Payton Izsak won the University of Saskatchewan Female Rookie of the Year award this season. (University of Saskatchewan Huskies/Twitter)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Storming onto the soccer scene

P.A.’s Izsak wins U of S rookie of the year award

Apr 2, 2019 | 4:58 PM

After her first season of USports soccer, Payton Izsak can already say she’s an award winner.

Izsak was named as the University of Saskatchewan Female Rookie of the Year on Friday. And that came after Izsak received the Saskatchewan Youth Soccer Player of the Year award.

Izsak grew up playing competitive soccer with the Prince Albert Celtic Soccer Club, and up in the ranks in the Prince Albert Youth Soccer Association. She credits the work the coaches did to get her to this point.

“It’s been a really busy past couple of weeks with all this going on. Honestly, I’m just so humbled and honoured to be recognized for all my hard work,” Izsak said. “I just have so many people to thank for all of it, I couldn’t have done it without my team or my coaches or my family. Growing up playing with the Celtics in P.A., I wouldn’t be where I am without the help from PAYSA and the coaches back home.”

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Despite joining the team as a first-year rookie, Izsak immediately took on an important role in the midfield. Izsak played in all 16 matches the Huskies played in (including playoffs) and started in 13 of them. She also led the team with four goals and five points.

Two of those goals came in the first playoff match the Huskies had this year in the Canada West Play-in, when Izsak scored all the goals in a 2-0 victory over the Victoria Vikes. The Huskies fell in the quarter-finals to the Calgary Dinos.

“I definitely didn’t think I’d be playing that many minutes in my first year,” Izsak said. “Going in, it was different because I hadn’t played with that many older girls before. It was such a big jump from going from playing with Grade 12’s to people in their twenties and against people in their twenties. So I wasn’t really expecting that. But coming in, I just thought ‘if they can do it, I can do it.’ I just kept pushing myself.”

Izsak didn’t know a whole lot of players on the team, but did know fellow Carlton Crusader alum in Kalli Cowles, who played her third year with the Huskies this season as a defender.

“Kalli’s a great role model. I actually didn’t know too many of the girls coming in, but Kalli was definitely a recognizable face. It was great having her this year. We’d always talk about ‘oh, are you going home this weekend to see the family?’ Having her family in the stands made it feel more like home.”

Izsak wanted to spread the message to all the kids come through the Celtics, PAYSA system.

“I just want them to know that anything is possible and hard work does pay off,” Izsak said. “Even though P.A. may not be the biggest city, but there are definitely a lot of opportunities out there if they want to go for it.”

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW