Women’s Field Hockey
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Sebastian Colyn of the Trinity Western Spartans and Jaslan Stirling from the York Lions are the U SPORTS Male and Female Athletes of the Week for the period ending September 24, 2017.
Colyn, the first-year goalkeeper was instrumental in helping the Spartans to an impressive road weekend in which Trinity Western knocked off both No. 1-ranked Alberta (2-0) and Calgary (1-0). Colyn made a combined 15 saves over the two matches, as he earned his third and fourth clean sheets of the 2017 season. Colyn capped his weekend with a game-saving stop on a penalty kick in the 86th minute against Calgary on Sunday.
The back-to-back wins improved TWU’s record to 5-2-3. The victory over the top-ranked Golden Bears marked the Spartans’ first win over Alberta in six years. The Spartans rookie netminder is now tied for second in the nation in shutouts, with four, and is 12th in goals against average (0.76), seventh in save percentage (.851), and fifth in saves (40).
Stirling, a field hockey player, scored six goals in three games, including two game-winners and a hat trick, to lead the Lions to a perfect 3-0 record this past weekend.
FH FINAL | HUUUUUUGE WIN!! Lions beat @Varsity_Blues 3-0! This is the first time York beat Toronto since 1999! #lionpride
— York Lions (@yorkulions) September 23, 2017
In the first game on Saturday, the rookie forward scored the opening goal in the seventh minute, what stood as the game winner, as the Lions defeated the three-time reigning OUA champion Toronto Varsity Blues for the first time since 1999. Against McGill on Sunday she again scored early, in the fourth minute, and added another two before the end of the first half as part of a 6-1 victory. Later that same day, she found the back of the net in the fifth minute to equal the game against the Gryphons and added an insurance goal in the 67th minute in a contest the Lions won 3-1.
Stirling leads all players with nine goals in five games, six more than any other player in the country, and the Lions are undefeated at 5-0 for the best record in U SPORTS.
Male nominees:
- CW: Sebastian Colyn, soccer, Trinity Western (winner)
- OUA: Cristian Cavallini, soccer, York
- RSEQ: Yves Sikubwabo, cross country, Laval
- AUS: Charlie Waters, soccer, Cape Breton
Female nominees:
- CW: Jasmin Dhanda, soccer, UBC
- OUA: Jaslan Stirling, field hockey, York (winner)
- RSEQ: Maude Laliberté, rugby, Laval
- AUS: Joanna Alphonso, rugby, StFX
- Player bios courtesy U SPORTS member conferences