CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Nov. 25

Nov. 25, 2025 - As colder temperatures hit the western provinces, the action across Canada West stayed red hot last weekend. Fans were treated to an exciting Vanier Cup in Regina, and a pair of long-standing conference records were also broken.

The national spotlight was on the 60th Vanier Cup in Regina, where the Canada West champion Saskatchewan Huskies faced RSEQ champion Montreal for the U SPORTS national title. With a sea of Huskies green filling Mosaic Stadium, the teams battled through a tight contest that saw both offences struggle to gain traction. In the end it was heartbreak for the Huskies and their faithful, as Montreal pulled away late and secured a 30-16 victory.

The weekend also featured a pair of milestone moments. UBC women's hockey goaltender Elise Hugens earned her 65th career win, giving her the new Canada West all-time mark. Trinity Western forward Connor Platz also added his name to the record book, setting a new CW men's basketball record with his 199th career block.

Canada West programs continue to shine atop the U SPORTS rankings, occupying five of the top six spots across hockey, volleyball and basketball. The Calgary Dinos have earned the top ranking in men's hockey after a dynamic 14-2 start, while UBC continues to lead women's hockey. Alberta sits first in women's volleyball, with UBC holding the men's position. In women's basketball, 8-0 Saskatchewan leads the country.

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

Women's Hockey - Mackenzie Dojahn (Alberta Pandas)

Nov. 21 vs UBC: 9 saves on 10 shots in one period of relief

Nov. 22 vs UBC: 33 save shutout in 2-0 win

Stopping 42 of the 43 shots faced across two games including a stellar 33-save shutout on Saturday, fourth-year Pandas goalie Mackenzie Dojahn had the best weekend of her varsity career.

Highlighting her weekend was a 33-save shutout on Saturday, handing the U SPORTS #1 ranked UBC Thunderbirds their first loss of the season. Leading UBC 2-0 in the third, Dojahn stopped all 16 UBC shots faced in the final frame to secure the win and her second shutout of the season.

Dojahn also stopped 9 of the 10 shots faced in relief on Friday. Through five games this season, Dojahn owns a 1.81 GAA and .931 save percentage, both ranking inside the top 10 in Canada West.

View Women's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Hockey - Remy Aquilon (Mount Royal Cougars)

Nov. 21 vs TWU: 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 shots, +3 in 9-2 win

Nov. 22 vs TWU: 4 assists, 4 shots, +2 in 6-3 win

Remy Aquilon had the best weekend of his Canada West career, recording seven total points across two games against Trinity Western.

The fourth-year defenceman scored a goal and added two assists in MRU's 9-2 win on Friday. He followed up the three-point performance with four assists in Saturday's 6-3 victory, helping the Cougars to their first sweep of the season.

View Men's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Volleyball - Raya Surinx (Manitoba Bisons)

Nov. 21 vs REG: 14 kills, 8 digs, two assisted blocks, .462 hitting %, 15 points in 3-0 win

Nov. 22 vs REG: 19 kills, 6 aces, 10 digs, three assisted blocks, .395 hitting %, 26.5 points in 3-0 win

Left side Raya Surinx set a three-set career high in points on Saturday, and surpassed 1,100 career regular season kills in a weekend sweep of Regina.

Surinx's 130 total kills this season lead Canada West, and she had her most efficient hitting weekend overall, while becoming just the second student-athlete in the rally scoring era of the program to amass over 1,100 conference kills. She has 1,111 as a Bison, just 63 shy of the program record set in 2015 by Rachel Cockrell. Manitoba has won four games in a row and are now 6-2 on the campaign.

Saturday was particularly notable for Surinx. She led the Bisons in kills, aces, and digs en route to 26.5 total points, the fourth-most in a three set match in Canada West history. Surinx's 145 career regular season aces are also just five shy of a new school record.

View Women's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Volleyball - Luke Lodewyks (Winnipeg Wesmen)

Nov. 21 vs CGY: 15 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces, 18.5 points in 3-1 win

Nov. 22 vs CGY: 19 kills, 8 digs, 19 points in 3-1 win

A third-year right side, Luke Lodewyks helped propel the Wesmen men's volleyball team to a critical weekend sweep of Calgary at home.

Lodewyks hit .247 for the weekend, led the team in kills and was second on the team in digs. He kicked off the weekend with 15 kills and eight digs in a 3-1 win on Friday night. He then followed that up with 19 kills and another eight digs in another 3-1 triumph the next day.

View Men's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Basketball - Gage Grassick (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 21 vs UBC: 27 pts, 6 reb, 5 assists, 2 steals, 9-19 FG%, 6-11 3PT in 80-51 win

Nov. 22 vs UBC: 16 pts, 3 reb, 10 assists, 2 steals, 5-11 FG% in 93-70 win

In a meeting of the No. 1 and No. 7-ranked teams in the nation, Gage Grassick helped lead the top-ranked Huskies to a pair of lopsided wins over UBC in the first meeting between the two programs since last season's national semifinal.

Grassick recorded a game and season-high 27 points in a highly efficient outing on Friday night, leading the Dogs to an 80-51 win. The fifth-year guard shot 47% from the field and was an even more impressive 54.5% from beyond the arc, knocking down six threes.

On Saturday, the reigning Player of the Year recorded a 16-point, 10-assist double-double as the Huskies picked up a 23-point victory, extending their unbeaten streak to start the 2025-26 season to eight games.

View Women's Basketball: Standings | ​ Schedule | Leaders

Men's Basketball - Sultan Haider Bhatti (Brandon Bobcats)

Nov. 21 vs REG: 20 pts, 15 reb, 10 assists in 94-74 win

Nov. 22 vs. REG: 18 pts, 12 reb, seven assists, three steals in 77-62 win

Sultan Haider Bhatti strengthened his already stacked resume over the weekend. The fifth-year co-captain registered his first-career triple-double in Friday's win over the Regina Cougars. He had game-highs of 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

BU's 'Batman' rose to the occasion in the rematch against Regina with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He added seven assists and three steals to guide his Bobcats' to back-to-back home victories. The 2024-25 All-Canadian sits fourth in Canada West scoring (19.3 PPG), second in rebounds per game (9.1) and second in assists per game (5.8).

View Men's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

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.