Colby Mercer named AUS Men's Soccer MVP; Firth, Corkum, Bain selected as AUS All-Stars
The 2024 Atlantic University Sport men's soccer awards were announced on Wednesday, with several members of the Saint Mary's Huskies being honoured among the league's best.
Forward Colby Mercer was named AUS Most Valuable Player, becoming the first Huskies player to win the award since Derek Gaudet in 2012. Mercer and midfielder Scott Firth were named First Team AUS All-Stars, while defenders Woody Bain and Callum Corkum were both named Second Team AUS All-Stars.
The Huskies finished the 2024 regular season with a 7-5-0 record, finishing third place in the conference. They will take on the #6 seed UNB REDS in the AUS Men's Soccer Quarterfinal, Thursday, Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. in Fredericton, NB.
AUS Most Valuable Player: Colby Mercer
A fourth year wing forward from Beaverbank, NS, Colby Mercer has been named the 2024 AUS Most Valuable Player. Mercer finished second in the conference in goals (8) and game-winning goals (2) and third in points (10). Mercer was named AUS Athlete of the Week twice during the season, as well as Saint Mary's Male Athlete of the Week twice, and Player of the Match twice. Mercer played nearly every minute this season for the Huskies, and his dangerous attacking ability and solid all-around play helped the Huskies to their first 7+ win finish since 2012.
Mercer was also named a 2024 AUS First Team All-Star, after being selected as a Second Team All-Star in 2023.
AUS First Team All-Star: Scott Firth
A third year midfielder from Windsor Junction, NS, Scott Firth has been named a 2024 AUS First Team All-Star. The former HFX Wanderers FC midfielder ranked second on the Huskies with 3 goals (tied for 16th in the AUS) and 7 points (tied for 8th in the AUS) and led the team with 4 assists (tied for 5th in the AUS). Firth was named Player of the Match and Saint Mary's Male Athlete of the Week after scoring a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Acadia. A two-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, Firth played nearly every minute this season for the Huskies, and his distribution and defensive efforts helped the Huskies to their first 7+ win finish since 2012.
AUS Second Team All-Star: Woody Bain
A fourth year leftback from Dartmouth, NS, Woody Bain has been named a 2024 AUS Second Team All-Star. Following up a first team AUS All-Star season in 2023, Bain tied for the Huskies lead with four assists (tied for 5th in the AUS) and third on the team with 6 points (tied for 13th in the AUS) leading all AUS defenders in both categories, and has also added two goals. His left foot remains one of the most dangerous weapons on set pieces in the conference, with a goal and two assists off direct free kicks this season. Bain is also a lockdown defender at left back, and his ability to switch on the wing with Colby Mercer creates one of the best attack options in the league. Bain was named Player of the Match twice (Sept. 14 vs. UNB and Sept. 8 vs. MTA). A 2023 U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, Bain played nearly every minute this season for the Huskies, and all-around play has helped the Huskies to their first 7+ win finish since 2012.
AUS Second Team All-Star: Callum Corkum
A fourth year centre back from Camperdown, NS, Callum Corkum has been named a 2024 AUS Second Team All-Star. The core of the Huskies backline, Corkum recorded one assist on the season, but his impact on the team cannot be measured by points. Corkum wins every ball in the air, shuts down opposing team's top strikers and is an offensive threat in the air on set pieces. A three-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, Corkum played nearly every minute this season for the Huskies, and his shut down defensive abilities and improved distribution helped the Huskies to their first 7+ win finish since 2012.
Full release: 2024 AUS men's soccer major award winners and all-stars announced
SMU's Colby Mercer named AUS Most Valuable Player
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2024 men's soccer all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's 10 head coaches following regular season play.
Fourth-year Saint Mary's forward Colby Mercer has been named the 2024 AUS Men's Soccer Most Valuable Player, while Dalhousie striker Mohammed Tolba has earned 2024 AUS Men's Soccer Rookie of the Year honours.
This year's recipient of the AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Awards is UNB's Harrison McGinn.
And for the second time, Memorial University head coach Jake Stanford has been named the AUS Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Colby Mercer, SMU Huskies
Saint Mary's forward Colby Mercer is the 2024 Atlantic University Sport Men's Soccer Most Valuable Player.
The fourth-year forward from Beaverbank, N.S. finished second in the AUS in points (10) and tied for second in goals scored (8) while suiting up in all 12 Huskies games this season. His team finished the regular season with a 7-5 record – good enough for third place in the AUS standings and a berth in the AUS Championship quarterfinals.
Mercer becomes the first Huskies player to win the league's MVP award since Derek Gaudet did so back in the 2012 season.
Along with being named MVP, Mercer also earned an AUS First Team All-Star nod. He earned Second Team honours last season.
Mercer will now represent the Atlantic conference as the league's nominee for the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy as the U SPORTS Player of the Year. Atlantic conference nominees have taken home the honour in 2017, 2014, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1998 and 1996, with former STFX standout Dan Hayfield winning it most recently in 2017.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mohammed Tolba, Dalhousie Tigers
Dalhousie Tigers striker Mohammed Tolba is the 2024 AUS Men's Soccer Rookie of the Year.
A Medical Science student from Stellarton, N.S., Tolba played in 11 of 12 games this season, scoring three goals and adding four assists.
