Aucoin named Soccer Nova Scotia player of the year

HALIFAX – Axewomen forward Abbey Aucoin has been named Soccer Nova Scotia’s senior player of the year for 2023.

She was recognized on Saturday as part of their annual Night of Excellence.

“I was very surprised and honored to find out that I won this award because there are so many great players that play in the Nova Scotia Soccer League,” said Aucoin. “I think it is really a tribute to the outstanding season my UDFC team had, and I am so proud to be a part of that. I got to play alongside a lot of extremely talented and experienced players who I learned a lot from.” 

Aucoin, a standout player for the UDFC Senior AAA team, showcased her exceptional talent during the summer, netting an impressive 16 goals in just 12 games. Her stellar performance played a pivotal role in securing an undefeated season for the team and clinching a spot at the prestigious Canadian National Championships, where they achieved a commendable fourth place in the country.

“On behalf of United DFC, we are so thrilled that Abbey’s accomplishments this season have been recognized by Soccer Nova Scotia as the senior player of the year,” said UDFC director at large and board member, Kim Wallace. “Abbey is a player who has always demonstrated an unwavering passion for the game and dedication to her development. It has been an absolute pleasure watching Abbey grow as a youth player within our club, and to now continue to watch her represent the club to the highest standard on our premiership team, as well as at Acadia, is incredibly impactful as she has become a player our younger players now look up to and strive to be. We look forward to continuing to watch her success as a key contributor both provincially in the premiership league and in the AUS.”

As a key contributor to Acadia's 2023 campaign, with Axewomen advancing to the AUS semifinal round in Cape Breton, Aucoin finished the AUS regular season eighth in scoring, fourth in assists and sixth in points.

"Abbey works really hard at all aspects of her game. She's a wonderful teammate and we couldn't be happier for her to be recognized in a league with so many talented players and at such a young age," said Acadia women's soccer head coach Amit Batra. 

Out of eight wins this season for the Axewomen, she also scored two of the game-winning goals.

“Receiving this award feels extremely rewarding because of the work I’ve put in over the past year individually, with UDFC and with Acadia,” she said. “The great training environment and coaching at Acadia have really helped me develop and contributed to the success I had this past summer. My teammates at Acadia have been a really positive influence and motivate me to work even harder and continue improving for next season.”