Atiba Hutchinson and Ashley Lawrence named Canada Soccer’s Players of the Month

Atiba Hutchinson and Ashley Lawrence were Canada Soccer’s
​Players of the Month for March 2022. Hutchinson from Brampton, Ontario
​captained Canada to their first men’s FIFA World Cup qualification in 36 years
​while Lawrence from Caledon East, Ontario helped Paris Saint-Germain FC reach
​the semifinals of UEFA Women’s Champions League in Europe.

Hutchinson, who turned 39 in February, helped Canada
​celebrate their men’s FIFA World Cup qualification at BMO Field in Toronto on
​27 March after a 4:0 win over Jamaica. He featured in all three Canada matches during
​the March window as Canada qualified for the men’s FIFA World Cup for the first
​time since Mexico 1986. It also marked the third time that Canada won a
​Concacaf title (1985, 2000, 2022).

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team finished top of the
​table in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with 28 points
​and a +16 goals difference across 14 matches. The first Concacaf nation to
​qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Canada posted eight wins, four draws and
​two losses while leading the region in both goals scored (23) and fewest goals
​conceded (seven).

Lawrence, meanwhile, helped Paris Saint-Germain FC clinch a
​spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals after they eliminated FC
​Bayern München 4-3 on aggregate. Lawrence provided the decisive pass on the
​Ramona Bachmann series winner in the 112thminute of the second leg
​at Parc des Princes on Wednesday 30 March. In the semifinals, Lawrence, Jordyn
​Huitema and Paris Saint-Germain FC will face Kadeisha Buchanan and Olympique
​Lyonnais.

Coming up in April, Lawrence and her Canadian teammates will
​continue Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Celebration Tour with a pair of
​home matches against Nigeria in British Columbia: Friday 8 April at BC Place in
​Vancouver and then Monday 11 April at Starlight Stadium in Langford. Both
​matches will feature an Olympic Champions celebration before kickoff.

PLAYERS of the MONTH:
​March 2022 – Atiba Hutchinson & Ashley Lawrence
​February 2022 – Milan Borjan & Vanessa Gilles
​January 2022 – Milan Borjan & Deanne Rose