Durham Chronicle 17-18 Issue 12

Cam Bickle
The Chronicle
The season may be over but the
Lords soccer teams are still enjoying
success.
The 48th Annual Durham
College Athletics Banquet came
to Oshawa on Tuesday, with
Bruce Cullen and Bailey Colangelo
being honoured as the male
and female athletes of the year.
Cullen, a fifth-year Office Administration
student, scored five
goals in eight games this year,
leading the Lords men’s soccer
team to its first OCAA Championship
since 1997.
He was named a provincial allstar
and national all-Canadian,
the first Durham College player
to do so in nearly 12 years.
However, Cullen says the
award was not just a nice surprise,
but rather something he had his
eyes on all along.
“I think for any athlete, your
goal would be to win athlete of
the year,” Cullen said. “Everyone
works hard to better themselves…
and everyone should be recognized
for that.”
Colangelo, meanwhile, became
the first freshman in school
history to ever take home athlete
of the year honours.
The first-year Pre-Health student
helped the Lords cut their
goals against totals in half this
year, leading to her recognition as
the East Region defensive player
of the year as well as a regional
all-star and the OCAA rookie of
chronicle.durhamcollege.ca April 24 - 30, 2018 The Chronicle 27
Sports
Soccer's Cullen, Colangelo are DC's top athletes
the year.
Unlike Cullen, she says she was
caught off guard by her selection.
“It wasn’t really a goal of mine,
I just wanted to give 110 per cent
every game,” Colangelo said. “To
get an award like this, just for
working hard, is always an honour.”
The two were also awarded
the inaugural Vaso Vujanovic
bursaries, which will be given to
the male and female soccer MVPs
over the next five years in honour
of the former Lords and UOIT
Ridgebacks coach.
While Colangelo is set to return
to Durham College for her
sophomore year next year, saying
she wants to “become a leader for
her new teammates,” Cullen will
instead look to continue his path
on and off the field.
“I’m hoping to continue my
soccer career. I’ll be playing
[League1 Ontario] this summer
and from there hopefully the CPL
(Canadian Premier League) will
be an option,” Cullen said. “Off
the field, I’ll be getting my real
Blasko, Sribny named UOIT athletes of the year
John Elambo Jr.
The Chronicle
Two student athletes are graduating
this year after several successful
seasons with the UOIT Ridgebacks.
Ben Blasko of the men’s hockey
team and Cassandra Sribny were
named male and female athlete
of the year at the annual awards
gala.
Sribny of the women’s soccer
team led the team to its first undefeated
season with 14 wins and
2 draws, earning them the chance
to host the OUA championship for
the first time in program history.
Sribny scored nine goals and
had two assists this season. In her
five year career she finished with
34 goals, which is the most by any
Ridgeback ever.
Sribny received the Female
Athlete of the Year award, as
well as the women’s soccer team
leadership award and her team’s
MVP award.
Defender Alexis Kirton, who
received a female Freshman of the
Year award and the Rookie of the
Year award, also earned a spot on
OUA Second Team All-Star for
her amazing defensive work.
Two other players from the
women’s soccer team also received
Bruce Cullen and Bailey Colangelo are Durham College's male and female athletes of the year.
Ben Blasko and Cassandra Sribny are the UOIT's male and female athletes of the year.
awards: Alyssa Nikel (Overall
GPA award) and Shynice Williams
(Top Cumulative GPA
award).
The UOIT women's soccer
team was also named the Team of
the Year for the second consecutive
season.
Blasko finished off his OUA
hockey career with a season high
35 points, which is a single season
record for the Ridgebacks. Because
of that, he earned the men’s
hockey MVP award. In his UOIT
career he had 23 goals, 58 assists
for 81 points, ranking him sixth in
UOIT Athletics
all-time scoring.
Blasko’s effect on the team
has been proven every season he
played. The team never missed
the playoffs during his time. The
UOIT men’s hockey team coach
gave some praise to Blasko.
"Ben was just a great leader, he
Durham College Athletics
estate license, and then we’ll see
from there.”
Among the other winners were
Connor May of the men’s baseball
team and Emily Glendinning
of the women’s softball and
basketball teams who took home
the freshman of the year awards,
while the men’s soccer program
was named team of the year.
lead by example. He's not a rahrah
guy, but he was very creative
on the ice, very skilled and he
earned his points this year and he
was a big part of our team," said
hesd coach Curtis Hodgins.
Blasko wasn’t the only player
from the men’s hockey team to receive
an award. Brendan O’Neill
received the leadership award
and Josh Maguire was named the
Rookie of the Year.
Men’s badminton player Zhiyi
Chen was named Freshman Athlete
of the Year, as he was the first
player in program history to reach
an “A Flight” final while helping
the team to get its first win at the
OUA championship.
Hafsah Hoda-Sher of the
women’s rowing team and Nik
Vantfoort of the men’s rowing
team were named the Dr. Gary
Polonsky Leadership award recipients,
both being important
members of the inaugural Ridgeback
Leadership Council.
Finally, Chelsea Ball of the
women’s hockey team and Jack
Patterson of the men’s hockey
team were the recipients of the
James Baun Cup, which is given to
students that show commitment,
dedication, perseverance, academic
responsibility, leadership
and support as a teammate.