HAMILTON, Ont. – Western Mustangs captain Veronica Johnston (Oshawa, Ont.) is the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) nominee for the CIS Marion Hillard Award, given to student-athletes for outstanding achievement in hockey, academics and community involvement. 

The announcement of her nomination was part of the OUA announcement of its major award winners and all-stars for women's hockey.

Johnston, a talented two-way defencemen, is a Dean’s honour list winner, a selection to the Australian Kinesiology Victoria University exchange program, a Western Captain’s Circle team representative and is involved in numerous other volunteer activities, including St. Martin Catholic School and the Fowler/Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic in London, Ont.

Ellie Seedhouse (Whitby, Ont.) was named as an OUA first-team all-star, leading Western in scoring with 15 goals and 17 assists (32 points) in a solid season, ranking her third overall in the OUA.

Goaltender Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.) of Wilfrid Laurier won the OUA player of the year award, presented by Harrow Sports Canada Ltd. Knox is also a first-team all-star for the second straight season. Her Laurier teammate Candice Styles (Orangeville, Ont.) is the 2010 OUA rookie of the year and member of the OUA all-rookie team.

The 2010 coach of the year is Matt Holmberg of the Queen’s Gaels after guiding the Gaels to a 19-5-3 record in his first season as head coach.

2010 OUA WOMEN’S HOCKEY MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Year: Liz Knox (Laurier)
Rookie of the Year: Candice Styles (Laurier)
Marion Hillard Award: Veronica Johnston (Western)
Coach of the Year: Matt Holmberg (Queen’s)

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Becky Conroy (Pembroke, Ont.) - Queen's
Andrea Ironside (Collingwood, Ont.) - Laurier
Ellie Seedhouse (Whitby, Ont.) - Western
Defencemen
Alison Bagg (Kingston, Ont.) - Queen's
Kelsey Webster (Duncan, B.C.) - York
Goaltender
Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.) - Laurier

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
Forwards
Manon Davis (Sudbury, Ont.) - Windsor
Dayna Kanis (Georgetown, Ont.) - Guelph
Liz Kench (Gananoque, Ont.) - Queen's
Defencemen
Kelly Setter (Keswick, Ont.) - Toronto
Jackie Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.) - Guelph
Goaltender
Beth Clause (Hamilton, Ont.) - Brock

OUA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) - Queen's
Jill Morillo (Whitby, Ont.) - UOIT
Candice Styles (Orangeville, Ont.) - Laurier
Defencemen
Rebecca Bond (Sudbury, Ont.) - York
Maureen Mommersteeg (St. Thomas, Ont.) - Laurier
Goaltender
Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) - Queen's