CW Announces Players of the Week

Aug. 27, 2024 - After a long summer of anticipation, Canada West action has officially returned.

The 2024-25 conference schedule kicked off with men's soccer taking centre stage last weekend, and there were no shortage of dramatics across the 10 game weekend slate. Highlights included a stunning late UBC comeback win over UBCO and an opening night hat trick from UFV's Mateo Brazinho.

Perhaps the most impressive showing, however, came out on the island, as the Victoria Vikes sent an early message to the rest of the conference with a pair of convincing victories over Pacific Division rivals. It started with a 3-0 opening night triumph over TRU, followed by a 4-1 win over UBCO on Sunday. The Vikes' high powered offence was led by second year midfielder Matthew Pearse, who found the back of the net four times, nearly matching his entire goal output from his rookie season.

Here are your Canada West Players of the Week.

Men's Soccer - Matthew Pearse

Aug. 23 vs TRU: 2 Goals, 2 Points, 70 min
​Aug. 25 vs UBCO: 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 74 min

Pearse led the Vikes' red hot offensive attack in their first two matches of the 2024 season. The second year midfielder from Victoria recorded a brace in each of Victoria's two games, leading to a pair of convincing victories over Pacific Division rivals. He also added an assist against UBCO on Sunday to end the weekend with five points, a figure which leads the Vikes and is tied for first in Canada West.

Pearse is coming off a strong debut season where he was one of 11 student-athletes to be named to the 2023 CW Men's Soccer All-Rookie Team. He scored five goals and added an assist in 16 games last year, a point total he has already nearly matched through the opening two games of 2024. Pearse will be counted on as an offensive leader as the Vikes look to build on last year's semifinal appearance and assert their status as CW championship contenders.

The Vikes return to action next Friday and Saturday as they visit UNBC for a weekend series against the Timberwolves. Fans can stream the games live on Canada West TV.

View MSOC: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

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.