Samuel Piette - Canada Soccer Player of the Month for October.

Montreal Impact’s Samuel Piette was today named Canada Soccer Player of the Month for October. Edmonton-born, Women’s National Team goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe took the women’s award.

Despite his club team not reaching the MLS Play-offs, it’s been a highly memorable end of season for the Montreal Impact #6, with the best moments coming at BMO Field, home of arch-rivals, Toronto FC.

After returning from a stomach injury, Piette’s typically combative style helped in no small measure to propel the Impact to its first Canadian Championship title in 5 years, thanks to a penalty shoot-out win on the shores of Lake Ontario.

He returned to the Toronto venue a few weeks later to play an influential role in Canada’s historic Nations League win over the USA, their first over Uncle Sam for (almost) 35 long years.

In the game, Piette led Canada with 46 passes and two interceptions and was for some observers, Man of the Match.

Sam has one more huge date this year, the return game against the USA in Florida (November 15), when a point will secure Nations League progress for Les Rouges.

The Impact midfielder was run close for the honour by Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea, who also featured for Canada in the win over the USA. The Toronto pair also each featured in their club’s 2019 Eastern Conference Championship victory over Atlanta United a few days ago, securing a MLS Cup Final place for the third time in four seasons.

Moving to the Women’s Award, Stephanie Labbé became the first Canadian to win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in the same season.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After helping North Carolina Courage win the regular-season title by five points, Labbé and teammates knocked off the Seattle Reign and Chicago Red Stars in back-to-back weekends to capture the 2019 NWSL Championship.

In the 26 October final in front of a sold-out home crowd, Labbé posted the clean sheet as Courage won 4-0 over the visiting Red Stars. Upcoming in November, Labbé will be part of Canada’s squad for a four nations competition in China PR (7 November against Brazil and 10 November against either New Zealand or host China PR).