Veteran Marzouk, newcomer Zeppieri take home top honours at opposite ends of varsity tenure

Burlington, Ont. – Consistently playing to impress on the pitch has helped a pair of conference standouts secure their first major award recognition amongst their provincial peers. Ontario Tech’s Omar Marzouk and York’s Christian Zeppieri added to their personal and program legacies, as the dynamic duo have been named the most valuable players in their respective divisions, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s soccer season.

Most Valuable Player (East) – Omar Marzouk, Ontario Tech

Only the second player in Ontario Tech’s program history to win this award, Omar Marzouk earned his way to OUA East most valuable player honours for the Ridgebacks.

After a successful tenure with the York Lions, Marzouk made an immediate impact on the pitch with his new team at Ontario Tech. The fifth-year forward tied for second in goals, fourth in points, and third in shots across the conference for this season. Scoring seven of his tallies in his first two games of the season, en route to OUA athlete of the week honours, Marzouk helped the Ridgebacks author a new program in terms of most goals in a game and largest margin of victory in back-to-back games. The education major put on a masterclass throughout the year, earning recognition at the school, conference, and national level therein.

Thanks to his efforts, the education major from Cairo, Egypt not only helped his team earn a strong season on the pitch, but also finished off his own varsity tenure on a high note.

Most Valuable Player (West) – Christian Zeppieri, York

Continuing a legacy for the Lions, Christian Zeppieri becomes the 11th member of York program to be tabbed as most valuable player of the OUA’s West Division.

The Maple, Ont. product did not shy away from the spotlight in his foray onto the varsity pitch, as he stepped up immediately in his rookie season. Despite joining a team that is a perennial contender in the province and country, Zeppieri saw himself rank second on the team in scoring with his four tallies on the year. Not only did he have a knack for scoring, but doing so when his team needed it most. The accounting major came up clutch with his first goals helping the team take an early win against Algoma, while another was a late game-winner against Marauders. In fact, three of Zeppieri’s four goals helped York tie the game or take the lead, showing that the first-year midfielder can be as clutch as they come.

While Zeppieri is the third consecutive York player to be named MVP, the all-star does become the first Lions rookie to receive the honour since alumnus Jonathan Lao did so in 2013.

Rookie of the Year (East) – Michael Maslanka, Toronto

Stepping into the spotlight for his rookie season, Michael Maslanka earns the 2023 OUA East Division rookie of the year honour.

Maslanka, a first-year political science student, broke onto the scene this is season as an offensive force for the strong Varsity Blues program. The talented forward finished in the top-10 in the OUA in goals scored, registering seven through out 11 matches played. This included an impressive two-goal introduction in his varsity debut at Queen’s to close out the month of August. The dynamic Mississauga, Ont. local also continued his strong play into the postseason, and with his talent and poise under pressure in tow, he will eye continued success as his university career presses on.

Maslanka adds to the team’s recent rookie success, as he represents the second straight Varsity Blues newcomer to bring home the award and third in the last four years.

Rookie of the Year (West) – Ibrahim Saadi, Western

Making his university debut in his hometown, Ibrahem Saadi bring home some hardware with the Western Mustangs as this year’s West Division rookie of the year.

The defensive leader for the purple and white acted as a chameleon on the pitch, playing multiple positions and showcasing great versatility and flexibility for the Mustangs. Even while trying to find his footing in his foray to the varsity stage, the corner back was able to quickly acclimatize and showcased his defensive skills on the pitch time and time again. Saadi’s contributions on the back end also proved pivotal in Western’s ability to limit the opposition to just seven goals against this season.

The King’s College student from London, Ont. joins a growing list of first-year Western standouts to shine early in their careers, becoming the fourth Mustang to receive the award.

Coach of the Year (East) – Marcelo Plada, Carleton

The Carleton Ravens have achieved long-standing success on the pitch, and adding to that lengthy legacy is the 2023 OUA East coach of the year, Marcelo Plada.

As a rookie to the team himself, Plada helped guide the Ravens to the top spot in the OUA, completing the regular season with a record of 10-1-1. Creating an immediate impact on the culture and environment for the players, the team was able to race their way to first place right out of the gates, starting the season undefeated with a 9-0 mark to push them into the playoffs. Plada’s tutelage also helped the team shine on the scoreboard, as he saw his Ravens lead the league in goals for (38) and shot percentage with a sparking .319 clip. The team also surrendering just nine goals against, which was tied for second fewest in the conference.

Plada joins a pair of decorated past Carleton coaches to take home the honour, and with a pair of first team and second team all-stars from his roster being recognized as well, caps off a thrilling first season at the helm in style.

Coach of the Year (West) – Keith Mason, Guelph

A longstanding member of the Guelph Gryphons community, Keith Mason earns the 2023 coach of the year nod in the West Division.

