PoMo's Lidin pockets top Canadian college women's soccer award
By: Larry Pruner
Published in the Tri-City News on November 5, 2009
After being named provincial women’s soccer player of the year less than a month ago, Loren Lidin of the Langara Falcons brought back an even higher honour when she soon returned home to Port Moody from Etobicoke, Ont., late Wednesday.
The third-year goalkeeper and Gleneagle secondary graduate was named the Canadian Colleges’ Athletic Association (CCAA) national player of the year at Tuesday’s CCAA All-Canadian awards banquet, hosted by Humber College.
“Oh my gawd, I was so surprised,” the 20-year-old Lidin told The Tri-City News on Thursday. “I think my jaw actually dropped. Goalies don’t win that stuff, ever. I was so honoured to be recognized, especially as a goalie.”
The national award caps an outstanding season for Lidin. In late September, she was named a BCCAA athlete of the week and went on to be named a BCCAA first-team all-star, the CCAA athlete of the month for October, as well as the BCCAA player of the year.
“To say that the athletics program [at Langara] is proud of Loren would be a huge understatement,” said Langara’s director of athletics and intramurals Clayton Munro. “It is certainly a first for a Langara goalkeeper and I think that speaks volumes of her as a student-athlete.”
Lidin led all BCCAA ’keepers with a goals against average of 0.59 to go along with four shutouts. The business student also helped the Falcons win their fourth league title in five years, although they lost in the BCCAA final 3-2 Oct. 25 in Coquitlam. Lidin also became the third CCAA national player of the year in the history of the Langara women’s soccer program. All three athletes have played under the leadership of head coach Ryan Birt, who is in his ninth year at Langara.