Paisley McGugan, 2017 TVRA South East Ms. Soccer. (photo / courtesy PCI)
Thursday, June 8, 2017
By Rob J. Ross
ST. THOMAS, Ont. - Paisley McGugan, co-captain of the Parkside Lady Stampeders is the inaugural winner of the Thames Valley Region Athletic (TVRA) South East Ms. Soccer award.
McGugan, a grade 12 student-athlete at PCI, has been instrumental in leading the Stampeders to four WOSSAA 2A titles, and four trips to OFSAA, highlighted by the championship in 2016.
A starter in each of her four years with the team, Parkside coaches looked to McGugan for her leadership, competitiveness and desire to perform at the highest level, says Parkside coach Gerry Safadi.
“She sets a great example for the grade 9 players and this helps continue the success that the team enjoys,” Safadi said. “She is not only a fantastic player but she is looked up to by the rest of the team.”
This season, McGugan, as a central defender, help guide the Stampeders to an overall record of 22 wins and two losses.
She was instrumental in Parkside only allowing nine goals over those 24 games, points out Safadi.
Those two losses, to the eventual OFSAA gold and bronze medalists, at the OFSAA tournament.
During OFSAA 2016, McGugan rarely left the field as Parkside reeled off seven consecutive wins, en route to the school's first high school provincial gold medal in soccer.
McGugan, 18, is what a student athlete should be, adds Safadi, balancing academics, high school soccer, club soccer for the London Youth Whitecaps Under-21 team, and her work schedule.
In September, McGugan heads to Guelph University to study criminology.