Jonelle Filigno Named Canadian U-20 Player of the Year
Dec 17 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Dec. 17, 2010) – Rutgers women’s soccer forward Jonelle Filigno (Mississauga, ON, Canada) was named the Canadian Soccer Association’s U-20 Player of the Year for the 2010 season. This is the second time (2008) the rising sophomore has earned the prestigious award.
“This is an incredible honor,” said Filigno. “I am very lucky to be able to represent my country at the highest level. Not many get to play against the best players in the world and I’m excited to continue learning and developing. I’d like to thank all of my teammates that allow me to be successful.”
“Jonelle has emerged as one of the top scoring threats on the full national team and there is no secret to her success,” said Rutgers head coach Glenn Crooks. “We have observed the amount of time Jonelle puts into her training. She has prepared herself for both the physical and mental strains at the highest level while exhibiting the ability to score goals in a variety of fashions. We are all very proud of her achievements on the international level and we are all looking forward to watching her this summer in the World Cup.”
Filigno helped Canada to its second CONCACAF title last month, qualifying the squad for the 2011 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The All-BIG EAST Second Team honoree tallied 11 points on four goals and three assists as Canada went 5-0 in the qualifying tournament.
This is Filigno’s third season with the Canadian National Team. She also plays with the W-League Toronto Lynx. Filigno was also nominated for Canadian Player of the Year, an award won by captain Christine Sinclair.
The U-20 award was decided in a vote shared by national-team coaches and Canadian coaches who have taken the CSA’s national course at the B and A levels.
Filigno was also named CSA’s U-20 Female Player of the Year in 2008, as the forward scored four goals to earn a gold medal with the U-20 team at the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship. The Mississauga, ON native also played in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile, scoring one goal in three games.
