CW Announces Players of the Week

Sept. 3, 2024 - Labour Day weekend was filled with action across Canada West, with a full slate of men's soccer action, the kickoff of a new football season, a pair of season opening women's soccer games, and the first Rugby 15s game of the fall.

Here are your Canada West Players of the Week.

Football Offensive Player of the Week - Breydon Stubbs (Manitoba Bisons)

Aug. 31 vs SSK: 19 carries, 109 yards, 2 TDs

Manitoba's relentless ground game led to a 37-24 triumph over Saskatchewan in week one, marking the Bisons' first victory over the Huskies in five years. Stubbs was key to setting the tone, picking up 109 of Manitoba's impressive 239 rushing yards.

The fourth year Winnipeg product had a monster game that included a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter. It started with a 1-yard punch-in that put the hosts up 14-0. That was followed by a determined 22-yard dash for the end zone that gave Manitoba a 21-0 lead.

Stubbs averaged 5.7 yards per carry, while going over 100 yards for the third time as a Bison.

Stubbs and his teammates will face another tough test next Friday, as Manitoba heads to Vancouver to take on defending Hardy Cup Champion UBC. It'll be a rematch of last year's semifinal clash, which UBC won 29-21. Fans can stream the game live on Canada West TV.

View CW Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Football Defensive Player of the Week - Chase Tataryn (Alberta Golden Bears)

Aug. 30 vs UBC: 5 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 7 total tackles (game-high), 2 sacks, 22 sack yards

Tataryn and the Golden Bears defence knew they'd need to step up big against the No. 3 nationally ranked UBC Thunderbirds - and they did just that in a 42-28 win.

The fourth year linebacker from Saskatoon, Sask. had a monster season debut, accumulating a game-high seven total tackles, including two sacks of T-Birds' QB Garrett Rooker.

His first sack was a pivotal one. With the UBC offence in the red zone and looking at a 2nd and 1 situation on the Alberta 9-yard line, Tataryn took down Rooker for a 13 yard loss that forced the T-Birds to settle for a field goal.

His second sack came in the third quarter, forcing a loss of nine yards and leading to a UBC punt.

The Golden Bears win snapped a five-game UBC win streak over Alberta, which included a 28-27 win in the 86th Hardy Cup last November. It was also the Bears first win in Vancouver since 2019. 

Alberta will prepare for their home opener on Friday as they welcome their provincial rivals from Calgary. Fans can stream the game live on Canada West TV.

View CW Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Football Special Teams Player of the Week - Jonathan Giustini (Alberta Golden Bears)

Aug. 30 vs UBC: 2/2 FG, 5/5 XP, 12 points, 2 punts - 86 yards

Giustini was a key part of the Golden Bears' opening week victory over UBC, coming up big in both his roles as defensive back and kicker.

He takes home the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week honours after drilling both of his field goal attempts, hitting from 24 and 48 yards, while also going 5/5 on extra points.

He was also critical to the Bears' success in his defensive back role, providing a key fourth quarter interception of UBC QB Garrett Rooker. His pick off at the Alberta 53-yard line halted UBC's comeback momentum and gave Bears' QB Eli Hetlinger instant field position, which eventually led to a Erik Torhjelm touchdown that sealed the win.

Alberta will prepare for their home opener on Friday as they welcome their provincial rivals from Calgary. Fans can stream the game live on Canada West TV.

View CW Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Rugby 15s - Kate Alcock (Alberta Pandas)

Aug. 30 vs CGY: ​ ​ 1 try, 5 converts, 1 penalty goal, 18 total points

Third-year Kate Alcock scored a try, converted five kicks, and hit on a penalty kick to lead the University of Alberta Pandas to a 43-12 season-opening victory over the Calgary Dinos Friday night at Foote Field.

Alcock scored 18 of the Pandas 43 points, who have now earned four-straight wins against the Dinos.

The Pandas will be back in action this Saturday as the head south to take on Lethbridge in what will be the Pronghorns season opener. Fans can stream the game live on Canada West TV.

View Women's Rugby 15s: Standings | Schedule

Women's Soccer - Ruby Nicholas (Victoria Vikes)

Aug. 29 at MRU: 1 Goal, 1 GWG, 1 Assist, 2 Points, 4/4 SOG, 74 min

Recording a two-point effort in the Vikes' season-opener at Mount Royal, Nicholas first got on the scoresheet with an assist, launching a corner kick straight to teammate Jayden Hannesson's head for a 1-0 Vikes lead in the 11th minute. She then opened the game's second-half scoring in the 55th minute. Drawing the MRU goalkeeper out of the net, Nicholas quickly got around her to score on a wide-open goal, netting the game-winner for the Vikes.

Nicholas is the top returning goal scorer for the Vikes this season (4 in 2023), and was tied for most assists in the conference in 2023 (9).

The Vikes will now prepare for a home opener showdown with UBC on Friday. Fans can stream the game live on Canada West TV.

View WSOC: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Soccer - Mateo Brazinha (Fraser Valley Cascades)

Aug. 30 at UBCO: 1 Assist, 2 Shots, 90 min ​
​Aug. 31 at TRU: 1 Assist, 5 Shots, 4/5 SOG, 70 min

Mateo Brazinha continued his hot start to the season, notching two assists as UFV captured four points on the road to stay unbeaten. He was involved in two of the Cascades' three goals this weekend, continuing to be the driving force behind the team's offence.

Brazinha's speed and ball handling ability were on full display during both assists this weekend, as he drove wide and set up his teammates up for tap-ins. His assist on Kevin Mailand's goal against UBCO was particularly clutch, giving UFV a late lead in the 82nd minute. His helper on Riku Suga's goal against TRU the following night was nearly a carbon copy, as the third year forward beat two defenders while threading a perfect pass right onto Suga's foot.

Brazinha's hot start has also placed him atop the conference leaderboard in both assists (4) and points (7).

A pair of tough tests await Brazinha and the Cascades this weekend as they travel to Victoria on Friday, followed by a clash at UBC on Saturday. Fans can stream the games live on Canada West TV.

View MSOC: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

About Players of the Week:

The Canada West Players of the Week 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 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.