Montreal women's soccer player Véronique Laverdière highlights

Every student-athlete wants to leave it all on the field in their final CIS season and University of Montreal soccer standout Véronique Laverdière can say 'mission accomplished'.

A 24-year-old native of Montreal, she was named a Quebec conference all-star for the fourth consecutive campaign and became the first member of the Carabins to capture the Chantal Navert Memorial Award as CIS player of the year. Laverdière, the team captain, finished fourth in conference scoring with 13 points, including a league-leading seven assists, as the Carabins finished atop the Quebec standings with a stellar 10-1-3 mark. In her 12 contests, she was named player of the game eight times.

Remarkably, Laverdière managed to turn it up a notch in post-season play. First, the physical and health education senior was named Game MVP of the Quebec final after she helped the Carabins claim their third straight conference banner. Although the team didn't fare as well at the CIS championship, settling for fourth place after reaching the national podium the previous two years, the veteran striker once again proved her worth, netting all four of her team's goals -- including the overtime winner in the quarter-final round - to finish as the tourney's top scorer.

Laverdière, who represented Canada at the 2009 FISU Universiade in Serbia, may very well wear red and white colours again this summer when the world university games are staged in Shenzhen, China. A superb all-around athlete, she also excels in broomball and once competed at a national championship in that sport.

"This is a great way for Véronique to wrap up her university career," says Montreal head coach Kevin McConnell, who for the second straight year, has had one of his athletes nominated for the BLG Award. Midfielder Véronique Maranda was a 2010 candidate. "We lost a number of star players following our run to the CIS final in 2009 and Véronique really stepped up to the plate. She has been the key to our success this year.

I remember her first game. She was a starter but we removed her from the field after 15 minutes because it wasn't going well at all. She came back after halftime and made the difference. She plays with so much will, determination and intensity that her teammates have no choice but to follow her. I'm not sure if she realizes how important she was for this team."

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