With Tolba's help, the Tigers recorded a 6-4-2 record this season – good enough for fourth place in the AUS standings and a trip to the post-season.
Tolba's top rookie win is the first for a player from Dalhousie since Bezick Evraire earned the honour back in 2011.
He will now represent the AUS as the conference's nominee for the Lou Bilek Award for U SPORTS Rookie of the Year. The only Atlantic conference players to be honoured as the nation's top freshman are UNB's John Fish in 2004 and Dalhousie's Simon Richardson in 2001.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Harrison McGinn, UNB REDS
Harrison McGinn, a third-year midfielder with the UNB REDS, is the 2024 AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award recipient.
The Kinesiology student from Jewetts Mills, N.B., has stood out for his ability to balance school, sports and time helping out his community. He joins former REDS player Shea Nordheim (2014) as the only UNB student-athletes to win this award.
On the field, McGinn has played in 10 games this season, starting three of those. He helped his REDS to a 4-4-4 record this season – earning the final playoff berth.
He is in his second year representing the REDS men's soccer team on the UNB REDS Athletes Council, and organizes team events such as Think Pink – a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.
McGinn's time away from school has been just as busy. He has been a coach with Fredericton District Soccer Association (FDSA) for the past four years, volunteering his time to coach players ranging from 10 years of age to 17 – often up to three days a week for eight months of the year.
He also volunteers as a hospital greeter and with various other community events throughout the year.
"Harrison is a great example of the level of involvement we should seek from our student athletes," said REDS head coach, Barry Morrison. "His is involved in our community in many ways, and his contributions to soccer in Fredericton continues to help our local soccer clubs thrive."
McGinn will now represent the Atlantic conference as the nominee for the national student-athlete community service award. Since the inception of the national award in 2005, AUS student-athletes have claimed the honour 11 times (in 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2006). Dalhousie's Gracious Kasheke was the most recent Atlantic recipient in 2019.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jake Stanford, Memorial University
Memorial University Sea-Hawks head coach Jake Stanford has been selected by his peers as the 2024 AUS Men's Soccer Coach of the Year.
This is second time Stanford has taken home the award, also winning it back in 2021. He joins Scott Betts (1997, 2004) as the only Memorial men's soccer coaches to have won the award.
After starting the season 3-4-1, Stanford's team rattled off four straight wins to end the regular season at 7-4-1, which earned them second place in the AUS standings and a bye to the championship semifinals.
Coach Stanford now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS coach of the year award. Cape Breton Capers head coach Deano Morley is the most recent coach from the Atlantic conference to take home the national honour. He won in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018.
2024 AUS MEN'S SOCCER ALL-STARS
The AUS First and Second team all-stars were also announced today. They are as follows:
First Team All-Stars:
Keeper – Sinclair Astridge, Dalhousie (1st year – Victoria, B.C.)
Defender – Luke Green, STFX (4th year – Fall River, N.S.)
Defender – Jack Ellis, Dalhousie (4th year – Liverpool, England)
Defender – Brent Hennebury, Memorial (4th year – Lawn, NL)
Midfielder – Logan Rieck, STFX (4th year – Cambridge, Ont.)
Midfielder – Scott Firth, Saint Mary's (3rd year – Windsor Junction, N.S.)
Midfielder – Jacob Grant, Memorial (5th year – St. John's, NL)
Midfielder – Mohammed Tolba, Dalhousie (1st year – Stellarton, N.S.)
Striker – Colby Mercer, Saint Mary's (4th year – Beaverbank, N.S.)
Striker – Luke Rosettani, UNB (4th year – Ottawa, Ont.)
Striker – Kyle Cordeiro, STFX (4th year – Oakville, Ont.)
Second Team All-Stars:
Keeper - Louis-Charles Vaillancourt, Memorial (5th year – Sherbrooke, Que.)
Defender – Woody Bain, Saint Mary's (4th year – Dartmouth, N.S.)
Defender – Damian DeDekker, STFX (4th year – Osgoode, Ont.)
Defender – Jabu Deng, Acadia (4th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Defender – Riad Jaha, UPEI (4th year – Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Defender – Callum Corkum, Saint Mary's (4th year – Camperdown, N.S.)
Midfielder – Isaac VanWychen, STFX (2nd year – Middle Musquodoboit, N.S.)
Midfielder – Stefano D'Ambrogio, UNB (4th year – Toronto, Ont.)
Midfielder – Max Piepgrass, Cape Breton (3rd year – Calgary, Alta.)
Striker – Colin Connors, Memorial (4th year – St. John's, NL)
Striker – Jonathan Kissé, Moncton (4th year – Toronto, Ont.)
The 2024 AUS Men's Soccer Championships, presented by Bell will be hosted by UNB Oct. 24-27, in Fredericton, N.B.
The men's schedule can be found here.
Final AUS men's soccer standings can be found here.
All games of the championship will be available via webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
The AUS conference receives two berths this season at the 2023 U SPORTS men's soccer championship being hosted by Cape Breton University in Sydney, N.S. Nov. 9 to 12. The berths will be awarded to the Cape Breton Capers as host and the AUS conference champions. Should the Capers win the AUS championship, the second berth will be awarded to the other conference finalists.
For more information on the national men's soccer championship, please visit the official website at: https://usports.ca/en/championships/soccer/m.
For further information, please visit our website at www.atlanticuniversitysport.com or contact: