CW BioSteel Athletes of the Week: Nov. 10

Nov. 10, 2026 - With the BioSteel Hardy Cup semifinals, a pair of soccer championships, two national championships coming back west, and a little history made on the ice, Canada West delivered another weekend with no shortage of storylines.

The combatants for the 89th BioSteel Hardy Cup are officially decided as the UBC Thunderbirds and Regina Rams punched their tickets to the big game with a pair of very different, but equally entertaining, semifinal victories. The top-seeded Thunderbirds needed a late-game hero to escape a strong challenge from Manitoba, as rookie Josh Martin ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run before freshman Tahliek Louis sealed a 30-23 win with a game-ending interception. Meanwhile, Regina's defence was the story as the Rams forced six Saskatchewan turnovers in a statement 39-27 victory. Owen Sieben threw three touchdown passes, and the Rams rode a 139-yard rushing performance from Carter Ashman to eliminate the Huskies.

The Rams, making their third consecutive BioSteel Hardy Cup appearance, will now look to spoil the party at Thunderbird Stadium, where UBC will host the conference championship Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. PDT. The game is available to view on BioSteel Canada West TV and SaskTel maxTV as part of the Canada West football showcase.

Two national championships are coming back to Canada West. The Victoria Vikes captured their first U SPORTS rugby 15s crown, narrowly defeating Laval in the semis thanks to an overtime drop goal from Elle Douglas, before besting CW rival UBC in the final. Meanwhile, the UBC Thunderbirds field hockey team defeated Toronto 2-1 in the national final to cap off a memorable season with their first U SPORTS banner since 2017.

On the soccer pitch, both UBC programs put a bow on dominant seasons, claiming both Canada West men's and women's championships while putting the finishing touches on undefeated seasons for both programs. The women defeated Trinity Western in the quarterfinals before topping Thompson Rivers in the gold medal game, while the men edged Alberta 3-2 in a thrilling final to bring home the conference crown.

There was also a little history made on the hockey side of things. Trinity Western's Kara Yackel put together a scoring burst for the record books Friday against Saskatchewan, tying the Canada West record for the fastest two goals before setting a new conference mark for the fastest three goals, accomplishing the feat in just 1:21. The previous record was 5:55, set by Calgary's Elizabeth Lang in 2021. Yackel's remarkable stretch helped lead the Spartans to a 4-2 victory, kicking off a weekend sweep of the Huskies.

On the men's side, Manitoba's Skyler Bruce was named the first WHL Grad of the Month earlier today in recognition of his fast start to the season. Bruce, who played for the Winnipeg Ice, Vancouver Giants and Edmonton Oil Kings during a productive WHL career, led the conference in scoring with six goals and 12 points during October. Manitoba is off to one of their best starts in recent history, sitting with a 7-3 record through ten games.

On the basketball and volleyball courts, there was no shortage of standout performances. Brandon's Munroop Gill picked up right where he left off after winning Canada West Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year, erupting for 43 points against Alberta before following it up with another 31 the next night. UBC's Mona Berlitz and Manitoba's Darya Rom also had career nights, each pouring in 30 points, with Rom helping the Bisons knock off the No. 3-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies for the first time in 16 years. On the volleyball side, Thompson Rivers women's team swept UBC in Vancouver for the first time in program history to improve to 6-0 in conference play. In men's action, Trinity Western and Alberta renewed their rivalry by splitting a pair of five-set battles.

Let's get to our BioSteel Players of the Week.

Football Offensive Player of the Week - Drew Viotto (UBC Thunderbirds)

Semifinal vs MAN: 369 YDS passing, 22/30 (73.3% completion), 1 TD in 30-23 win

UBC's second-year pivot picked up where he left off from the regular season, throwing for 369 yards (one shy of his season high) and a touchdown along with an impressive 73.3% completion rate.

Viotto spread the ball around effectively against the Manitoba defence, connecting with nine different receivers, leading the 'Birds to their first playoff win since 2023. UBC will now host the Regina Rams for the 89th BioSteel Hardy Cup Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium.

View CW Football News, Stats and More

Football Defensive Player of the Week - Tyleon Ocaya (Regina Rams)

Semifinal at SSK: 3.5 tackles, 1 INT for 54 yd return, 2 PBUs

Tyleon Ocaya played a key role in Regina's 39-27 Canada West semifinal victory over Saskatchewan, finishing with an interception and two pass breakups as the Rams forced six turnovers to advance to their third consecutive BioSteel Hardy Cup.

Ocaya's interception came in the first quarter, and he returned it 54 yards to set up a Ty Gorniak field goal that tied the game at 3-3. The return tied the U of R record for the longest interception return in postseason history, matching a 54-yard return by Chris Ashman in 2001 that also came against Saskatchewan in a Canada West semifinal.

View CW Football News, Stats and More

Football Special Teams Player of the Week - Ty Gorniak (Regina Rams)

Semifinal at SSK: 4-4 FG (30, 41, 41, 34) and 3-3 PAT in 39-27 win

Ty Gorniak was perfect on all four field goal attempts in Regina's 39-27 Canada West semifinal victory over Saskatchewan, including two crucial kicks in the final five minutes that helped the Rams secure their third consecutive trip to the Hardy Cup.

With Saskatchewan having cut Regina's lead to 33-27, Gorniak connected from 41 yards with 4:26 remaining to restore a two-possession advantage. He added a 34-yard field goal with 2:26 left to extend the lead to 12 points and help seal the victory. Gorniak also made field goals from 30 and 41 yards in the first quarter and converted all three of his extra-point attempts, finishing with 15 points in the win.

View CW Football News, Stats and More

Women's Rugby 15s - Piper Walsh (Victoria Vikes)

U SPORTS Semifinal vs Laval: 2 tries | U SPORTS Final vs UBC: 1 try

Piper Walsh played a pivotal role in Victoria's run to the program's first U SPORTS national championship. Walsh scored twice in the national semifinal against Laval Rouge et Or, helping the Vikes build a lead that eventually carried them into the championship match.

In the national final against UBC Thunderbirds, Walsh crossed for a crucial second-half try that extended Victoria's advantage and gave the Vikes momentum in their historic 17-0 victory. Throughout the tournament, Walsh consistently provided tough metres, broke tackles, and delivered in key moments against the country's top competition. Her performances helped fuel the Vikes' breakthrough championship run after back-to-back-to-back national silver-medal finishes.

Women's Field Hockey - Kenzie Girgis (UBC Thunderbirds)

U SPORTS Gold Medal Game vs TOR: 1 goal in 2-1 win

Kenzie Girgis scored the opening goal in the gold medal match to give the Thunderbirds a 1-0 halftime lead which UBC would build on and then hang onto for the 2-1 win to clinch the program's first national championship title since 2017. Girgis was named UBC Player of the Game and earned a spot on the Tournament All-Star Team.

Women's Soccer - Jayda Thompson (UBC Thunderbirds)

Nov. 5 vs TWU: 2 G, GWG, 90 mins in 3-0 win

Nov. 6 vs TRU: 1 G, 2 shots, 74 mins in 3-1 win

Jayda Thompson wasn't to be denied in the Canada West Final Four with a combined three goals, including the game winner vs the Spartans to push UBC into Friday's Canada West Final.

The speedy fifth-year picked up where she left off the previous game, scoring in the 10th minute vs the WolfPack to get the 'Birds on the board and on their way to securing a third straight conference championship. UBC now hosts the U SPORTS National Championship tournament starting Thursday at Thunderbird Stadium.

View CW Women's Soccer News, Stats and More

Men's Soccer - Henri Godbout (UBC Thunderbirds)

CW Final vs ALB: 1 G, GWG, 90 mins played in 3-2 win

It's a second consecutive BioSteel Player of the Week nod for Henri Godbout, capping off a playoff performance for the ages.

On Friday night, he scored the game-winning goal over the Golden Bears as the Thunderbirds reclaimed the Canada West crown, the program's 24th conference title and seventh in the last nine seasons. Godbout's tally, his second of the postseason, came in the 67th minute as the third-year forward heads into the U SPORTS National Championship tournament with points in six of his last seven games including six goals in that span.

View CW Men's Soccer News, Stats and More

Women's Hockey - Kara Yackel (Trinity Western Spartans)

Nov. 6 vs SSK: 3G in 4-2 win

Nov. 7 vs SSK: 1A in 2-1 OT win

Kara Yackel had a historic night on Friday, setting the Canada West record for fastest hat-trick, with three goals in 81 seconds. With her hat-trick, Yackel became TWU's all-time goal-scoring leader with 28 goals. She followed up on her three-goal night by assisting on the overtime winner in Saturday's TWU victory, helping lift the Spartans to a weekend sweep of Saskatchewan.

View CW Women's Hockey News, Stats and More

Men's Hockey - Ty Gibson (Mount Royal Cougars)

Nov. 6 vs UBC: 2G, 3 shots, +2 in 4-3 win

Nov. 7 vs UBC: 1A, 1 shot, +1 ​ in 3-1 win

Ty Gibson was instrumental to the Cougars weekend sweep over the UBC Thunderbirds.

