CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Nov. 4

Nov. 4, 2025 - It was another weekend packed with championship drama across Canada West.

UBC’s women’s soccer team capped another perfect campaign with a 2–0 win over Trinity Western in the conference final, securing back-to-back titles while only allowing a single goal all season.

On the men’s side, the Mount Royal Cougars used a dramatic late goal from Chanan Chanda to earn their second championship in three years, spoiling UBC’s bid for an undefeated season.

UBC’s women’s rugby squad added to the weekend’s trophy haul, capturing their second straight U SPORTS national title on home turf. The Thunderbirds edged rival Victoria 15-13 in thrilling fashion, with Adia Pye scoring a walk-off try. Charity Williams earned Championship MVP honours after an outstanding two-way performance.

Meanwhile on the gridiron, the stage is set for a familiar showdown in the 88th BioSteel Hardy Cup. The Saskatchewan Huskies punched their ticket with a commanding 26–7 win over UBC, while the defending champion Regina Rams outlasted Manitoba 32–29 in double overtime. Rookie kicker Ty Gorniak delivered the heroics, going a perfect five-for-five on field goals, including the game tying kick with no time remaining, and the eventual game-winner.

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

Women's Soccer - Sienna Gibson (UBC Thunderbirds)

Oct. 30 vs MRU: 1 shot on goal in 2-1 win

Oct. 31 vs TWU: 1 goal, 2 shots on goal in 2-0 win

The second year midfielder was named Championship MVP after leading the Thunderbirds to their second straight CW title last weekend.

She helped control the pace of play and was a key factor in a 2-1 semifinal win over Mount Royal on Thursday. Gibson then scored the opening goal and eventual game winner in Friday's conference final against Trinity Western.

Men's Soccer - Tim Beckedahl (Mount Royal Cougars)

Nov. 1 vs UBC: 90 minutes played in 2-1 win

The second year from Hamburg, Germany was named the conference's Championship MVP after leading the Cougars to a dramatic championship win over previously undefeated UBC.

The midfielder was key to the Cougars' 2-1 win, displaying offensive creativity and controlling the pace of play while also shutting down the Thunderbirds dangerous counter attack.

“[Tim] just kept going and played for the team,” said Cougars Head Coach Ryan Gyaki after the game. “To finish as man of the match in a final is impressive.”

Rugby 15s - Charity Williams (UBC Thunderbirds)

Williams was a complete force at the 2025 U SPORTS Rugby Championships, as the second year wing was named Championship MVP after leading the Thunderbirds to a memorable championship in front of their home crowd. It marked the second straight national championship for UBC.

The product of Esquimalt, B.C. scored a try in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, with her speed and power providing a constant threat for opposing defences. Her defensive prowess also made the T-Birds nearly impossible to score on all week long, with no opponent scoring more than two tries.

In addition to being named Championship MVP, Williams was selected to the Tournament All-Star team.

View RUGBY 15s: Standings | Schedule

Football Offensive Player of the Week - Owen Sieben (Regina Rams)

Nov. 1 vs MAN: 27-34, 237 yards, 79.4% completion rate in 32-29 2OT win

When his team needed him most, Sieben stepped up and delivered the Rams back to the BioSteel Hardy Cup.

With the Rams' trailing by three with under a minute to play and the season hanging in the balance, Sieben reeled off three consecutive passes to get the Rams into field goal position. It included a big 28-yard connection to Emmett Steadman that brought the Rams all the way into field goal territory, setting up Ty Gorniak's game tying kick with no time on the clock.

The third year pivot from Langley, B.C. finished 27-for-34 in the win, with his 79.4% completion rate standing as the second highest in school single-game history and the best by a U of R player in a postseason game. He finished with 237 passing yards and also rushed 4 times for a total of 29 yards.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Football Defensive Player of the Week - Ethan Laing (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Nov. 1 vs UBC: 2 solo tackles, 2 INT in 26-7 win

The Huskies defence completely smothered the UBC offence in a dominant 26-7 win, and Laing played a huge part. The hometown Saskatoon product finished the semifinal with two interceptions, to go along with a pair of solo tackles. His first interception of Drew Viotto came in the third quarter and was the first first turnover of the game. He added another pick later in the quarter to snuff out a Thunderbirds scoring opportunity.

Laing and his teammates will now prepare to host the rival Regina Rams in the 88th BioSteel Hardy Cup, a rematch of last year's championship matchup.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

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

Nov. 1 vs MAN: 5-for-5 FG, 2-for-2 PAT in 32-29 win

Ty Gorniak was as clutch as a kicker could be in Regina's semifinal win over Manitoba.

The rookie was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals in the victory as he tied the U of R record for most field goals in a game and became the first kicker in school history to hit five field goals in one game without a miss.

He hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime, then hit field goals on both of the Rams' possessions in the extra session to lift them into the 88th BioSteel Hardy Cup next Saturday.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Hockey - Taya Currie (MacEwan Griffins)

Oct. 31 at CGY: 28 saves, shutout in 1-0 OT win

After transferring to MacEwan this season from Providence College (NCAA Div. 1), Currie has been a difference-maker in net for the Griffins. On Saturday in Calgary, she was at her best, stopping numerous high-danger chances to finish with a 28-save shutout. It was her first Canada West win and first shutout as the Griffins won 1-0 in overtime despite being outshot 28-19 by the Dinos.

For the season, she is among the Canada West leaders with a 2.35 GAA and .925 save percentage.

