Canada West BioSteel Players of the Week: Jan. 21
Eight student-athletes recognized across CW
Jan. 21, 2025 - While temperatures outside have been dropping, Canada West action continues to heat up with plenty of noteworthy performances last weekend in basketball, track and field, volleyball, and hockey.
It was a special weekend on the ice with a number of marquee hockey events, highlighted by the start of the conference's 2025 Stick Up for Pride Tape initiative. Teams across the conference proudly sported pride tape on their sticks, standing up for diversity and inclusivity in sport while supporting organizations including Pride Tape and You Can Play.
On the ice, it was a memorable weekend for UBC Thunderbirds supporters with a loud, sold out crowd at the annual Winter Classic. Both T-Birds teams delivered the goods, with the women notching a dramatic comeback OT win and the men gutting out a 3-1 victory.
The Mount Royal Cougars and MacEwan Griffins women's hockey programs also had a weekend to remember, competing in Canmore as part of Saturday's Hockey Day in Canada. The Cougars emerged victorious in front of an enthusiastic crowd, with sisters Kaia and Abbey Borbandy leading the way in a 7-0 victory.
On the volleyball court, UBCO's Olivia Boulding set multiple single-game program records in a tough matchup against nationally ranked Manitoba, while the Trinity Western Spartans men's team swept an entertaining weekend set against Alberta.
The Golden Bear Open in Edmonton was also the latest stop on the Canada West Track & Field circuit. Saskatchewan claimed first in the women's event, while Manitoba led the men's competition. It was a big weekend for throwers Jinaye Shomachuk (LET) and Wesley Eze (ALB), both claiming gold in their shot put and weight throw events. Defending U SPORTS champion Sienna MacDonald (CGY) also had a big showing in her first pentathlon event of the season, accumulating a blistering score of 4,159 points - by far the top mark in U SPORTS this year. Read the event recap here.
Here are your Canada West Players of the Week - Presented by BioSteel.
Women's Hockey - Jacquelyn Fleming (UBC Thunderbirds)
Jan. 16 at TWU: 1A, +2 in a 4-1 win
Jan. 17 vs TWU: 2G, GWG (OT Winner), 9 shots, +2 in a 4-3 win
Finishing with a three-point weekend for the second time this season, Fleming scored twice in UBC's 4-3 overtime Winter Classic victory over the Spartans, including the game winner with just 28 seconds left in overtime. With UBC trailing 2-1 after two periods, Fleming tied the game early in the third before going on to send the Winter Classic crowd into a frenzy with her fourth game winner of the season.
Riding an eight game win streak, the Thunderbirds have clinched a home playoff berth and currently hold a six point lead atop the West Division. UBC hosts the Regina Cougars this Friday and Saturday at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
View WHKY: Standings | Schedule | Statistics
Men's Hockey - Ty Thorpe (UBC Thunderbirds)
Jan. 17 vs TWU: 1A, +1 in a 3-1 win
Jan. 18 at TWU: 1G, GWG (OT winner), 2A, +1 in a 6-5 win
Putting up a four point weekend capped off by scoring the overtime winner Saturday night in Langley, Ty Thorpe led the Thunderbirds to the weekend sweep over the Spartans in a pair of hotly contested divisional contests.
Assisting on Jake Wright's late insurance marker to secure the victory in Friday night's Winter Classic, Thorpe produced his third three-point game of the season Saturday including primary assists on a go-ahead goal in the first period and the crucial game-tying goal late in the third. The former Vancouver Giant then proceeded to score the overtime winner in his former home building, sniping top shelf for his seventh of the season.
Now with 21 points on the season, Thorpe sits tied for the team scoring lead.
With six games remaining in the regular season, the T-Birds remain three points back of the division leading MRU Cougars and will carry a three-game win streak into Regina this weekend.
View MHKY: Standings | Schedule | Statistics
Women's Volleyball - Olivia Boulding (UBCO Heat)
Jan. 17 vs MAN: 13 kills, .190 hitting %, 9 digs, 1 block, 13.5 points in a 3-0 loss
Jan. 18 vs MAN: 25 kills, .281 hitting %, 10 digs, 3 aces, 1 block, 28.5 points in a 3-1 loss
Boulding had an outstanding weekend against one of the top teams in the country as the Heat battled the nationally-ranked Bisons on home court. After recording 13 kills in just three sets on Friday, the University of Montana transfer put together one of the best games in Heat history on Saturday.
