The Canada West Conference named their all-star teams for the 2026 women’s and men’s soccer seasons on Monday.
On the women’s side, a trio of Saskatchewan Huskies were named to the Prairie Division dream team – forward Isabelle Lachance plus midfielders Nammi Nguyen and Jenna Steacy, along with defender Hazel Turnbull on the all-rookie squad.
For the men, Huskies’ forward Tao Hein is on the first team and midfielder Ethan Cabral on the second team. Following are the news releases from the Canada West Conference…..
WSOC: Canada West Unveils 2026 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams
UBC leads the way with six All-Star selections
Nov. 2, 2026 – Canada West has announced its 2026 Women’s Soccer All-Star and All-Rookie selections, recognizing the top performers from across the Prairie and Pacific Divisions.
The UBC Thunderbirds led all teams with six All-Star selections following another dominant regular season that saw them finish with an undefeated 13-0-1 record.
Prairie Division champion Calgary had four All-Star selections after a stellar 12-2 regular season. Saskatchewan had three All-Stars, while Trinity Western, Thompson Rivers and Mount Royal all featured a pair. MacEwan, Manitoba and Victoria each had a single selection.
The future of the conference is bright throughout, with nine teams represented with All-Rookie selections.
Pacific Division All-Stars
UBC once again established itself as the class of the Pacific Division, finishing the regular season undefeated and earning a conference-high six All-Star selections. The Thunderbirds were led by a historic campaign from forward Maddy Norman, who tied a Canada West record with 22 points in 14 games. Norman led the conference with 14 goals while adding eight assists.
Norman was joined by fellow attacking teammates Bailey Doerksen and Jayda Thompson, as well as defenders Sophia Ferreira, Taiya Dennehy and Felicia Hanisch. Thompson and Dennehy both return to the All-Star team after earning the distinction last season.
Sophie Crowther caps her Canada West career by earning an incredible fifth straight All-Star selection after another standout campaign for Trinity Western, tying for the conference lead in assists with eight. She was joined by teammate Mansha Sidhu as the Spartans placed two players on the Pacific Division team. The Spartans advanced to the Canada West Final Four, where they will face UBC on Thursday.
Thompson Rivers also earned two selections after a second-place finish, with defender Sara Kuusimäki and goalkeeper Floor Ursem representing the WolfPack. Ursem finished the regular season with a .875 save percentage, the second-best mark in the conference, and continues her strong play after being named an All-Rookie team member last season. TRU have advanced to the the semifinals against Victoria, who were represented on the All-Star team by defender Sophie Fingarson.
Prairie Division All-Stars
The Calgary Dinos led the Prairie Division with four All-Star selections after posting a division-topping 12-2 regular-season record. Forward Ella Djuranic, midfielder Sofia DiGiacomo and defender Mykena Walker were recognized alongside goalkeeper Cheridan Johnson.
DiGiacomo and Walker both return to the All-Star team after earning recognition in 2025, helping anchor the conference’s second-best defence, which surrendered just six goals all season. Goalkeeper Johnson was solid in the Dinos net all season, allowing just five goals in 11 appearances while posting a 0.46 goals-against average.
The Saskatchewan Huskies followed with three selections after finishing third in the Prairie Division with an 8-3-3 record. Forward Isabelle Lachance and defenders Nammi Nguyen and Jenna Steacy earned All-Star honours. Lachance led the Huskie attack by netting five goals and nine total points, while Nguyen and Steacy led the third stingiest defence in the conference. Steacy earns a consecutive all-star nod, while Lachance earns her first All-Star after being named an All-Rookie in 2025.
Mount Royal placed two players on the team after finishing second in the division with an 11-2-1 record. Forward Gabrielle Linford and defender Ruby Szautner were recognized, with Linford finishing tied for third in conference scoring with eight points.
Manitoba’s Bianca Cavalcanti earned an All-Star selection after a blistering offensive season, recording nine goals and 13 points in 14 games, placing her second in overall conference scoring. MacEwan’s Lillie Pearson rounded out the Prairie Division selections after tying for third in conference scoring with eight points.
All-Rookie Team
The 2026 All-Rookie Team features 12 standout first-year performers from across the conference, with six selections from each division.
Three teams had multiple selections, including UBC with Felicia Hanisch and Mia Sieminski, Thompson Rivers with Allison Hill and Hannah Saxon, and the MacEwan Griffins who were represented by Ivy Kunn and Ally Tannas.
The remaining selections included Frankie LaPeter (Manitoba), Brooke Miller (Mount Royal), Sicily Ramunno (UNBC), Aileen Ryou (UBC Okanagan), Elaina Tetteh-Wayoe (Calgary) and Hazel Turnbull (Saskatchewan).
UBC set to host Final Four
The 2026 Canada West women’s soccer season reaches a thrilling conclusion this week, as UBC is set to host the Final Four for the second consecutive season.
Last weekend’s quarterfinals saw Pacific Division teams come away with all four victories, including Victoria upsetting Calgary and Trinity Western using an extra time goal to topple Mount Royal. TRU defended home turf by defeating Saskatchewan, while UBC slid by a tough challenge from MacEwan.
