Congratulations to the 2022 League1 Ontario 2022 end-of-season individual award winners for the Men’s Premier Division.
The award winners were determined by votes submitted at the conclusion of the season by both coaches and league staff from a list of nominees in each category that were submitted by each club. Those post-season vote tallies were then combined with points awarded to players who were selected as one of the "Three Stars" of each regular season match in the 2022 regular season.
Please see below for a list of the brightest stars of the 2022 season, as well as the runners-up in each category.
MVP
Massimo Ferrin – Vaughan Azzurri
Ferrin was a critical piece of the Vaughan Azzurri puzzle in 2022, helping lead the team to an undefeated season and the club's third Men’s Premier Division title. His ability to impose himself on matches caught the eye of coaches and opponents, as did his unique quality from dead ball situations.
The 23-year-old forward scored 24 goals en route to the final, while providing steady leadership to his talented side. He has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
Runners-up:
Miles Green – Hamilton United
Ethan Beckford – Simcoe County Rovers
Young Player of the Year
Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy – ProStars FC
The tall ProStars FC midfielder was a commanding presence this season, both in attack and defence, with neat footwork on the ball and a nose for goal. He was the team's 2nd leading scorer, find the back of the goal 10 times in 2022.
Despite his youth (he celebrates his 19th birthday in few days), Voytsekhovskyy also led his team by appearing in all 21 regular season matches.
Runners-up:
Christian Calabro – Vaughan Azzurri
Anthony Stolar – Scrosoppi FC
Coach of the Year
Patrice Gheisar – Vaughan Azzurri
The Azzurri coach has not tasted defeat in the Men’s Premier Division regular season since 2019. He led his side to a record of 18 wins and only 3 draws in 2022 and capped off that incredible season with a championship title.
A well-deserved back-to-back winner of the Coach of the Year award.
The big question: Will a CPL side come knocking on Gheisar's door? He's a proven winner and has played a big role in the development of some of Canada's top pros. Does he get a shot at the next level?
Runners-up:
Marko Milanovic – North Toronto Nitros
John Yacou – ProStars FC
Goalkeeper of the Year
Praveen Ahilan – Alliance United
In 2022, Ahilan continued to build on his reputation as one of the better goalkeepers to feature in L1O over the years. He conceded just 14 goals in 19 regular-season games – the best ratio in the Men’s Premier Division.
His outstanding play was a big reason Alliance United finished in 3rd place in the regular season table and advanced all the way to the Semi-Final round in the playoffs.
Runners-up:
Ali Ghazanfari-Moghaddan – North Toronto Nitros
Quillan Roberts – Electric City FC
Defender of the Year
Amardo Oakley – Guelph United
Oakley adds more well-deserved hardware to his trophy case, after being named the L1O West Division Defender of the Year in 2021.
A fan favorite in Guelph, this talented and reliable fullback has earned the respect of coaches and opponents league-wide. He played every minute in the 2022 regular season, even slotting in as a central defender at times when injuries ravaged his side's roster.
He also made his Canadian Championship debut in 2022, putting in an excellent shift against HFX Wanderers in the first round of the tournament in May.
Runners-up:
Nirun Sivananthan – Alliance United
Kenny Lioutas – Alliance United
Midfielder of the Year
Nikola Stakic – Alliance United
Stakic has been key to Alliance United's success since their inaugural L1O season in 2018. This marks the second time that Stakic takes home this award, having taken home this trophy for the first time in 2019.
Stakic is highly respected across the league for his strong defensive play, excellent vision and precise passing. He produced plenty of memorable performances for the men in orange in 2022.
Runners-up:
Andron Kagramanyan – Vaughan Azzurri
Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy – ProStars FC
Forward of the Year
Miles Green – Hamilton United
Green scored nearly half of Hamilton United’s 50 goals this season, including a remarkable five goal performance against a normally stingy St. Catharines Roma Wolves.
He definitely made a name for himself in 2022 and will be one to watch in the future.
Runners-up:
Massimo Ferrin – Vaughan Azzurri
Taha Ilyass – Blue Devils
Golden Boot Winner
Massimo Ferrin – Vaughan Azzurri
Ferrin scored 23 goals in 15 regular-season games and one playoff goal.
Runners-up:
Miles Green – Hamilton United (23 goals in 20 regular-season games)
Taha Ilyass – Blue Devils (19 goals in 19 regular-season games)
All-Star Teams
Make sure you keep an eye out for the Teams of the Year which will be announced this week.