The veteran head coach of the Gryphons, in his 34th season as part of the University of Guelph soccer programs overall, is no stranger to the patrolling the sidelines or earning accolades in the OUA. From across the pond, the West Bromwich, England native led his team to a 7-4-1 record and a berth into the playoffs, helping the Gryphons grouped to be a well-rounded threat across multiple facets of the game. Guelph ranked sixth in the conference in goals for, netting 23 on the season for just under two per game, while surrendering just 12 across their 12 regular season matches. Mason’s guidance also saw a trio of his players tabbed as all-stars from the net out, including a pair of first-team selections.

Mason takes home the OUA coaching award for the third time, having last done so just a couple years back in 2021 and earns the sixth such honour for the Guelph program overall.

Community Service Award (East) – Alexander Domingos, Nipissing

It is one thing to contribute to a team on the pitch, but Nipissing’s Alexander Domingos goes well beyond the field of play to make his mark with the Lakers, as he earns the 2023 OUA East Community Service Award.

Sport so often focuses on physical health, but Domingos, a second-year midfielder from Mississauga, Ont. has made it a focus to involve himself in the areas of mental health and wellness as well. The biology student has contributed to those facets on campus by championing and taking the lead in the school’s mental strength initiatives. He has volunteered countless hours of his time to work with peers, faculty, and students to discuss topics of mental health and promote actionable change within the campus community. He has also helped set up events aimed at raising awareness for mental health.

Conversations and action surrounding the prioritization of one’s mental wellbeing continue to be an important part of the overall health discussion, and Domingos’ efforts at Nipissing are helping such steps become the norm as part of a safe and supportive environment.

Champion of EDI Award (East) – Taryn McKenna, Queen’s

Despite serving as an assistant coach for the Queen’s women’s team, it is her additional efforts in working with the men’s group that has helped earn her the inaugural OUA soccer Champion of EDI Award.

McKenna has worked extensively with the Gaels men’s program and many other varsity teams at Queen’s. The student inclusion and engagement coordinator for the Student Experience Office at the university has started the Queen’s Shift Project, an initiative that has a main objective of shifting perspective through creating a culture of consent. On Shifted Perspectives, students come together to listen to short excerpts of the Shift Podcast and engage in thought-provoking discussion. Filmed for social media, these conversations encourage reflection on the perspectives of their peers and provide an opportunity to unpack important issues faced by students at Queen's.

McKenna has worked extensively over the past few years to get this project going in a unique fashion that has student-athletes excited to support. She has been able to gather student leaders on campus with the potential to make meaningful change toward a safer campus culture.

The complete list of 2023 OUA men’s soccer award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player (East) – Omar Marzouk, Ontario Tech
Most Valuable Player (West) – Christian Zeppieri, York
Rookie of the Year (East) – Michael Maslanka, Toronto
Rookie of the Year (West) – Ibrahim Saadi, Western
Coach of the Year (East) – Marcelo Plada, Carleton
Coach of the Year (West) – Keith Mason, Guelph
Community Service Award (East) – Alexander Domingos, Nipissing
Champion of EDI Award (East) – Taryn McKenna, Queen’s

First Team All-Stars

East Division
Goalkeeper – Kevon Grant, Ontario Tech
Defender – Rapha Garcia, Carleton
Defender – Kai Martin, TMU
Defender – Shon Siegalwachs, Toronto
Midfielder – Ainsley Bryan, Trent
Midfielder – Pablo Hemplemann-Perez, Queen’s
Midfielder – Luca Picciolli, Carleton
Midfielder – Chris Campoli, TMU
Striker – Omar Marzouk, Ontario Tech
Striker – Matthew Ciavarro, Queen’s
Striker – Michael Maslanka, Toronto

West Division
Goalkeeper – Ethan Cagalj, McMaster
Defender – Cole Fernandez, Guelph
Defender – Conrad Czarnecki, Brock
Defender – Frankie Facchineri, Windsor
Midfielder – Ibrahim Saadi, Western
Midfielder – Gray Yates, Guelph
Midfielder – Christian Zeppieri, York
Midfielder – Matheus Mello, Waterloo
Striker – Kevin Espiro, Waterloo
Striker – Tyler Attardo, York
Striker – Marc Iantomasi, Brock

Second Team All-Stars

East Division
Goalkeeper – Ryan Miners, Nipissing
Defender – Jacob Begley, Ontario Tech
Defender – Jadon Lashley, Queen’s
Defender – Mario Bidollari, Nipissing
Defender – Tareq Hamad, Carleton
Midfielder – Omar Darwish, Carleton
Midfielder – Leo Frans, Trent
Midfielder – Yousof Hamid, Nipissing
Striker – Brett Springer, Ontario Tech
Striker – Timi Aliu, Laurentian
Striker – Jaiden Santo, Laurentian

West Division
Goalkeeper – Carter Robart, Guelph
Defender – Jacobo Cordon Cruz, McMaster
Defender – Kelvin Ramirez, York
Defender – Andra Neptune, Wilfrid Laurier
Defender – Samir Ghouli, Wilfrid Laurier
Midfielder – Gianluca Spadafora, McMaster
Midfielder – Daniel Oshana, Western
Midfielder – Nicholas Esperanca, Brock
Striker – Amir Shirazi, McMaster
Striker – James Arango, Waterloo
Striker – Sachin Sergeant, McMaster