Amy Connolly and Ryan Anstey CIS Soccer Players of the Year
Amy Connolly and Ryan Anstey were named CIS Soccer Players of the Year this past weekend. Connolly, a fifth-year sociology and English major from Charlottetown, received the Chantal Navert Memorial Award, presented annually to the most outstanding player. She travelled to Edmonton to receive her award.
The Panthers co-captain scored four goals for the second consecutive season in 2005. She was at the starting end of 75 per cent of the team's 47 tallies as the Panthers finished fourth in the AUS in the regular season with a 10-1-2 record, clinching a berth for the conference championship. She is a four-time conference first-team all-star, four-time Panthers MVP, and captained UPEI to its first appearance at the CIS championship in 2004. "Amy is the best player ever to wear the Green and White of the Panthers women's soccer team," said head coach Mike Redmond, CIS Coach of the Year in 2004. "She has been the heart and soul of this team for five years. She has been our Roy Keane, just a tremendous leader on and off the field."
Anstey, a native of Charlottetown, received the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the most valuable player. The fifth-year striker led the CIS with 15 goals in only eight regular-season games this fall, accounting for almost half of the Panthers total production (32) in their 12-match schedule. The tally helped him set a new school career record with 43 regular-season goals, six more than the previous standard set by Scot Neal. Named a first-team AUS all-star for the third consecutive year, Anstey is selected to the first all-Canadian team for the first time in his career. He is the second Panther to be chosen CIS Player of the Year following Glen Miller in 1998. "Ryan is a great one-on-one player, quick and hard for defenders to get a hold of," said head coach Lewis Page. "He's also a striker that will come back and help his midfielders win the ball back. But I think most important he's just a great person, on or off the field." Ryan received his award on Friday, November 11 at the CIS championships held in Charlottetown.
