The end-of-season award finalists for the 2023 Women’s Premier Division have been decided.
The top five in each category – and eventual winners – are determined by a culmination of factors at the end of the 2023 season. Votes were submitted at the conclusion of the campaign by coaches and league staff from a list of nominees submitted by each club for each category. Those totals were then combined with points awarded to players who were selected by coaches as one of the "Three Stars" of each match in the regular season.
Over the next seven days, we will be announcing the top five players (in no particular order) in each award category, from where the ultimate winners will be chosen.
Congratulations to all the finalists in what has been a very competitive selection process following a season brimming with difference-making players.
Top Five: Goalkeepers of the Year
Anika Toth – Woodbridge Strikers
Toth conceded just eight goals in 2023, the fewest by any goalkeeper who made more than 10 regular-season appearances, helping Woodbridge to a playoff berth.
Gurleen Toor – Alliance United
Toor was imperative in her side clinching the 2023 Women’s Premier Division title and registered an impressive seven clean sheets in 16 games.
Mollie Eriksson – North Mississauga
Eriksson made 15 starts for North Mississauga this season, with her side only losing four of them and finishing in the top half of the table.
Breanne Carreiro – Electric City
Carreiro kept the most clean sheets (eight) and played the most minutes (1,556) of any goalkeeper in the Women’s Premier Division in 2023.
Cassidy Joslin – FC London
Joslin played 1,350 regular-season minutes in 2023, averaging an impressive 75 minutes between each goal conceded and helping her team to the playoffs.
Top Five: Defenders of the Year
Laura Gosse – Alliance United
Converted striker Gosse had a fantastic season at the back for title winners Alliance United, helping them to keep six clean sheets and scoring six goals, including one in the playoffs.
Zoe Markesini – NDC Ontario
Markesini played a key role in the best defence in the division. She scored in NDC Ontario’s playoff semifinal and only lost two of the 13 games she featured in.
Trinity Esprit – Simcoe County Rovers
Esprit made 16 appearances for Simcoe County Rovers this season, playing the fourth-highest number of minutes for her club and winning seven matches.
Sarah Rollins – North Toronto Nitros
North Toronto achieved seven clean sheets in games that Rollins played in during 2023 and she also found the back of the net against Woodbridge Strikers in June.
Jenny Wolever – Alliance United
Wolever only lost two of the games she made an appearance in this season and played every minute of Alliance United’s semifinal and final wins.
Top Five: Midfielders of the Year
Alanna Raimondo – NDC Ontario
Raimondo played 14 games this season, the joint second-highest tally for NDC Ontario, and scored the decisive goal in her side’s 1-0 victory against Woodbridge Strikers.
Courtney Poon – North Toronto Nitros
Poon played more minutes than any other Nitros player in the season and scored the final goal in her team’s 3-0 win over Darby that helped secure a playoff spot.
Leah Pais – Vaughan Azzurri
Pais won 12 of the 14 games she played in 2023 and netted 11 regular-season goals, becoming the top scorer of the highest-scoring team in the division (before playoffs).
Cloey Uddenberg – Simcoe County Rovers
Uddenberg helped pulled the strings once again for Rovers this season. She played in 16 matches in 2023 and only two of her teammates made more appearances for the club.
Jotam Chouhan – Vaughan Azzurri
Chouhan played in all of Vaughan Azzurri’s games in 2023 and ended the regular season with a hat-trick against Woodbridge Strikers.
Top Five: Forwards of the Year
Nia Fleming-Thompson – Vaughan Azzurri
In a strong campaign for the Azzurri, Fleming-Thompson scored 11 goals and played more than 1,400 minutes across the regular season and playoffs.
Jessica Lisi – Woodbridge Strikers
Part of a formidable frontline for Woodbridge Strikers, Lisi scored 13 goals in 14 appearances this season and registered back-to-back hat-tricks in games against FC London and Guelph Union.
Kiyomi McCausland – North Toronto Nitros
McCausland was the joint top scorer for the Nitros in 2023 and averaged a goal every 83.5 minutes in the regular season.
Madison Mariani – Alliance United
Mariani led the front line for the champions; she scored 11 goals during the campaign including winners against Vaughan Azzurri and NDC Ontario in the regular season.
Jayda Thompson – Woodbridge Strikers
Thompson had a season to remember in 2023, scoring more goals than any other Women’s Premier Division player with 18 in 14 games.
Top Five: Young Players (U20) of the Year
Jayda Thompson (2004 born) – Woodbridge Strikers
Thompson scored four goals in two separate games this season, once against ProStars in June and the other against Guelph Union in July.
Courtney Poon (2005 born) – North Toronto Nitros
Poon provided key protection for North Toronto Nitros’ backline in 2023, making 17 appearances and playing in 10 of their 12 wins.
Gurleen Toor (2005 born) – Alliance United
At no point this season did Toor play more than two regular season games in row before registering her next clean sheet.
Charlotte Cromack (2007 born) – FC London
Cormack played more minutes for FC London than any other player this season and averaged a goal every two games.
Alanna Raimondo (2005 born) – NDC Ontario
Raimondo was a regular in NDC Ontario’s 2023 midfield and played a vital role in helping the side finish atop of the regular-season standings.
Top Five: Most Valuable Players
Nia Fleming-Thompson – Vaughan Azzurri
Fleming-Thompson put in some incredible performances in 2023, including her 22-minute hat-trick in the first half against BVB IA Waterloo.
Gurleen Toor – Alliance United
2022 champions NDC Ontario failed to score in only one Women’s Premier Division game during the season, and that game was a 1-0 loss to Alliance United with Toor between the sticks.
Zoe Markesini – NDC Ontario
Markesini played 90 minutes or more in all but one of her Women’s Premier division appearances in 2023; forming a crucial part of the best defense in the division.
Charlotte Cromack – FC London
Cromack was a hugely impactful player for FC London in 2023; she opened the scoring for her side on four occasions in the regular season.
Jessica Lisi – Woodbridge Strikers
Lisi scored two or more goals in five separate games in 2023 with Woodbridge Strikers going on to win each of them and eventually confirm a playoff spot.
Top Five: Coaches of the Year
Angelo Cavalluzzo – Alliance United
Cavalluzzo made history with his Alliance United side as they lifted their first Women’s Premier Division title by beating champions NDC Ontario in dramatic fashion.
Carmine Isacco – Vaughan Azzurri
Isacco led the Azzurri to 14 wins in 2023, seven of which were back-to-back at the start of the season as they ultimately entered the playoffs as the second seed.
Garrett Peters – FC London
FC London reached the playoff semifinals once again this season and ended the year with a run of nine games unbeaten until their playoff semifinal loss against NDC Ontario.
Joey Lombardi – NDC Ontario
NDC Ontario had another impressive season, conceding just nine goals in 20 games and once again making it to the Women’s Premier Division Final.
Billy Wilson – North Toronto Nitros
The Nitros started the season strongly, scoring five or more goals in their first four matches, and ended the regular season in third place.
Each of the award winners will be announced in due course, and a celebratory ceremony will be held later in the year.