Canadian teenagers Russell Teibert and Monica Lam-Feist have been named Canadian U-17 Players of the Year for the 2008 soccer season. The two stars were honoured in a vote shared by national-team coaches (50%) and Canadian coaches who have taken the Canadian Soccer Association’s national course at the B and A levels (50%).
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bTeibert is a member of the BMO Financial Group – Canadian men’s U-17 team. He took part in the Canadian team’s first camp in November as the team began preparations for the 2009 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship. He started the 2008 season as a member of the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centre in Ontario, but also played briefly for TFC Academy’s U-16 side. In August, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program; in December, he traveled with the Whitecaps FC Residency squad to Japan.
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bThe Niagara Falls midfielder also won a silver medal at the 2008 BMO National Championships All Stars in Brossard, QC. At the Canadian U-17 camp in Mexico, he scored one goal and one assist in four games against local club teams. He even wore the captain’s arm band for part of the trip.
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bAs for Lam-Feist, she is now a two-time winner of the Canadian U-17 Player of the Year award. She actually only spent part of her season with the Canadian women’s U-17 team (whose title sponsor is BMO Financial Group) as she spent most of it one level up with the women’s U-20 team (whose title sponsor is Winners). In June, she helped Canada win the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico. She scored in each of the two opening matches. In September, she helped Canada with the Torneo 4-Naciones in Melipilla, Chile. In November, she scored two goals for Canada at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008.
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bThe Surrey, BC forward also got to play briefly with the national team, taking part in the team’s trip to China in January for the Four Nations Tournament. While she did not feature, she was the youngest player called into the national team this past season.
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bTomorrow, the Canadian Soccer Association will announce the Canadian U-20 Players of the Year. The 2008 adidas Canadian Players of the Year will be announced later this week.
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bFINAL LIST / LISTE FINALE
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bMale Nominees (born 1992 or later) from the BMO Financial Group – Men’s U-17 team / Nominés masculins (né en 1992 ou après) de l’équipe masculine BMO Financial Group U-17
\u200b
\u200b1. Russell Teibert (34.5)
\u200b
\u200b2. Derrick Bassi (27.2)
\u200b
\u200b3. Abdoulaye Sylla (18.0)
\u200b
\u200b4. Riccardo Ferreira (6.3)
\u200b
\u200b5. Karl Ouimette (5.6)
\u200b
\u200b6. Allando Matheson (3.6)
\u200b
\u200b
\u200b
\u200bFemale Nominees (born 1991 or later) from the BMO Financial \u0096 Women’s U-17 team / Nominées féminines (né en 1991 ou après) de l’équipe féminine BMO Financial U-17
\u200b
\u200b1. Monica Lam-Feist (44.0)
\u200b
\u200b2. Tiffany Cameron (21.4)
\u200b
\u200b3. Rachel Lamarre (11.4)
\u200b
\u200b4. Danica Wu (9.0)
\u200b
\u200b5. Bryanna McCarthy (5.7)
\u200b
\u200b6. Caroline Szwed (2.6)
\u200b
\u200b7. Nkem Ezurike (2.1)