Thursday’s semifinals see UBC face rival Trinity Western in the opening matchup at 4 p.m. PT, followed by Victoria battling Thompson Rivers at 7 p.m.
The gold and bronze medal games will follow on Friday at 1 and 4 p.m. PT, with all four matches available live on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel.
Women’s Soccer All-Stars
Pacific Division
Forward / Sophie Crowther / Trinity Western Spartans
Midfield / Bailey Doerksen / UBC Thunderbirds
Forward / Maddy Norman / UBC Thunderbirds
Forward / Mansha Sidhu / Trinity Western Spartans
Forward / Jayda Thompson / UBC Thunderbirds
Defender / Sophia Ferreira / UBC Thunderbirds
Midfield / Sophie Fingarson / Victoria Vikes
Midfield / Taiya Dennehy / UBC Thunderbirds
Midfield / Felicia Hanisch / UBC Thunderbirds
Winger / Sara Kuusimäki / Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Goalkeeper / Floor Ursem / Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Prairie Division
Bianca Cavalcanti / Forward / Manitoba Bisons
Ella Djuranic / Forward / Calgary Dinos
Isabelle Lachance / Forward / Saskatchewan Huskies
Gabrielle Linford / Midfield / Mount Royal Cougars
Lillie Pearson / Forward / MacEwan Griffins
Sofia DiGiacomo / Midfield / Calgary Dinos
Nammi Nguyen / Midfield / Saskatchewan Huskies
Jenna Steacy / Midfield / Saskatchewan Huskies
Ruby Szautner / Defender / Mount Royal Cougars
Mykena Walker / Defender / Calgary Dinos
Cheridan Johnson / Goalkeeper / Calgary Dinos
Women’s Soccer All-Rookies
Felicia Hanisch / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds
Allison Hill / Midfield / Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Ivy Kunn / Forward / MacEwan Griffins
Frankie LaPeter / Forward / Manitoba Bisons
Brooke Miller / Midfield / Mount Royal Cougars
Sicily Ramunno / Defender / UNBC Timberwolves
Aileen Ryou / Midfield / UBCO Heat
Hannah Saxon / Winger / Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Mia Sieminski / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds
Ally Tannas / Forward / MacEwan Griffins
Elaina Tetteh-Wayoe / Defender / Calgary Dinos
Hazel Turnbull / Defender / Saskatchewan Huskies
2026 Selections By Team
All-Stars / All-Rookies = Total Selections
UBC Thunderbirds: 6 / 2 = 8
Calgary Dinos: 4 / 1 = 5
Saskatchewan Huskies: 3 / 1 = 4
Thompson Rivers WolfPack: 2 / 2 = 4
Mount Royal Cougars: 2 / 1 = 3
Trinity Western Spartans: 2 / 0 = 2
MacEwan Griffins: 1 / 2 = 3
Manitoba Bisons: 1 / 1 = 2
Victoria Vikes: 1 / 0 = 1
UBCO Heat: 0 / 1 = 1
UNBC Timberwolves: 0 / 1 = 1
MSOC: Canada West Unveils 2026 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams
UBC leads with six All-Star selections; Victoria places four on First Team
Nov. 2, 2026 – The UBC Thunderbirds led all programs with six All-Star selections as Canada West announced its 2026 men’s soccer All-Stars and All-Rookies on Monday morning.
The T-Birds, who went an undefeated 13-0-2 in the regular season and have advanced to Friday’s Canada West Final, had two First Team and four Second Team honourees.
The Victoria Vikes placed four student-athletes on the First Team, the most first team nods of any program. The Mount Royal Cougars also had four total All-Star selections, followed by the Calgary Dinos with three. Saskatchewan and Alberta, who will match up against the T-Birds in Friday’s final, had two selections apiece, while Fraser Valley had one.
The All-Rookie Team features 11 first-year standouts, with nine different schools represented. Alberta and Calgary led the way with two selections each, while seven other programs had one rookie recognized.
First Team All-Stars
Four returning selections from last year’s First Team headline the 2026 group in Mateo Brazinha (Fraser Valley), Max Comsia (UBC), Eric Lajeunesse (UBC) and Fin Tugwell (Victoria).
Comsia led the conference with 15 points in 15 games, also tying for the lead in goals with nine. Saskatchewan’s Tao Hein was the other player to tally nine goals, earning his first All-Star selection after being an All-Rookie last season.
Brazinha, the two-time reigning CW Player of the Year, had another solid campaign with seven goals in 14 appearances.
Mount Royal added two selections in forward Finn Marshall and midfielder Tim Beckedahl, while Evan Larson (Victoria) rounded out the midfield group.
The defensive selections were completed by Joey Plenzik (Calgary) and Archie Tugwell (Victoria), joining returning All-Stars Lajeunesse and Fin Tugwell.
Callum Weir (Victoria) earned the First Team goalkeeper selection after posting a 0.74 goals against average in 14 appearances, giving the Vikes four first team representatives overall.
Second Team All-Stars
UBC teammates Markus Rukavina and Luke Norman headline the attacking selections on the second team. Rukavina finished second in Canada West scoring with 13 points, including tying for the conference-lead in assists with eight. Meanwhile, Norman delivered another steady campaign by recording 11 points in 14 games – tied for fourth most in the conference.
