Haile leads Trojans awards scoop

October 27, 2022

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., (Oct. 27, 2022) – Senay Haile had one heck of a season, and was rewarded for it.

 

The second-year forward was named the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference's (ACAC) South Division Player of the Year at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference's (ACAC) Men's and Women's Soccer Championships Awards Banquet, hosted by Lethbridge College. He was also named an ACAC All-Conference selection – the first of his career.

 

Haile joins former Trojans Eduardo Filho (2021) and Dean Northover (2017, 2018) as recent winners of the award.

 

A quiet leader, Haile appears to have several gears that he can reach to throw opposing teams off. Add to that being very tidy around the net and it equaled 11 goals and three assists in 10 games this season – including a stretch of three straight games in which he notched two goals.

 

The accolades did not end there, as Haile will also be named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian.

 

Joining Haile as All-Conference selections were teammates Tysen Chatani, Jolly Kopoanomo and Kwasi Oteng.

 

For Chatani, it is his second consecutive All-Conference nod at the midfield position. Known for his physical play, Chatani's technical ability and soccer IQ are what set him apart.

 

Kopoanomo and Oteng earned their first-ever All-Conference nods at the defender and forward positions, respectively.

 

Oteng scored an impressive seven goals on the season, but also added 10 assists. His size and speed caused problems for opposing teams, and when they focused on him, he gladly distributed the ball for others to score.

 

Kopoanomo is everything you'd want in a defender - calm, cool and collected. With a commanding voice, he dictates the play from the back no matter if the team is attacking or defending. His play helped SAIT allow a league-low six goals in 10 games this season.

 

The Trojans will wait until Saturday to start their defence of their ACAC title, as they await the winner of Friday's Day 1 matchup of Lethbridge College and The King's University.