led the Spartans to a third straight Canada West title and a third consecutive appearance at the CIS tournament, where TWU claimed silver in 2006 and bronze two years ago.

A born-leader with a fantastic ability to distribute the ball and a fearless attitude to defend, the five-foot-nine, 160-pound senior enters the 2007 Nationals as the Spartans career record holder for assists (29), shots (208), shots on goal (82), games started (94) and minutes played (4801). He also holds TWU single-season marks for assists (10), overall games started with (25) and overall minutes played with (1682), all set in 2006.

The health and kinesiology student was a member of the Canadian side that finished fourth at this summer's World University Games in Thailand, the best-ever finish by a Canadian men's soccer team in international competition.

"We are all extremely excited for Nic! He has capped off another MVP season with us in what has been an MVP career," said Trinity Western head coach Al Alderson. "Nic has been an incredible force for us both on and off the field and has played a huge part in the many successes our program has experienced over the past five years."

"I will never forget when I sat in the Perugini kitchen in Montreal with Nic and his mom and tried to convince him to take a risk on a program that had yet to achieve," added Alderson. "I told him that I felt he could lead us to be one of the very best programs in the country. I am extremely proud of Nic and what he has contributed to Spartan soccer."

Alberti is the second Lion in as many years to receive top-rookie honours, following in the footsteps of current teammate Jamaal Smith.

The 21-year-old business student led York in scoring, finished second in the OUA and tied for third in the nation with 10 goals in his university debut as the Lions took first place in the OUA West (11-1-2) for the first time since 1974, captured their first OUA crown since 1977 and reached the No. 1 spot in the CIS rankings for the first time in program history.

Alberti, who attended an open tryout for Major League Soccer's Toronto FC late last year, came to York from the Sons of Italy club program in Winnipeg. The six-foot, 170-pound freshman, who has played in four national championships with his club team, transferred to York from the University of Manitoba, but did not play soccer for the Bisons.

"Moreno has adapted really well to the university game," Coach Isacco commented. "He has found the back of the net when we have needed it."

MacMillan, a 19-year-old sophomore, is one of the key elements of a Huskies defence that led the nation with only three goals conceded in 13 regular-season games. The six-foot center back helped Saint Mary's finish second in the AUS, claim a silver medal at the conference championship and advance to the CIS tournament for the seventh time in eight years.

An Academic All-Canadian, MacMillan holds a 3.89 (on 4.3) grade point average in arts and was the recipient of the Larry Uteck Scholarship, the highest accolades a student-athlete can earn at Saint Mary's. An executive member of the University's Athlete Council and of the steering committee of SMU's Sports Hall of Fame, he volunteers with the mentorship program at Inglis Street Elementary School, the Halifax Refugee Clinic, the Nova Scotia Gambia Association and the SMU Drama Society. He also coaches youth soccer in Halifax and acts as intramural soccer coordinator at Saint Mary's.

"I have rarely met a more dynamic person and personality than Keith. He has used his strong will, determination, dedication, compassion and ability to work with others to excel both academically and athletically and still have time to help others in need," said SMU Athletic Director, Dr. David Murphy. "

Isacco is the second Lions men's soccer coach to be honoured at the national level, after Eric Willis in 1997. This was his first season at York after two successful years at the helm of the University of Toronto program, in which he led the Varsity Blues to a pair of CIS championship appearances, including a silver-medal finish in 2005.

Under his guidance, the Lions improved by five wins and 15 points from 2006 on their way to securing their first berth in the CIS tournament since a fourth-place finish in 1997.

Also the goaltending coach for the Toronto FC, Isacco's coaching career has seen him claim a national championship with the Hearts-Azzurri S.C. in the under-18 division and lead the Toronto Supra in the Canadian Professional Soccer League.

"Carmine has done a magnificent job," said York master soccer coach Paul James. "The men's team has become a national contender very quickly. He's a bright young coach who is well-regarded and well-respected. He is a real asset to the men's program."

The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday, with QSSF champion Laval and AUS champion Cape Breton the only schools to place two players on the top squad.

