Carducci, Lawrence win national U-17 player awards

It is rare to see a goalkeeper win an end-of-season honour when he or she is lumped into a field of outfield players. Player-of-the-year awards are rare for the only players on the field who get to use their hands. But, Calgary native Marco Carducci has broken through. The Whitecaps Residency keeper was named Canada’s Male U-17 Player of the Year on Sunday. Carducci was in goal for eight Canadian U-17 matches in 2012, and recorded clean sheets in matches against Costa Rica and Panama. “It was terrific for Marco to show such great work ethic during our national projects,” said Sean Fleming, Canada’s men’s U-17 coach, in a release issued by the Canadian Soccer Association. “I hope this honour serves as an encouraging moment for him to continue to work hard and become a great player.” In 2003, Pat Onstad was named Canada’s male senior player of the year. Carducci is the first goalkeeper to win the male U-17 award. On the women’s side, Ashley Lawrence — who captained Canada at the U-17 Women’s World Cup — was the landslide winner of the award. Lawrence got 44.6 per cent of the vote, while second-place finisher Kadeisha Buchanan got 18.1 per cent. A native of Caledon East, Ont., Lawrence will be part of coach John Herdman’s women’s senior national team camp that begins this week in Vancouver. “Ashley is player that continues to excel on a yearly basis,” said Bryan Rosenfeld, Canada’s women’s U-17 coach, in a release. “Her passion and commitment towards the game and her country is contagious. As she continues to grow as a player and person, I can only see her achieving the highest level within the national program.” RELATED: Alderson beats Aleman by wide margin for U-17 Player of the Year (CLICK)