Justin George (Alberta) also stood out offensively, finishing third in conference goal scoring with eight goals in 12 contests. He is joined by Ethan Cabral (Saskatchewan), Efe Udolu-Joshua (Calgary) and Brennen Fuerst (UBC) among the attacking selections.
Lucas Dasovic (UBC), Joseph Green (Mount Royal), Jacob Hunter (Calgary) and Patrick Kondraciuk (Alberta) make up the defensive group, with Kondraciuk receiving another nod after earning Second Team honours last season.
Mount Royal goalkeeper Sjard Strauss rounds out the selections, earning his second consecutive Second Team All-Star nod.
All-Rookie Team
The future of Canada West men’s soccer remains bright, with 11 first-year standouts earning All-Rookie recognition.
The Alberta Golden Bears and Calgary Dinos led all programs with two selections apiece. Calgary’s Luis Rangel-Kataev was a goal scoring sensation in his debut season, finding the back of the net seven times in 13 games – tying him for third in conference scoring. Teammate Josiah Walter added two tallies and an assist for the Prairie Division leaders.
Alberta midfielder Giorgio Artunduaga made an immediate impact for the Golden Bears with three goals and two assists, while teammate Josh Belbin contributed two goals and one assist.
The remaining selections included Elijah Bean (Trinity Western), Luis Beck (UNBC), Amir Ghasemi (Thompson Rivers), Daniel Neves (Mount Royal), Griffin Leach (Victoria), Julian Pearce (Fraser Valley), and Cornel Safsaf (Lethbridge).
UBC, Alberta to clash in Canada West Final
For the first time in four seasons, there’s a new matchup on deck in the Canada West Final.
After three years of UBC and Mount Royal being matched up in the title game, this year it’ll be the Thunderbirds versus the Alberta Golden Bears in the battle for the conference banner.
Both teams have already joined the host Victoria Vikes in qualifying for the 2026 U SPORTS National Championships in Victoria later this November.
UBC extended its incredible finals streak to 11 straight seasons, qualifying by defeating Lethbridge 6-0 in the quarters before a 2-0 triumph over Victoria on Sunday. The ‘Birds will be in search of their eighth title since 2015.
Alberta makes their return to the title game, looking for their first CW title since 2016. They rolled past UFV in the quarters before mounting a sensational comeback in the semis against Calgary, scoring two late goals to stun the Dinos 3-2.
Fans can catch the game live on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium.
Men’s Soccer First Team All-Stars
Mateo Brazinha / Forward / Fraser Valley Cascades
Max Comsia / Forward / UBC Thunderbirds
Tao Hein / Forward / Saskatchewan Huskies
Evan Larson / Midfield / Victoria Vikes
Finn Marshall / Forward / Mount Royal Cougars
Tim Beckedahl / Midfield / Mount Royal Cougars
Eric Lajeunesse / Defender / UBC Thunderbirds
Joey Plenzik / Defender / Calgary Dinos
Archie Tugwell / Defender / Victoria Vikes
Fin Tugwell / Defender / Victoria Vikes
Callum Weir / Goalkeeper / Victoria Vikes
Men’s Soccer Second Team All-Stars
Ethan Cabral / Midfield / Saskatchewan Huskies
Justin George / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears
Luke Norman / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds
Efe Udolu-Joshua / Forward / Calgary Dinos
Markus Rukavina / Forward / UBC Thunderbirds
Brennen Fuerst / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds
Lucas Dasovic / Defender / UBC Thunderbirds
Joseph Green / Defender / Mount Royal Cougars
Jacob Hunter / Defender / Calgary Dinos
Patrick Kondraciuk / Defender / Alberta Golden Bears
Sjard Strauss / Goalkeeper / Mount Royal Cougars
Men’s Soccer All-Rookies
Giorgio Artunduaga / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears
Elijah Bean / Forward / Trinity Western Spartans
Josh Belbin / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears
Luis Beck / Defender / UNBC Timberwolves
Amir Ghasemi / Midfield / Thompson Rivers WolfPack
Daniel Neves / Defender / Mount Royal Cougars
Griffin Leach / Midfield / Victoria Vikes
Julian Pearce / Midfield / Fraser Valley Cascades
Luis Rangel-Kataev / Forward / Calgary Dinos
Cornel Safsaf / Defender / Lethbridge Pronghorns
Josiah Walter / Forward / Calgary Dinos
2026 Selections By Team
1st Team / 2nd Team / All-Rookies = Total Selections
UBC Thunderbirds: 2 / 4 / 0 = 6
Victoria Vikes: 4 / 0 / 1 = 5
Mount Royal Cougars: 2 / 2 / 1 = 5
Calgary Dinos: 1 / 2 / 2 = 5
Alberta Golden Bears: 0 / 2 / 2 = 4
Fraser Valley Cascades: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
Saskatchewan Huskies: 1 / 1 / 0 = 2
Trinity Western Spartans: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
UNBC Timberwolves: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
Thompson Rivers WolfPack: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
Lethbridge Pronghorns: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