The 10 players joining Perugini on the first CIS team are Western Ontario goalkeeper Haidar Al-Shaibani of London, Ont., UNB striker Ken Morrison of Fredericton, Carleton defender Roberto Gutierrez of Ottawa, Laval defender Alexandre Lévesque-Tremblay of Quebec City, Toronto striker Mike Bialy of Mississauga, Ont., Cape Breton midfielder Ricardo Marquez of Hamilton, York rookie midfielder Francesco Bruno of Toronto, Laval striker Boris Idriss Gervais Salou of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Cape Breton striker Kwame Osei of Toronto, and UCFV striker Spencer Schmidt of Abbotsford, B.C.

Bialy, the CIS player of the year in 2006, and Marquez are both selected for the second straight season.

Joining Alberti on the second CIS team are Montreal goalkeeper Gérardo Argento of Montreal, Brock striker Mark Bennett of Brantford, Ont., Trinity Western defender Paul Hamilton of Calgary, UBC defender Graham Smith of Abbotsford, B.C., StFX rookie defender Miroslav Novak of Prague, Czech Republic, Queen's midfielder Nick Milonas of Kingston, Ont., Montreal midfielder Johan Le Goff of Paris, France, Brock midfielder Scott MacLennan of Burlington, Ont., Saint Mary's defender Istvan Lakner of Dartmouth, N.S., and Carleton striker Kofi Ilboudo of Ottawa.

2007 CIS MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS

Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy (player of the year): Nick Perugini, Trinity Western Spartans
Rookie of the year: Moreno Alberti, York Lions
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Keith MacMillan, Saint Mary's Huskies
Coach of the year: Carmine Isacco, York Lions

First Team

Position Athlete University Year Hometown Faculty

Goalkeeper Haidar Al-Shaibani Western 4 London, Ont. King's College
Striker Ken Morrison UNB 3 Fredericton, N.B. Kinesiology
Defender Roberto Gutierrez Carleton 4 Ottawa, Ont. English
Defender A. Lévesque-Tremblay Laval 3 Quebec City, Que. Business Administration
Striker Mike Bialy Toronto 5 Mississauga, Ont. Arts & Science
Midfielder Nick Perugini Trinity Western 5 Montreal, Que. Health & Kinesiology
Midfielder Ricardo Marquez Cape Breton 3 Hamilton, Ont. BACS
Midfielder Francesco Bruno York 1 Toronto, Ont. Multidisciplinary
Striker Boris I. Gervais Salou Laval 5 Ouagadougou, BF Ms. Civil Engineering
Striker Kwame Osei Cape Breton 5 Toronto, Ont. Bachelor of Technology Info.
Striker Spencer Schmidt UCFV 3 Abbotsford, B.C. KPE

Second Team

Goalkeeper Gérardo Argento Montreal 3 Montreal, Que. Political Science
Striker Mark Bennett Brock 4 Brantford, Ont. Psychology
Defender Paul Hamilton Trinity Western 2 Calgary, Alta. Education
Defender Graham Smith UBC 3 Abbotsford, B.C. Commerce
Defender Miroslav Novak StFX 1 Prague, Czech Rep. Health & Kinesiology
Midfielder Nick Milonas Queen's 3 Kingston, Ont. Kinesiology & Health
Midfielder Johan Le Goff Montreal 4 Paris, France Administration
Midfielder Scott MacLennan Brock 4 Burlington, Ont. Communications
Defender Istvan Lakner Saint Mary's 4 Dartmouth, N.S. Arts
Striker Moreno Alberti York 1 Winnipeg, Man. Business
Striker Kofi Ilboudo Carleton 3 Ottawa, Ont. Criminology

-CIS-

For more information please contact:

Kevin Johns
Sports Information Assistant
2007 CIS men's soccer championship
Ph: (604) 506-1639
spinfo@interchange.ubc.ca

Michel Bélanger
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger@universitysport.ca
www.universitysport.ca

Last Updated: 2009-09-03
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: ssstew@twu.ca