2012 BMO Canadian Players of the Year – Female Nominees

Canadian media and coaches will be asked to select two players – one male and one female – for the Canadian Soccer Association’s top prize, the BMO Canadian Players of the Year award. The award will celebrate Canada’s top-two soccer players in recognition of their 2012 achievements with both the national team and their respective club teams.

Canada’s women’s team, meanwhile, tied a national record with 14 wins, doing so with a 14-1-7 record in 22 matches. The highlight, of course, was a bronze medal at the London 2012 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Canada also finished second at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifier in January, second at the Cyprus Women’s Cup in March, and second at the Match world Women’s Cup in July.

Canada’s Women’s National Team nominations

:: Diana Matheson | NOR / Lillestrøm SK Kvinner | Oakville, ON
Matheson scored the famous bronze-medal winning goal at the London 2012 Olympics. She won Canada’s Player of the Match honours in three international matches and was named Most Valuable Player at the Match world Women’s Cup in Switzerland. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in June and October. In November, she helped Lillestrøm SK Kvinner win the Norwegian league title.

:: Erin McLeod | Edmonton, AB & Calgary, AB
McLeod made 13 appearances for Canada in 2012, tying her personal-best with six clean sheets. She won Canada’s Player of the Match honours in the famous London 2012 bronze-medal victory over France on 9 August. She won Player of the Match honours in Canada’s 1:0 bronze-medal victory over France on 9 August. She also recorded a clean sheet against host Great Britain in the London 2012 quarter-final stage.

:: Carmelina Moscato | Mississauga, ON
Moscato was a rock on Canada’s defence, making 15 appearances including six-straight at the London 2012 Olympics. She was one of three Canadian players to appear in all 570 minutes at the Olympics. She helped Canada post a clean sheet six times, including a 2:0 win over host Great Britain and 1:0 win over France in the bronze-medal match at the London 2012 Olympics.

:: Sophie Schmidt | Abbotsford, BC
Schmidt appeared in all 22 of Canada’s 2012 matches, recording career bests with four goals and a team-best seven assists. She had a two-goal game in February against Scotland and then earned Player of the Match honours in July against New Zealand. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in March. At the club level, she played for Kristianstads DFF in Sweden.

:: Desiree Scott | CAN / WSA North Stars | Winnipeg, MB
Scott appeared in 21 matches for Canada in 2012, in fact appearing amongst the starting XI in all 21 of those matches. She co-led the team by earning Canada’s Player of the Match honours five times, including twice at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifiers and once at the London 2012 Olympics. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in January. At the club level, she played for Winnipeg’s WSA North Stars.

:: Christine Sinclair | Burnaby, BC
Sinclair set a national record with 23 goals in 22 matches in 2012, seven more than her previous record in 2007. With those 23 goals plus six assists, she was directly involved in more than 65% of Canada’s 44 goals. She earned Player of the Match honours five times, including a memorable hat trick night at Old Trafford in Manchester. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in May and August.

:: Melissa Tancredi | Ancaster, ON
Tancredi recorded eight goals and five assists in 21 matches for Canada in 2012, including four goals at the London 2012 Olympics. She was Canada’s Player of the Match in the London 2012 opener against Japan. With a goal against Japan, a goal against South Africa and two goals against Sweden, she won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in July. She was second behind Sinclair in goal scoring.

:: Rhian Wilkinson | NOR / Lillestrøm SK Kvinner | Baie d’Urfé, QC, CAN
Wilkinson recorded six assists in 21 matches for Canada in 2012, including two assists at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers and two assists at the London 2012 Olympics. In Newcastle, she recorded a memorable assist against Sweden on the first of two Melissa Tancredi goals. She won Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in February. In November, she helped Lillestrøm SK Kvinner win the Norwegian league title.