UNBC's Michael Henman named Player of the Year

CALGARY - Michael Henman has been named the 2022 Canada West Men's Soccer Player of the Year after a phenomenal season with the UNBC Timberwolves.

The conference unveiled its four major award-winners Thursday, which also included UBC's Eric Lajeunesse as Rookie of the Year, MRU's Sterling Kerr as the Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner, and UNBC's Steve Simonson as the Coach of the Year.

Each individual has proven absolute excellence in their field (read about each separately below).

The winners will go on as Canada West's nominations for the U SPORTS national awards, which will be announced next week.

For videos highlighting our award-winners, please visit our social media channels:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Michael Henman
​Team: UNBC Timberwolves
​Year: Fourth
​Position: Striker
​Hometown: Victoria, BC
​Program: Business

Henman not only shined individually, but helped elevate his program's status across the conference.

The fourth-year striker from Victoria, BC put up an incredible 19 goals this year, matching the Canada West record for most in a single season. Henman also had a knack for coming through in the big moments, posting five game-winning goals, good for fourth-most in a CW season.

His record-breaking season didn't stop there. Henman put up a history-making four hat tricks this season, while setting all-time institution marks for goals and points. The skillful striker was able to outsmart and outpace his opponents regularly, notching 18 of his 19 goals in play with just one scored on a penalty kick.

Henman stood out against his peers at the national level as well, leading the country in goals and points (21).

“I am so proud of all that Michael has accomplished. Not just this year, but every year since finding his way to UNBC. He is an exceptional young man, and for him to accomplish what he did this season is absolutely remarkable. I have long believed that Michael was capable of special things. He is incredibly talented. To see it all come together for him this season was tremendous. This award is representative of a great team effort, and a lifetime of work to put himself in this spot. Today is a proud day.”
​-Steve Simonson, Head Coach of the UNBC Timberwolves

Contact to arrange interviews: Rich Abney: rich.abney@unbc.ca

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Eric Lajeunesse
​Team: UBC Thunderbirds
​Year: First
​Position: Defender
​Hometown: Ottawa, ON
​Program: Science

Eric Lajeunesse has been named the CW Rookie of the Year after making a splash in his first season in Canada West. He was a major contributor for his team right away, helping his UBC Thunderbirds capture the Pacific Division with a 9-3-3 record. Lajeunesse showed his skills from the opening kick as a sound player who makes his teammates better.

Lajeunesse's technical skills and ball control stood out amongst his peers, and his soccer IQ was on full display all season. The rookie made a seemless transition into CW soccer, defending at a high level while putting up some points for his team when they needed.

“Eric is a special player, and I don’t use that word loosely. I think he’s one of the best young players to come through our program in years. He’s got a very high ceiling given the qualities that he has. He has a lot of the intangibles, he’s got a great attitude, he’s intelligent, and he’s got a huge desire to play the game at a high level. He’s a very technical, left-footed centerback and he’s played almost every single minute for us this season. I’ve got a lot of time for him as a player and most importantly, as a person.” ​
​– Head Coach Mike Mosher.

Contact to arrange interviews: Jeff Sargeant, jeff.sargeant@ubc.ca

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WINNER: Sterling Kerr
​Team: Mount Royal Cougars
​Year: Fourth
​Position: Goalkeeper
​Hometown: Calgary, AB
​Program: Psychology

Sterling Kerr has earned the Student-Athlete Community Service Award thanks to his incredible work on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

Kerr was voted a first-team Canada West all star last week as the goalkeeper for the MRU Cougars, helping his team to first in the Prairie division with 7.5 shutouts on the year. That mark tied him for fourth-best in a single season. The Cougars went undefeated in the regular season as Kerr posted the best save percentage (.870) and goals-against-average (.519) in the conference.

Off the field, Kerr is equally impressive, taking a lead several university departments as a peer tutor, research assistant, President of Cougars Athlete Board and representative on the Canada West Student-Athlete Engagement Committee. He is aiming to establish a mentorship network for student-athletes at Mount Royal, while pushing forward the needs of student-athletes at the administrative level.

Kerr has also served as a volunteer coach with a local high school and an elite soccer academy. He somehow still finds time to be a youth leader at his church and a tutor in his community for high school and junior high students.

"Sterling’s an incredible example of taking every opportunity offered to student-athletes playing in Canada West. He started as a backup goalie and a volunteer in many capacities with Mount Royal and is now our men’s soccer captain and Cougars Athlete Board(CAB) President, showing his determination to succeed, focus on team success and support the community around him. In terms of Sterling’s work in the community, he is always looking to support people in need. Sterling is a quality human and with him around, you know you have someone you can trust and lean on at all times… The best part about Sterling’s performance this year is I’ve never seen someone work so hard to train for how he’s performed, for someone who volunteers as much as he does, for someone who excels in school with a 4.0 GPA and to be the President of CAB. It’s a great honour to coach someone as involved and dedicated as Sterling."
​- Ryan Gyaki, head coach of the Mount Royal Cougars

Contact to arrange interviews: Lauren Zandee, lzandee@mtroyal.ca

COACH OF THE YEAR: Steve Simonson
​Team: UNBC Timberwolves
​Year: Eighth
​

UNBC's Steve Simonson has been named the 2022 Coach of the Year as he helped transform a Timberwolves program into a serious conference contender.

Simsonson's team finished with an 8-5-3 record, good for third in the Pacific Division after recording just two wins a season ago. He guided the T-Wolves to a strong second half, as they went on an eight game win streak to position themselves in the conference playoffs.

Simsonson helped his team capture the UNBC record for wins, goals scored and points. He fixed the ship despite a slew of injuries throughout the season, creating a culture of passion and determination for his squad.

“We are incredibly thrilled for Steve, with the announcement of his well-deserved Canada West Coach of the Year honour. He was worked extremely hard establishing a team culture, creating an environment where the players are accountable, with a focus on them becoming better players, better students, and better people. He has stayed true to that with his efforts recruiting, coaching, and time spent on his professional and person development. I am so proud of Steve. It is special to be recognized by your colleagues from other institutions. His passions go beyond the win/loss column, and his team’s success on and off the pitch are evidence of that passion and drive.”
​-Loralyn Murdoch, Athletic Director, UNBC Timberwolves

Contact to arrange interviews: Rich Abney: rich.abney@unbc.ca

-30-