October 5th, 2003 NEWS from CPSL web site.
PHIL IONADI VOTED MVP
Phil Ionadi, the amiable captain of the Brampton Hitmen, received the most Most Valuable Player Award for the 2003 season at the Canadian Professional Soccer League’s annual presentation night at London on Sunday.
Ionadi’s team, runner-up in the loop’s Western Conference, were earlier in the day crowned CPSL champions following a 1-0 victory over Eastern Conference third-place finishers Vaughan Sun Devils.
Ionadi led the Hitmen to a stage where late in the season they were bidding for the conference title, he scored 12 goals and was a playmaker in a number of the 41 goals scored by Brampton in league and cup play over the 5-month long season.
Simon Eaddy of Ottawa Wizards was voted the league’s best goalkeeper with an outstanding record in which the Wizards conceded just 10 goals all season and another Ottawa player, McDonald Yobe, was judged Rookie of the Year following his eye-catching performances with the Eastern Conference winners.
The 22 year-old midfielder from the Central African nation of Malawi was one of a number of very good first year players to appear in the CPSL this season.
Carlo Arghittu of St. Catharines Wolves received the leading goalscorer award after finding the net 18 times in the season just ended and Domagoj Sain of Toronto Croatia had another outstanding season to pick-up the Defender of the Year award.
Jose Testas, head coach with Toronto Supra played a big part in the new-found success of his team which finished an impressive runner-up in the Eastern Conference following a year-long battle with Ottawa Wizards for the eastern title. This was a contrast from the sixth place finish of the west-end Toronto team in 2002.
Michael Lambert, referee of the championship final between Brampton Hitmen and Vaughan Sun Devils, was voted the best game official in the CPSL this year and the Fair Play Award for the most disciplined team went to Durham Flames.
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