ONTARIO WOMEN'S LEAGUE 1: 2015 Review: Women's Junior Talent Pool

Tue Nov 3
Written By: Staff, League1

As part of the League 1 review of the 2015 season, we checked with the coaches of each of the teams and asked them to highlight the contributions of two or three of their top young players.
Any comments about players are from the coach or technical director of the team they played for.

ANB Futbol Women (Head coach: Marcelo Almeida)

Kelsey Araujo, midfielder and striker, was an honourable mention league all-star. She is a young, dynamic and extremely athletic player who led the team with 12 goals.
She got some experience in France last summer with the Olympique Lyonnais U-19 team with six weeks of training. She is probably won of the quickest players in League1, especially with the ball. She has been offered a Division 1 scholarship in the United States for September 2016.

ANB: Kelsey Araujo

Durham United FC (Head coach: Tony La Ferrerra)

Forward / midfielder Sabrina McNiel played seven games for us towards the end of the season. She was outstanding in every game she played. Sabrina played as a forward in our 4-3-3 and as a wide player when we played 4-4-2. Very intelligent player. I have recommended her to the U20 Canada National program.
Defensive midfielder Stasi Torchia is a very intelligent player. As a defensive midfielder, she reads the game well and is able to anticipate the next move. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Tactically very smart.

DUFC: Sabrina McNeil

North Mississauga Panthers (Assistant coach: Trevor Bertrand)

Katarina Grgic is a fifteen year old who fulfilled a major role in the team as a anchor center back. Strong both in the ground and in the air. Katarina took control of the defense in her seven games with five wins and a tie. Eyes should be kept in her.
Elisa Oliveira is a fifteen year old midfielder who added creativity to the middle. Great ball control and vision. Was in Portugal for U17 try outs.
Tracy Pizarro Steffler is an attacking midfielder who gave the team the punch we needed. She has good control of the ball and shoots with both feet. Created lots of problems from behind the strikers.

North Miss.: Tracey Pizarro Steffler

Pro Stars FC (Head coach: Benjamin Falkenstein)

By mid August the team had lost nine players to US scholarships and young stars Adrienne Devlin (14 years old), Alana Baba (16 y.o.), Aubrey Martin (16 y.o.) and Alexa Di Biase (16 y.o.) made very solid contributions for the balance of the season.

PFC: Aubrey Martin

Sanjaxx Women (Head coach: Laza Lowe)

Julia Wong is the MVP for Sanjaxx. Her strengths are her passing ability, ability to score goals as a midfielder, competitive instinct, work ethic, determination, leadership, and commitment to work for the team. She has played as a midfielder, attacker, and as a central defender when pressed as part of her duties to the Sanjaxx team. Julia is also an honours student athlete at Toronto French School.

SANJ: Julia Wong

Vaughan Azzurri (Head coach: Carmine Isacco)

Colleen Beesley, one of the leading scorers in the league this season with nine goals, is also a key player for the Vaughan Azzurri. She is a very good finisher and can beat defenders. She is very good one-on-one and knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.
Shannon Wood has been a sold centre-midfielder all year round. She will be a stalwart for York University this coming season and will be depended upon to keep up the good work with the university side as well.

VGHN: Colleen Beesley

Woodbridge Strikers (Head coach: Joe Parolini)

April Syme is probably pound for pound the best player in the league. She is one of the shortest players in the league and didn't lose a header all season, both in the midfield and on any set play. Most of her goals - and she has scored three - have come off headers. She is small in stature but powerful, explosive and wins tackles and balls in the air.

WS: April Syme