View Women's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Hockey - Jake Poole (Calgary Dinos)

Oct. 31 at GMU: 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, 4 shots in 5-3 win

Nov. 1 vs GMU: 1 shot in 4-1 win

It was yet another impressive weekend for Calgary's third-year forward Jake Poole. After seeing his team fall in a quick 2-0 hole, Poole helped rally the Dinos for a convincing 5-3 comeback road win over MacEwan with his second four-point performance of the season.

The McAuley, Man., product set up the first goal of the game for Calgary at the 5:02 mark of the first to start the comeback before finding the back of the net himself twice in the first period. He added another assist late in the second to help his squad to an impressive road win.

One day later, Poole once again helped the Dinos to a 4-1 win as the Dinos improve to 8-2 on the year and are now ranked No. 5 in the nation.

Poole sits second in all of Canada West and fourth in U SPORTS through the first month of action with 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists).

View Men's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Volleyball - Maryn Boldon (Trinity Western Spartans)

Oct. 31 at WPG: 26 kills, 11 digs, 1 block in 3-2 win

Nov. 1 at WPG: 13 kills, 15 digs, 1 ace, 1 block in 3-0 win

Maryn Boldon had two incredible performances to help lead the Spartans to a weekend sweep of Winnipeg on the road. Her weekend effort was highlighted by a record-setting night on Friday when she earned 26 kills to break TWU's all-time single-match mark. Boldon followed that up with 13 kills in a three-set win Saturday to finish the weekend averaging 4.86 kills per set. Defensively, Boldon also averaged 3.25 digs per set over the weekend.

She now leads Canada West and U SPORTS with 5.00 kills per set through the first four matches of the season.

View Women's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Volleyball - Kaden Schmidt (Trinity Western Spartans)

Oct. 31 at WPG: 24 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks, 4 digs in 3-1 win

Nov. 1 at WPG: 27 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 5 digs in 3-1 win

Kaden Schmidt put himself into the TWU record books twice over this past weekend, with his 24 kills on Friday and 27 kills on Saturday both now amongst the Top 10 all-time for a four-set match in the prestigious history of Spartan men's volleyball.

His weekend-high 27 kills on Saturday equals the third best total in a four-set match and puts him tied for the sixth best performance overall in TWU history.

Averaging 6.38 kills per set, Schmidt now leads Canada West and U SPORTS with 80 total kills and 5.71 kills per set. Schmidt's effort helped TWU to a weekend sweep on the road against then No. 8-ranked Winnipeg.

View Men's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Basketball - Macaya Copeland (Brandon Bobcats)

Oct. 31 at LET: 29 pts; 5 rebs; 3 steals; 9-9 FT in 84-77 loss

Nov. 1 at LET: 20 pts; 4 rebs; 2 assists; 5 steals 69-65 win

Macaya Copeland was vital in the Bobcats' starting the Canada West regular season 2-and-0 for the first time in over two decades and the American import followed that up with another stellar showing.

The former National Junior College Division III Player of the Year combined for 49 points over the two-game series in Lethbridge that was capped off by a gritty 69-65 victory.

She knocked in a clutch go-ahead three-pointer with under four minutes left in Saturday's contest to boost BU's record to 3-1.

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

Men's Basketball - Evgeny Baukin (UNBC Timberwolves)

Oct 31 vs. ALB - 30 pts, 10 rebs, 5 assists, 1 block, 3 steals in 78-77 win

Nov 1 vs. ALB - 23 pts, 7 rebs, 5 assists, 2 steals in 74-67 loss

Evgeny Baukin was dominant last weekend in a pair of thrilling home games for UNBC against the nationally ranked Golden Bears. On Friday, Baukin went off for 30 points, 10 boards and five assists in what ended up being an exciting one-point victory for UNBC.

The next night Baukin’s performance was almost equally impressive as he went 6/10 from the field on his way to 23 points, seven boards and five assists in a back-and-forth OT loss to Alberta.

Through three games this season, Baukin has served notice to the rest of the conference that he’ll be difficult to contain on most nights.

View Men's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Field Hockey - Anais Chace (Victoria Vikes)

Anais Chace was exceptional at the 2025 U SPORTS Field Hockey Championships, recording two shutouts in round-robin play, a large reason why the Vikes earned a spot in the gold medal game.

Chace finished the Championships with a goals-against-average of 0.33 and was a leader on the Vikes as they made their U SPORTS Championship run to a silver medal.

Women's Wrestling - Myah Phillips (Saskatchewan Huskies)

SFU Open - Women's 83kg Champion

Myah Phillips continued her impressive start to the wrestling season this past weekend at the SFU Open. After a dominant gold medal performance to open the 2025-26 campaign at the Dinos open, Phillips doubled down with another first-place performance, securing gold in the 83kg weight class.

Men's Wrestling - Elias Wile (Alberta Golden Bears)

SFU Open - Men's 79kg Champion

Winning all three matches in Burnaby, fourth-year Golden Bear Elias Wile captured gold in the 79kg weight class at the 2025 SFU Open.

Wile began the event by beating hometown SFU wrestler Caius Harbridge 12-5, including a crucial two points in the final 20 seconds to secure the victory.

He followed that up with a dominant 10-0 win over Gurshaan Kahlon in the semifinal, before dispatching another SFU Red Leaf, Arashk Rasti, 7-6 in the final.

Wile was the only Golden Bear to win their respective weight class in the second event of the 2025/26 varsity season.

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.