Saskatchewan Soccer annual award winners

Saskatchewan footballers Mark Korthuis and Kaylyn Kyle were celebrated as the senior Players of the Year at the annual Saskatchewan Soccer Association 2011 Recognition Award Winners. The two were recognized on Saturday 17 March 2012 at the awards banquet at the Saskatoon Travelodge in Saskatoon, SK. Both athletes are two-time winners of the award, with Korthuis previously winning male honours in 2009 and Kyle previously winning female honours in 2010.

Also recognized for their 2011 seasons were Jordan Kraft and Jessica Bradford as youth players of the year, Sydney Diemert as Grassroots Player of the Year, Stewart Gillott as Senior Coach of the Year, Blair Hindmarsh asYouth Coach of the Year, Andy Wyatt as Grassroots Coach of the Year, Steven Pollock as Referee of the Year, Chantal Boudreau as Grassroots Referee of the Year, Lorelee Marin as Volunteer of the Year, and Brett Mario as the David Newsham Oustanding Volunteer Award winner.

As for team awards, Huskie United Soccer Academy Alumni was the Senior Team of the Year, Aurora Concordes U-14 Girls was the Youth Team of the Year, and Lakewood Storm U-12 Girls was the Grassroots Team of the Year. In the case of Huskie United Soccer Academy, the Saskatoon-based club was the first Saskatchewan team to win the Challenge Trophy as national champions in 2011, doing so in October at the annual Canadian Soccer Association National Championships.

As captain of Saskatoon HUSA Alumni, it was Korthuis who lifted the Challenge Trophy at the National Championships in Brossard, QC. Led by coach Gillott, HUSA Alumni helped Saskatchewan win its first title in the 99-year old competition. The team had finished seventh overall in 2010 and eighth overall in 2009.

As for Kyle, she was one of two Saskatchewan players that represented Canada at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011. She also helped Canada win a gold medal at the Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011 in Mexico. In 23 appearances for Canada in 2011, Kyle recorded three goals and three assists as the team set a national record with 14 wins in 24 international matches.