Allen, Palmer-McCarthy Earn Humber Student-Athlete of the Week Honours

Soccer forward Leaford Allen and rugby inside centre Essence Palmer-McCarthy have earned Humber Athletics Student-Athlete of the Week honours for the week of Oct. 25-31. This week's edition features two athletes that dominated on the pitch, leading their respective teams to OCAA glory.

Essence Palmer-McCarthy

Rugby Sevens
Inside Centre
Third Year
Fitness and Health
Mississauga, ON

After leading the team in scoring and being named a league all-star, Essence went into the provincial tournament with one goal in mind: winning the provincial championship. The Mississauga native scored a try in the semifinal victory over St. Lawrence then completely took over the first half in the finals against the undefeated Durham Lords. Less than two minutes into the match, Essence was sprung along the left side and beat four Durham defenders to score, giving the Hawks the early lead.

After a yellow card was issued and time was about to expire in the first half, Essence once again displayed her elite speed. She sprinted the distance of the field to record her second try of the match, giving the Hawks a 10-point lead at the break.

When the dust settled, Humber was the 2021 OCAA Champions for the third time in five seasons and Essence Palmer-McCarthy was named the Championship MVP.

Leaford Allen

Soccer
Forward
Third Year
Computer Engineering
Brampton, ON

It was a brilliant championship run by Humber's Leaford Allen, who finished with 12 points in three matches for the Hawks. The Brampton native saved his best game for last, putting the Hawks on the board in the 18th minute of the championship. On a crosser into the box, Allen high-pointed the ball with perfection, out jumping his defender for a header that gave the George Brown keeper zero chance of saving. 

Allen opened the second half with his fifth tally of the postseason, tying the program record for goals in a postseason. Humber successfully defended its provincial title for the third straight season and Allen was named the Championship MVP.