Five members of the York University Lions women's soccer team participated in the Concacaf women's U-20 championship this past week for Team Guyana.
Paul DeAbreu and
Tina Cook were both members of the coaching staff. They recruited
Valentina Khan,
Jessica Myers and
Dylana Makarowski to join them in the tournament, where they would play the best in the Americas over the course of the two-week event.
Guyana went 1-2 in the round robin, winning the first game of the tournament 2-0 against Honduras, before falling 5-0 in both of their subsequent games to Mexico, then to Panama.
Their round of 16 contest against Haiti saw a dramatic late goal to eliminate the team from competition. Inari Moore scored in the 37' to hand Guyana a 1-0 lead that they carried into the second half, but the 2020 CWU20 semifinalists would mount a comeback, beginning with Maudeline Moryl's 1-1 equalizer in the 58'.
Just when it looked like it would end 1-1 after 90 minutes, Ornis was at the right spot at the right time in the 88' to steer home a deflection in front of the Guyana goal for the 2-1 Haiti victory.
DeAbreu joined the Lions coaching staff in 2011. In addition to working with the Lions, he is also the head coach of the Pickering Power Girls Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) U15 and U17 teams. He has also been the assistant coach of the W-League's Lady Lynx. In 2010, DeAbreu coached his Pickering girls U16 OYSL team to an undefeated season, which culminated in an OYSL Cup championship, an Ontario Cup championship and a national title.
This isn't DeAbreu's first rodeo on the national stage with the Guyana squad. He has served as first assistant coach to the Guyana U20 women's national team since 2018, when he joined Dr. Ivan Joseph's staff.
Cook is a first-time member of the women's national team coaching staff. She joins Dr. Joseph after serving as an assistant coach with his Rams women's soccer team. She has also served as the head coach of Graceland University's junior varsity team, and as an assistant coach for the varsity team after finishing a successful playing career with the Yellowjackets in 2008. Her coaching experience also includes working as a staff coach with the Richmond Hill Soccer Club, and associate technical director with Newmarket Soccer Club.
