CW Announces BioSteel Players of the Week

Dec. 3, 2024 - Canada West's 2024 competition calendar is nearly complete, with last weekend marking the final jam packed slate of action before the holiday break.

Volleyball wrapped up its semester schedule with a medley of intriguing matchups, including UBC's women's team stretching their undefeated run to 10-0 with a pair of victories over MacEwan. On the men's side, Brandon handed Alberta their first defeat of the season, while Winnipeg improved to 10-0 with a weekend sweep of Mount Royal.

In women's basketball, Saskatchewan's Logan Reider made history on Saturday by tying a U SPORTS single game record with 11 made threes, part of a massive 40 point effort in a convincing win. In men's action, MacEwan offered up the feel good story of the weekend after breaking a 75-game regular season losing streak with a 90-88 win over Brandon on Saturday.

On the ice, Trinity Western, UBC and Saskatchewan all picked up two wins in women's action, while Saskatchewan, Calgary and UBC earned weekend sweeps on the men's side. Fans were also treated to a terrific men's hockey home-and-home set between Mount Royal and Alberta, with both teams picking up a convincing victory on home ice.

Canada West wrestling also took centre stage in Saskatoon last weekend as the Saskatchewan Huskies hosted a pair of events on Friday and Saturday.

Looking ahead to this week, Manitoba and Winnipeg will close out the 2024 basketball calendar with a rivalry matchup on Thursday, Dec. 5 (W - 6 p.m. / M - 8 p.m. CT), while men's and women's hockey action sees UBC take on Trinity Western and Regina battle Manitoba.

Here are your Canada West Players of the Week - Presented by BioSteel.

Women's Hockey - Chanreet Bassi (UBC Thunderbirds)

Nov. 29 at MAN: 2A, 2 shots, +2 in a 3-1 UBC win ​
​Nov. 30 at MAN: 3G, 6 shots, +3 in a 10-2 UBC win

Scoring with just one second on the clock Saturday, Chanreet Bassi completed her first career Canada West hat trick, capping off a five-point weekend as the Thunderbirds earned the weekend sweep over the Bisons in Winnipeg.

Bassi also put up two assists in Friday night's 3-1 UBC victory and is now up to five goals and 15 points on the season, tied for second in Canada West scoring.

With 11 wins in their last 12 games, the Thunderbirds sit alone atop the conference at 13-2-1 heading into the final week of action in 2024 where they battle the Trinity Western Spartans for a home-and-home series starting Friday night in Langley.

View WHKY: Standings | Schedule | Statistics

Men's Hockey - Vince Loschiavo (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 29 vs GMU: 3 goals, 4 shots, +2
​Nov. 30 vs GMU: 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots, +1

Veteran forward Vince Loschiavo produced a career weekend against the MacEwan Griffins.

The fifth-year business student recorded his first career hat trick in a 6-0 Saskatchewan rout on Friday night, before adding another score and an assist in a 10-2 trouncing of the Griffins on Saturday.

Loschiavo now has seven goals and four helpers in 14 games played this season.

View MHKY: Standings | Schedule | Statistics

Women's Volleyball - Justine Kolody (Alberta Pandas)

Nov. 29 at BU: 24 assists, 11 digs, 2 aces, 1 block in 3-0 win ​
​Nov. 30 at BU: 31 assists, 10 digs, 3 blocks, 2 kills, 1 ace in 3-0 win

Masterfully leading the Pandas to a pair of road wins over Brandon, fourth-year setter Justine Kolody was the offensive catalyst for the red-hot Pandas.

Kolody dished 55 assists over six sets in a pair of 3-0 Pandas wins, as Alberta concluded the first half with nine-straight wins to jump up the conference standings. The Pandas captain added 21 digs and four blocks, with her 9.51 assist/set mark the second best in Canada West entering the break.

Kolody enters 2025 with 1,960 career assists, just 40 away from becoming the 5th Panda to reach the 2,000 mark.

View WVB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Volleyball - Emmett Graham (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 29 vs TRU: 15.5 pts, 15 kills, 10 digs, 1 assisted block

Nov. 30 vs TRU: 28.0 pts, 25 kills, 2 service aces, 9 digs, 1.0 block, 69.7 hitting %

In his return from injury, Emmett Graham helped lead the Saskatchewan Huskies to a sweep of the TRU Wolfpack.

The right side hitter had a strong outing on Friday, recording 15.5 points and 15 kills in a five-set Huskie win. He then tallied a game-high 28.0 points Saturday with 25 kills to lead the pack to a four-set victory. Graham was incredibly efficient in that Saturday outing, converting on nearly 70% of his attacks in a dominant performance.

View MVB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Basketball - Logan Reider (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 29 at TRU: 12 Pts, 2 ast, 5 reb, 3 stl
​Nov. 30 at TRU: 40 pts, 11 threes, 9 reb, 1 ast

Logan Reider had a record-setting performance in Kamloops this past weekend, helping lead her team to two commanding victories.

The third-year guard set program records for single-game points (40) and three-pointers (11) in addition to entering her name into the U SPORTS records, tying the national record for three-pointers in a game. Her outing helped the Huskies earn a 60-point 96-36 win on Saturday which followed a 100-28 win Friday night.

View WBB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Basketball - Job Janda (MacEwan Griffins)

Nov. 29 vs BU: 22 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist in 84-80 loss ​
​Nov. 30 vs BU: 29 points, 7 rebounds in 90-88 win

The Griffins' captain scored 51 points in a two-game series against Brandon that featured a double double on the first night and one of the best offensive performances in program history on the second.

Janda scored 29 points on Saturday - tied for the seventh-most by a Griffin in a Canada West game - as he led MacEwan to its first win in five years. Their 90-88 triumph over Brandon snapped a 75-game regular season losing streak.

View MBB: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Wrestling - Eilidh Wist (Calgary Dinos)

Nov. 29 - Huskie Duals - Win by Fall
​Nov. 30 - Huskie Open - 2-0, Gold in 72kg Class

It was another show of domination by the Dinos women's wrestling team, with Eilidh Wist helping lead the charge. The fourth-year local product won her headline match in Friday's dual meet by pinning Taebyn Tulp of Saskatchewan to help the Dinos to a convincing team win.

One day later, Wist once again was perfect while winning the 72kg class by pinning her both of her opponents and helping the Scarlet & Gold to another convincing team win.

Men's Wrestling - Drake Buechler (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 29 - Huskie Duals - 61kg Win by Pin
​Nov. 30 - Huskie Open - 3-0, Gold in 61kg Class

Saskatchewan team captain Drake Beuchler had a flawless weekend at home this past weekend in the Huskie Duals and Huskie Open. The fifth-year arts & science student pinned his opponent in the Huskie Duals to help the Dogs earn a 54-34 win before winning three matches by pin or technical superiority to claim gold in the Huskie Open.

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.