A Maple Ridge soccer player has made history by becoming the first Simon Fraser University (SFU) athlete to be awarded the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Newcomer of the Year award in women’s soccer.
Isabella Muzzolini, who grew up in Maple Ridge and has since moved on to playing for the SFU Red Leafs, was given the award on Nov. 1, with three other Red Leafs players receiving All-Conference Team honourable mentions.
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“I am incredibly honoured to be named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year,” said Muzzolini.
“This season has been memorable in my soccer journey, filled with hard-fought competitions, passion, determination, and many laughs and smiles. I could not have won this award without my teammates’ and coaches’ endless uplifting support and hard work. This SFU team harbours something special, and I am fortunate to be a part of it.”
In her first season with the Red Leafs, Muzzolini was a dominant force on the field, playing a total of 1,530 minutes in the regular season, which topped the list among all SFU players. She had a positive impact on the team’s scoring ability, bringing up their total goals by six compared to the previous year, including three assists personally from Muzzolini.
“The greatest impact Bella has had for us is her compete level,” said Red Leafs head coach Annie Hamel. “Her mentality is outstanding and raises the level in matches and training. Her ability to take over games is so impressive. She is just getting started too.”
Despite their impressive season, the Red Leafs recently lost their Nov. 3 semifinal matchup against the number one seeded Western Washington University Vikings in the GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships.
Muzzolini played all 90 minutes, even getting a shot on goal, but the midfielder was unable to help her team pull out a win and was handed a 3-0 loss against the Vikings.
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