After being named one of the best keepers in the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC), Sofia Ovcharenko is named one of the best in the nation following the 2023-24 women’s soccer season being named one of the prestigious Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canada Women Soccer recipients. 

Given to the best CCAA Women's Soccer student-athletes over the course of the season for excellence in collegiate athletics. Ovcharenko joins 14 other student-athletes nationwide, including fellow ACAC players Vanessa Pietramala (Concordia Thunder) and Meaghan Wiebe (SAIT Trojans) and is the only goalkeeper to be named this year.

Raising the bar, she became the first Vikings Women’s Soccer student-athlete to win the award and just the 16th Viking in history, joining the likes of golf, cross-country running, men’s and women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

At the conclusion of the ACAC's regular season, Ovcharenko's stats made it difficult to call her anything but an All-Conference or All-Canadian student-athlete with 147 saves for the most in the conference, eight more than the next closest competitor Robyn Alexandruk from the NWP Wolves. 

With four wins this season, Ovcharenko tied the Vikings record for most wins in a season with former keeper Cassidy Newcombe in 2019. In addition, her 147 saves over the course of 11 games played set the record for most saves made in a season by a Vikings keeper, as well as the record for all-time career saves with 247, by a male or female Viking. Newcombe was the previous record holder with 200 career saves, making 93 in 2018.

Ovcharenko was honoured with the award at the 2023 CCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship hosted by Holland College in Summerside, PEI on Tuesday night.

CCAA All-Canadians

Saki Meshida - Forward - VIU Mariners - PACWEST

Alanah Dulong - Midfield - Capilano Blues - PACWEST

Vanessa Pietramala - Midfield - Concordia Thunder - ACAC

Meaghan Wiebe - Striker - SAIT Trojans - ACAC

Sofia Ovcharenko - Goalkeeper - UofA -Augustana Vikings - ACAC

Paige Heide - Midfield - Providence Pilots - MCAC

Ayesha Umar - Midfeild - CMU Blazers - MCAC

Shanice Alfred - Forward - Seneca Sting - OCAA

Sage Thomas-Roberts - Striker - Durham Lords - OCAA

Kaitlynn Russell - Forward - Humber Hawks - OCAA

Amélia Bouchard - Forward - Élans de Garneau - RSEQ

Mégane Gagnon - Forward -  Aigles d'Ahuntsic - RESQ

Emily Lepine - Striker - Holland Hurricanes - ACAA

Amanda Volcko - Striker - MSVU Mystics - ACAA