University of Regina women's soccer defender Hadiza Kasim was named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team on Friday after enjoying a stellar first season with the Cougars.

Kasim played a pivotal role for the Cougars, playing in 12 of the team's 14 Canada West games while starting 11 of those matches. She finished sixth on the team in minutes played, spending 938 minutes on the pitch for the U of R.

"Hadiza brings a level of competency to our back line that is unmatched for a rookie," said Monica Deters, defenders coach for the Cougars. "She is an exceptional physical presence, has a very high game IQ, and outstanding technical ability that allows her to join an attack. She also has a quiet, innate leadership ability that we find even senior players look up to her."

Including a stretch of four consecutive games in September, Kasim played all 90 minutes in eight Canada West matches this season. She was credited with six shots on net, two of which came in the team's game against MacEwan on Sept. 28.

Kasim, who hails from Yorkton, is a Faculty of Science student majoring in actuarial science.