Three Stars: Choucair, Row, Moyo earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Women's soccer student-athlete Suekiana Choucair is the MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after her performance in leading the Griffins to dominant wins over Winnipeg and Manitoba on the weekend.
Choucair, who recorded three points in the two games, took 16 weekend corner kicks and MacEwan scored on 25 per cent of them.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Kiana Row of the women's cross-country team and third star Zibusiso Moyo of the men's soccer team.
Choucair is being honoured for the second time this season, having also been named first star on Sept. 17. Row makes the list for a third time (also winning first star on Sept. 10 and second star on Oct. 1). Moyo also makes a second appearance, having previously been named third star on Sept. 24.
1st STAR: Suekiana Choucair, M, women's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fifth-year, Science
Suekiana Choucair recorded another multi-point weekend for the Griffins with a goal and two assists in leading them to two dominant wins over Winnipeg and Manitoba.
The senior midfielder's best work came in Sunday's 3-1 win over Manitoba where three of her first-half corner kicks turned into goals for the Griffins.
Choucair curled a 29th-minute corner directly into the goal to open the scoring before passing back to Sarah Riddle on a 37th-minute corner, who then played it in to Jamie Erickson for a one-timer. Choucair finished the set piece hat-trick when Sofia DiGiacomo headed home her corner on the last play of the opening half.
Choucair also had an assist in MacEwan's 4-0 win over Winnipeg when DiGiacomo headed in her 19th minute corner.
In the two weekend games, Choucair took 16 corner kicks and MacEwan scored on 25 per cent of them.
Choucair currently leads the Griffins with four goals and nine points in nine games so far this season – tied for third in the Canada West scoring race and tied for first in points per game.
The Griffins will play a home-and-home series against cross-town rival Alberta this weekend, hosting the Pandas on Sunday (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium).
2nd STAR: Kiana Row, women's cross-country
Beaumont, AB, first-year, Nursing
Row earned her second-straight second star award after another sterling performance on the cross-country circuit, finishing second among university athletes at the Seattle Sundodger 5K race.
Her time of 17:56.40 is one of the fastest 5Ks in MacEwan women's cross country history. And it marked the third-straight race that the rookie has finished as the top Griffins competitor.
Only one NCAA student-athlete topped her in a race that included teams from the University of Seattle and Eastern Washington.
Row led a strong effort from MacEwan's women's team at the event as all four Griffins competitors finished the 5K under 19 minutes – the first time that's happened in program history.
Row and the Griffins are off to Camrose on Saturday for the ACAC Running Room Grand Prix #5, hosted by the UAlberta-Augustana.
Kiana Row races with the pack in Seattle on Saturday. She finished second among all university runners in attendance (Linda Miller photo).
3rd STAR: Zibusiso Moyo, D, men's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Science
Moyo put forth another stellar defensive performance for the Griffins over the weekend to earn his second appearance on the three stars list this season.
The veteran put his elite abilities to defend 1 v 1 situations on display against friend and former teammate Lahai Mansaray on Saturday, holding the now-Alberta star off the scoresheet in a 0-0 draw at Clarke Stadium.
Moyo's improvements and maturity continue to be a boon to a young Griffins team building towards eventually earning their first Canada West playoff berth.
The Griffins will travel to Calgary on Sunday for a makeup game against the Dinos (playing a postponed match from Sept. 29).
Zibusiso Moyo takes the ball upfield against UNBC in a recent game. He was a huge reason why the Griffins earned a clean sheet against Alberta on Saturday (Chris Piggott photo).
