HUNTSVILLE, Ont. (May 13, 2011) - Queen's Gaels women's hockey head coach, Matthew Holmberg was named the recipient of the Fox 40 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Male Coach of the Year during the 2011 OUA Honour Awards banquet held Thursday evening at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont.

Holmberg is the third Queen's coach to capture a Fox 40 OUA Coach of the Year honour in the last two seasons. Pat Sheahan (Football) and Brenda Willis (Volleyball) swept the award in 2010.

Windsors Lancers women's basketball head coach Chantal Vallée was named the OUA Women's Coach of the Year for her role in leading the Lancers to their first CIS National Championship title in 50 years.

In his two seasons behind the bench for the Queen's women's hockey team, Holmberg led his Gaels to a 34-13-7 record in the regular season. In his rookie season, he was named OUA Coach of the Year for leading Queen's to a second place finish. After an injury-riddled first half of the 2010-11 season Holmberg and the Gaels won 12 consecutive games to capture Queen's first OUA Championship since the 1978-79 season.

Their 7-1 playoff record saw six overtimes wins, including the first of the championship series against Guelph that went to six overtime periods, the longest game in collegiate hockey. At the helm, his team went on to win CIS bronze in their first-ever national championship appearance, beating out the defending champion Alberta Pandas and OUA rivals, the Laurier Golden Hawks.

The OUA also handed out several other awards during their year-end banquet.

Basketball players Jessica Clemençon (St. Rambert, France) and Tyson Hinz (Ottawa) were named the inaugural Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Athletes of the Year, presented by Pioneer Energy. The inaugural Team of the Year Award went to the Windsor Lancers women's basketball squad, while Dan Lang claimed the John McManus Award given to a retired OUA coach who exemplifies the highest ideals and qualities of sportsmanship. Cecelia Carter-Smith from the Hamilton Spectator was the recipient of the OUA Media Member of Distinction Award.

OUA HONOUR AWARD RECIPIENTS

OUA Female Athlete of the Year
Jessica Clemençon, Windsor Lancers Basketball

OUA Male Athlete of the Year
Tyson Hinz, Carleton Ravens Basketball

OUA Team of the Year
Windsor Lancers Women's Basketball

Fox 40 OUA Female Coach of the Year
Chantal Vallée, Windsor Lancers Women's Basketball

Fox 40 OUA Male Coach of the Year
Matthew Holmberg, Queen's Gales Women's Hockey

John McManus Award
Dan Lang, Toronto Varsity Blues Baseball

Media Member Award of Distinction
Cecelia Carter-Smith, Hamilton Spectator

-Story courtesy of the OUA