02/23/2010 2:34 PM - HAMILTON, Ont. - Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is pleased to announce its major award winners and all-stars for women's hockey.

Goaltender Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.) carries on the tradition of Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks winning the OUA player of the year award, presented by Harrow Sports Canada Ltd. Knox was a brick wall against the competition all season, tying a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) record for shutouts in a season (11) as well as career (30), equalling Charline Labonte of the McGill Martlets. Knox's shutout total, 0.89 goals against average, .960 save percentage and 24 wins led all OUA netminders. Laurier student-athletes have been named player of the year for four straight seasons, including Andrea Bevan (2007, 2009) and Lauren Barch (2008). Knox is also a first-team all-star for the second straight season.

Teammate Candice Styles (Orangeville, Ont.) is the 2010 OUA rookie of the year. The forward was third on the Golden Hawks in points with eight goals and 12 assists. The highly-versatile student-athlete can also play defence, and participated on special teams as a rookie, scoring two power play goals. Styles also headlines the OUA all-rookie team.

Western Mustangs captain Veronica Johnston (Oshawa, Ont.) is the OUA nominee for the CIS Marion Hillard Award, given to the student-athletes for outstanding achievement in hockey, academics and community involvement. The defencemen is a Dean's honour list winner, a selection to the Australian Kinesiology Victoria University exchange program, a Western Captain's Circle team representative and is involved in numerous other volunteer activities, including St. Martin Catholic School and the Fowler/Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic in London, Ont.

The 2010 coach of the year is Matt Holmberg of the Queen's Gaels. In his first full season as head coach of the Gaels, Holmberg led the team to second place in OUA with a 19-5-3 record. The Gaels have been nationally-ranked for most of the season, and currently sit No. 7 entering their OUA semifinal against the Guelph Gryphons. Holmberg has been with the program four seasons, the first three as an assistant coach.

Joining Knox as a first-team all-star is Laurier teammate Andrea Ironside (Collingwood, Ont.). She is on a first-team forward line along with Becky Conroy (Pembroke, Ont.) of the Gaels and Ellie Seedhouse (Whitby, Ont.) of Western. Conroy was second in OUA scoring with 34 points. Her teammate Alison Bagg (Kingston, Ont.) joins Kelsey Webster (Duncan, B.C.) of the York Lions as the first-team defensive pairing.

The OUA second-team all-star forward line consists of Manon Davis (Sudbury, Ont.) of the Windsor Lancers, Dayna Kanis (Georgetown, Ont.) of the Gryphons and Liz Kench (Gananoque, Ont.) of Queen's. Davis led all OUA players with 19 goals, while Kench was OUA's top point-getter with 38. Kelly Setter (Keswick, Ont.) of the Toronto Varsity Blues and Jackie Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.) of the Gryphons form the second-team defensive unit. Brock Badgers goaltender Beth Clause (Hamilton, Ont.) is OUA's second-team netminder.

Joining Styles on the OUA all-rookie forward line is fellow first-year players Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) of Queen's and Jill Morillo (Whitby, Ont.) of the UOIT Ridgebacks. Defencemen Rebecca Bond (Sudbury, Ont.) of the Lions and Laurier's Maureen Mommersteeg (St. Thomas, Ont.) along with goaltender Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) of Queen's round out the all-rookie team.

2010 OUA WOMEN'S HOCKEY MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

Player of the Year: Liz Knox (Laurier)
Rookie of the Year: Candice Styles (Laurier)
Marion Hillard Award: Veronica Johnston (Western)
Coach of the Year: Matt Holmberg (Queen's)

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Becky Conroy (Pembroke, Ont.) - Queen's
Andrea Ironside (Collingwood, Ont.) - Laurier
Ellie Seedhouse (Whitby, Ont.) - Western
Defencemen
Alison Bagg (Kingston, Ont.) - Queen's
Kelsey Webster (Duncan, B.C.) - York
Goaltender
Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.) - Laurier

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Manon Davis (Sudbury, Ont.) - Windsor
Dayna Kanis (Georgetown, Ont.) - Guelph
Liz Kench (Gananoque, Ont.) - Queen's
Defencemen
Kelly Setter (Keswick, Ont.) - Toronto
Jackie Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.) - Guelph
Goaltender
Beth Clause (Hamilton, Ont.) - Brock

OUA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) - Queen's
Jill Morillo (Whitby, Ont.) - UOIT
Candice Styles (Orangeville, Ont.) - Laurier
Defencemen
Rebecca Bond (Sudbury, Ont.) - York
Maureen Mommersteeg (St. Thomas, Ont.) - Laurier
Goaltender
Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) - Queen's


ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.