On Friday, Gibson scored two, including his first career Canada West goal to help MRU mount an improbable come back en route to a 4-3 win. The Victoria, B.C. product also added an assist in Saturday's rematch.

View CW Men's Hockey News, Stats and More

Women's Volleyball - Hail Ward (Thompson Rivers WolfPack)

Nov. 6: 10 kills, 9 digs, 2 service aces, 8 blocks in 3-0 win

Nov. 7: 12 kills, 16 digs, 3 blocks in 3-1 win

Kamloops local Hail Ward led the way for a Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's volleyball team that is at the top of the Canada West standings and set some program history this past weekend.

Ward was efficient on Friday with 10 kills and an incredible 8 block assists in just three sets Friday night as the WolfPack rolled to a 3-0 victory over a UBC Thunderbirds squad that entered the weekend ranked second in the nation.

The nursing student was even more dominant on Saturday with a team-high 12 kills and 16 digs to lead the WolfPack to a 3-1 victory to complete the sweep.

The wins were the first time in program history that the WolfPack have swept the T-Birds in Vancouver and also gives them a 6-0 start to a Canada West season for the first time in program history.

View CW Women's Volleyball News, Stats and More

Men's Volleyball - Jarod Robert (MacEwan Griffins)

Nov. 6 vs UFV: 19 kills, .239%, 2 assists, 6 digs, 3 blocks, 20.5 points in 3-2 win

Nov. 7 vs UFV: 14 kills, .400%, 1 assist, 9 digs, 1 block, 15.5 points in 3-0 win

Averaging 4.125 kills/set while producing elite passing numbers that aren't tracked as official stats, Jarod Robert was the driving force behind MacEwan's weekend sweep of the UFV Cascades.

The fifth-year left side accounted for 36.0 points and 33 kills in launching 71 attacks throughout the weekend series as the Griffins moved into a playoff position with their first two wins of the season.

View CW Men's Volleyball News, Stats and More

Women's Basketball - Mona Berlitz (UBC Thunderbirds)

Nov. 6 at UBCO: 30 pts, 5 reb, 11/20 FG (55%), 1/1 3 pt, 2 steals in 76-55 win

Mona Berlitz drained a career high 30 points adding five rebounds in a dominant performance Friday in Kelowna, leading the Thunderbirds to a resounding 76-55 win over the No. 8 ranked Heat.

The fourth-year forward from Germany has been electric in her return to Canada West action after missing all of last season with injury. Berlitz leads the conference with 25.7 points per game and is fifth in shooting at 58.8 per cent. The 'Birds are now 2-1 on the season and host the WolfPack and Timberwolves this weekend at War Memorial Gym.

View CW Women's Basketball News, Stats and More

Men's Basketball - Munroop Gill (Brandon Bobcats)

Nov. 6 vs ALB: 43 points; nine rebounds, six assists, four steals in 97-91 win

Nov. 7 vs ALB: 31 points; six assists in 97-83 loss

Munroop Gill is already supplying Bobcat Nation with an electrifying second act.

The reigning Canada West Rookie of the Year delivered a jaw-dropping 43-point performance on Friday to power BU past the visiting Alberta Golden Bears.

Gill poured in 29 before halftime and saved one of his biggest shots for the closing moments, drilling a three-pointer from well beyond the arc to give the Bobcats the lead with just over two minutes remaining.

The super-shifty 5-foot-10 guard followed up his sensational showing with another 31 points in Saturday night’s rematch.

Gill leads Canada West in points per game and ranks second in the conference in both assists and steals.

View CW Men's Basketball News, Stats and More

Women's Swimming - Bridget Burton (UBC Thunderbirds)

Nov 7/8: 3 individual gold medals (100m backstroke, 50m backstroke, 200m backstroke), 1 individual silver (100m freestyle), 4 relay gold medals (4x200 medley, 4x400 freestyle, 4x200 freestyle, 4x400 medley) at the University Cup Pacific Meet.

The fourth-year UBC swimmer claimed seven gold medals, three individual and four relay while setting meet records in the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and the 4x100m medley relay at the University Cup Pacific.

Men's Swimming - Kai Lilienthal (UBC Thunderbirds)

Nov. 7/8: 3 individual gold (50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 100m butterfly), 1 individual bronze (100m freestyle), 4 relay gold (4x200 medley, 4x400 freestyle, 4x200 freestyle, 4x400 medley) at the University Cup Pacific

UBC's third-year Aussie sensation racked up eight total medals at the University Cup Pacific, including three individual golds and four relay golds.

Lilienthal set a new meet record in the 100m butterfly, breaking his own mark set last year.

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 18 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.