For the second time in his 12-year coaching career, Graham Roxburgh has been named the top coach in the Canada West.
The Trinity Western Spartans women’s soccer coach, who guided the team to a program-best 12-1-1 record — including going unbeaten in the season’s final 13 games — was named the Canada West coach of the year on Thursday night.
Voting is done by the coaches throughout the conference.
He also won the award in 2009.
“Graham has built a quality expert-based staff around him and recruited top student athletes who fit the high performance-high character culture he demands,” commented Trinity Western director of athletics Murray Hall.
“It is an honour, it is a testament to our team,” Roxburgh said.
“This is not an individual award, this is a team award.
“This shows what kind of season we have had and also what kind of coaching staff I have.”
The Spartans return to the CIS championships after a one-year absence thanks to a pair of victories at the Canada West championships.
“It is a very special group,” Roxburgh said. “The talent is there, the commitment is there, so I always knew we had the capability.”
The team has come back much more focused this season after last year’s disappointment when they were denied a chance at the three-peat as CIS champions.
Since taking over as the Spartans head coach in 1999, he has guided the team to three CIS national championships (2004, 2008 and 2009) with a record of 139-63-38 in CIS play.
The team looks for their fourth CIS title under Roxburgh in Montreal this week at McGill University.
Roxburgh was just one of the Spartans honoured at the Canada West awards banquet.
Goalkeeper Kristen Funk, fullbacks Jennifer Castillo and Colleen Webber and midfielders Melissa Mobilio and Natalie Boyd earned first team all-star honours.
Altogether, Trinity Western players earned five of the 11 first team awards.
Fullback Jilian Dietrich and striker Daniela Gerig were named second team all-stars.
