Griffins coaches win Alberta Major Soccer League awards
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Two MacEwan Griffins women's soccer coaches won major awards from the Alberta Soccer Association over the weekend.
Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro was named Alberta Major Soccer League coach of the year after leading his club team Northwest United to the provincial championship and a national silver medal at the Jubilee Shield.
Meanwhile, Griffins assistant coach and former star player Erika Vecchio won the 2019 AMSL MVP award for her strong play as a holding midfielder for Northwest United.
"I'm so super happy for Erika," said Cordeiro. "She's such a humble individual and will do anything to help the team win. Just to see her get rewarded is amazing.
"For her to now be on our coaching staff as a MacEwan alumni, it's great to see how she's still playing the game at the highest level and giving back to the players in our program. In 2013 when we won our national championship at the collegiate level, she was also named our nationals MVP. It's funny, seven years later, she's still at the highest level you can be at, dominating and it's just amazing to see."
Cordeiro won the AMSL coaching award for the third time in his career, having also won it in 2012 and 2013.
"It felt really good to get recognition amongst the other Alberta Major Soccer League coaches in our conference," he said. "To be held in such high regard by colleagues is an honour.
"It really capped off what was a great season for our club Northwest United with us obviously winning the provincial championship and losing in the national final. It really closed the book on what was an amazing 2019 season."