In just four sets, Boulding recorded 25 kills, 3 aces and 28.5 points, setting school records for most kills and most points in a 4-set match. Her 25 kills are also tied for the 10th most in a single four-set match in Canada West history, and the second-highest in a four-set match in the conference this season.
Thanks to her performance, she now ranks 8th in the conference for kills this season with 154.
View WVB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Men's Volleyball - Kaden Schmidt (Trinity Western Spartans)
Jan. 17 vs ALB: 20 kills, three aces, six digs, one block, and 23.5 points in a 3-2 win
Jan. 18 vs ALB: 23 kills, four aces, 10 digs, one block, and 27.4 points in a 3-2 win
Kaden Schmidt amassed 43 kills and seven aces on the weekend, leading the Spartans to a crucial sweep of the defending national champion Alberta Golden Bears this past Friday and Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.
The third year education student had 20 kills, three service aces, six digs, one block, and 23.5 points in Friday’s 3-2 win over the Bears. He then followed it up with 23 kills, four service aces, 10 digs, one block, and 27.4 points in Saturday’s 3-2 triumph.
Schmidt and the rest of the Spartans will now travel to Calgary to take on the Calgary Dinos on Jan. 24 and 25.
View MVB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Women's Basketball - Mona Berlitz (UBC Thunderbirds)
Jan. 17 vs UFV: 18 pts, 6/17 FG, 5 reb, 1 block, 3 steals in a 69-38 win
Jan. 18 vs UFV: 26 pts, 9/18 FG, 7 reb, 1 block, 2 steals in a 88-69 win
Tying her Canada West season-high with 26 points Saturday night, Berlitz capped off an extraordinary weekend where she led UBC to a weekend sweep over the Cascades.
Putting up a combined 44 points and 12 rebounds, Berlitz was a huge factor in the conference leading T-Birds extending their win streak to five games while closing in on securing a home playoff berth. Berlitz continues to produce at an astounding rate, her 17.1 points per game good for second in the conference.
The T-Birds (12-1) head to Victoria Thursday for a mid-week battle with the Vikes.
View WBB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Men's Basketball - Renoldo Robinson (Victoria Vikes)
Jan. 16 at UNBC: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist in a 91-58 win
Jan. 18 at TRU: 33 points, 2 rebounds, 6 steals in an 87-84 win
Renoldo Robinson helped the Vikes remain undefeated on a road swing weekend, leading the Victoria offence in two wins. He got things started with 17 points in a lopsided win over UNBC on Thursday night, adding three rebounds and three steals.
The third year guard from Montreal was especially clutch in a tight game at Thompson Rivers on Saturday, striking for 33 points to help the Vikes squeeze out a narrow 87-84 victory. The 33 points against TRU also marked a season-high for Robinson.
View MBB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Women's Track and Field - Jinaye Shomachuk (Lethbridge Pronghorns)
2025 Golden Bears Open: 1st Place - Weight Throw, 1st Place - Shot Put
Jinaye Shomachuk had an outstanding performance for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns at the Golden Bears Open, taking first place in shot put with a throw of 12.06m and the weight throw with an impressive 18.95m.
Men's Track and Field - Wesley Eze (Alberta Golden Bears)
2025 Golden Bears Open: 1st Place - Weight Throw, 1st Place - Shot Put
Finishing as the only male competitor with two individual gold medals, fourth-year Golden Bears thrower Wesley Eze put together a dominant weekend at the first home meet of 2025.
Eze began the 52nd Golden Bears Open with a first place finish in the men's shot put. Trailing entering his final throw, Eze reached 16.06m with his final toss, over half a meter past the nearest competitor.
The Bears captain added another gold on Saturday, once again needing an eye-opening final toss of 17.58m to win the weight throw. His pair of first place finishes help the Bears place 2nd behind only Manitoba.
The defending CW Champion in shot put, Eze is now ranked 3rd in both that event and the weight throw in U SPORTS this season.
About Players of the Week:
The Canada West Players of the Week, Presented by BioSteel is a weekly celebration of athletic achievements across the conference. Each week, deserving student-athletes are nominated by SIDs from each member institution. Canada West office staff review nominations and select the recipients.
About BioSteel
BioSteel is a leading sports hydration and nutrition brand, delivering clean, high-performance solutions trusted by professional athletes, top universities, and teams across North America and Europe, including major organizations like the NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA, and their affiliates. Alongside hydration, BioSteel offers premium protein and sports nutrition products, catering to athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those striving for a healthier lifestyle. Committed to excellence, BioSteel equips top athletes and active individuals with the essential tools to reach peak performance and sustain wellness every day.
About Canada West:
As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.