CCAA Hall of Fame Inductee: Joanna Vitale
Joanna Vitale, a three-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian from Humber College, will be inducted into the CCAA Hall of Fame in the Athlete Category.
Vitale and her Humber Hawks made history at the 2000 CCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship, capturing the first women’s team sport national medal in school history, as the Hawks earned bronze in Vancouver, BC.
That magical season saw Vitale become the first female student-athlete in Humber's history to garner CCAA and Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Player of the Year honours.
“Attending nationals three years in a row was an amazing experience,” said Vitale. “That was unheard of at the time, but we had such a strong team, and some great friendships were made.”
Vitale, who earned CCAA All-Canadian honours in 2000, 2001 and 2002, is arguably the best pure goal scorer ever to don the navy and gold with the Hawks. She led the division in scoring in all four seasons while leading the conference three times.
In 2001, Vitale was named the OCAA Female Athlete of the Year.
She retired as the all-time leading scorer in the OCAA, holding the record for 14 seasons. Vitale’s team record of 56 goals in 39 regular-season matches remains a program best to this day.
Vitale was an elite athlete and soccer player but an even better person, according to Mauro Ongaro, her former coach at Humber.
“Although small in physical stature, she played as if she were a giant,” said Ongaro. “To this day, I have never witnessed a player with her hunger and drive to score goals and win.”
Vitale was able to both create her own opportunities or combine with teammates to create scoring chances.
“As much as she was an individual phenom as her records and accolades demonstrate, she was a team player through and through who would do anything for the team to succeed,” said Ongaro.
Vitale, a mother of three, now keeps busy as a soccer mom. These days, you’ll likely find her at the soccer pitch watching her two daughters and son in action – as often as 12 times per week.
“They really love the sport of soccer,” she said. “They keep me busy, but I wouldn’t change it.”
Vitale, who has her No. 3 jersey honoured with the Hawks, was inducted into the Humber Varsity Hall of Fame in 2004 and the OCAA Hall of Fame in 2007.
The 2023 CCAA Hall of Fame Banquet will occur on Tuesday, June 13 in Niagara Falls, ON.
