Roberts, McWilliams, Dixon and Nancekievill Honoured at Tommies Award Ceremony
The St. Thomas University Tommies hosted their yearend awards ceremony on Tuesday, honoring their teams for their achievements inside the classroom and in their respective sports.
The Tommies’ women’s soccer team gave their individual team awards, with Laura Nancekievill, Rhys Dixon, Jessica McWilliams, and Kaleigh Roberts all being named award winners.
Nancekievill was given the team’s Rookie of the Year award, after backstopping the Tommies for the bulk of the year, allowing just 6 goals in her 11 contests.
“Laura was nearly unbeatable this season,” said Tommies’ head coach, Michelle DeCourcey about her rookie keeper. “With only two goals on record, our wins and ties this year were often thanks to Laura.”
Dixon, in her senior year with the Tommies, started every game for the Tommies this year and earning the team’s Leadership Award.
“Rhys really came into her own as a team leader this year,” added DeCourcey. “On the field, she led by example with a no quit attitude and strong will to execute our game plan. She’s always striving to improve and is not content with anything less than her best effort. This attitude is something we saw her work to instill in our younger players as a key member of this season’s leadership team.”
McWilliams, an ACAA 2nd Team All-Star this year, was named the team’s Unsung Hero.
“Jess served as a staple centre back in our strong defensive line before journeying up the field to central mid for the latter half of our season. She excelled in both positions, winning the majority of 50/50 balls that came her way. Jess was able to shut down some of the top strikers in the league with her smart play and sharp tackles. She’s a natural defender who can serve double duty on an attack. Jess was a team leader and one of the top performers in every game this season. Consistency like this is hard to come by.”
Roberts, a four-time ACAA All-Star, was her usual dominant self once again, serving as the team captain and being a major part of the Tommies’ sparkling back line.
“Kaleigh is an ultra-reliable centre back, responsible for shutting down top opposing strikers,” said DeCourcey about her team captain. “Her strength, speed and impeccable timing make her nearly impossible to get past. Despite being the perpetrator of countless key tackles in our defensive third, she is rarely called for a foul. Kaleigh is the top defender in our league. She has played 90 minutes of every game since joining our squad.”