CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Sept. 23

Sept. 23, 2025 - Last weekend featured the busiest slate of action so far across the conference, with eleven student-athletes to celebrate in the latest edition of Canada West's BioSteel Players of the Week.

There was no shortage of drama in football as all three home teams secured homecoming wins. Both Saskatchewan and UBC pulled off thrilling late comebacks, while Manitoba's offence was clicking in a rout of Alberta.

The MacEwan Griffins had a standout weekend in women's soccer, handing Mount Royal their first defeat on Saturday before tying Calgary the next day, becoming the first team to get a result against the Dinos this season. Saskatchewan and Regina also picked up two win weekends.

Prairie hosted Pacific as interdivision action continued in men's soccer, with UBC, Calgary, Fraser Valley and Alberta all enjoying undefeated weekends.

Victoria and UBC battled in a clash of field hockey powers, with the Vikes earning an extra shootout point on Saturday before taking a 2-0 win on Sunday. In rugby 15s, Victoria and UBC grabbed home wins over Alberta, while Lethbridge held on for a tight victory against Calgary.

Canada West's best runners were off to the races at the 2025 Dakota Classic, with the host Saskatchewan Huskies sweeping the team titles. On the links, the University of Calgary golf teams swept the team and individual titles in their home tournament.

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

Women's Soccer - Raeghan McCarthy (MacEwan Griffins)

Sept. 20 vs MRU: 1 G (GWG), 3 shots on goal in 90 minutes in 3-2 win

Sept. 21 vs CGY: 1 G, 3 shots, 1 SOG in 90 minutes in 3-3 draw

Facing a gauntlet of two undefeated teams over the weekend, the Griffins won four of a possible six points, thanks to the heroics of Raegan McCarthy.

Saturday's match vs. MRU was tied 2-2 late before McCarthy's spectacular highlight-reel volley from distance in the 84th minute lifted MacEwan to victory. It's her 10th career game-winning goal, moving her into the Canada West all-time top-10 list.

McCarthy nearly had the game-winner again on Sunday as she scored in the 61st minute to put the Griffins up 2-1 on the Dinos - again a highlight-reel quality strike after running onto an Alyx Henderson long curling cross and blasting it past the keeper. The Dinos came back, though, to go ahead 3-2 before the Griffins equalized late in a 3-3 draw.

For the season, McCarthy is now tied for third in Canada West in goals (5), is second in shots (27) and is tied for sixth in shots on goal (15). Even more impressive is she's producing like this from a defensive midfield position that comes with many more responsibilities than just scoring.

View WSOC: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Soccer - Kimia Kassanda (Calgary Dinos)

Sept. 20 vs UNBC: 2 goals, 1 assist, 73 minutes, in 4-2 win

Sept. 21 vs VIC: 1 assist, 90 minutes, in 2-1 win

The Dinos picked up a big six points this weekend thanks in large part to the play of second-year forward Kimia Kassanda. A Canada West All-Rookie selection a season ago, Kassanda started his weekend with two goals and an assist in a dominant 4-2 win over UNBC.

One day later with his squad trailing early in a heavyweight showdown with Victoria, Kassanda assisted on the Dinos' first goal to tie things up before they handed the Vikes their first loss of the season.

The forward now has three goals and four assists midway through his second season after posting one goal and one assist as a rookie.

View MSOC: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Rugby 15s - Charity Williams (UBC Thunderbirds)

Sept. 18 vs ALB - 4 tries in 82-19 win

Charity Williams got UBC on the board in the second minute with the first of her four tries of the match, as the Thunderbirds scored early and often in an 82-19 rout over the visiting Alberta Pandas.

The second-year scored twice more in the first half while adding another in the 57th minute.

Now winners of two in a row, the T-Birds host the Lethbridge Pronghorns this Saturday for their final home match of the regular season.

View RUGBY 15s: Standings | Schedule

Football Offensive Player of the Week - Daniel Wiebe (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Sept. 19 vs REG - 8 receptions, 155 yards, 1 TD, 60-Yard Go-Ahead TD

All-Canadian talent Daniel Wiebe helped the Huskies secure a crucial win Friday night against the No. 5-ranked Regina Rams. The fifth-year receiver hauled in eight catches for 155 yards and a go-ahead 60-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put Saskatchewan ahead with just over three minutes remaining.

With yet another standout performance, the 2025 CFL Draft pick takes over as the conference's leading pass catcher with 512 yards and three majors at the midway point of the season.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Football Defensive Player of the Week - Darrien Brown (UBC Thunderbirds)

Sept. 19 vs CGY - INT, 3 solo TKL, 4.5 total TKL, 3 breakups in 23-22 win

Darrien Brown's clutch interception with two minutes left in the fourth quarter set the stage for UBC's game-winning field goal in a thrilling Homecoming win over the Dinos.

Adding in 4.5 tackles and three pass breakups, Brown was a critical part of the T-Birds' most impressive defensive performance of the season. The second-year from Ontario is tied for the conference lead with two picks and sits tenth in Canada west total tackles.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Football Special Teams Player of the Week - Maya Turner (Manitoba Bisons)

Sept. 20 vs ALB - 2/2 FG, LG of 34, 4/4 XP, 10 PTS in 34-7 win

Turner continued to move up the Bisons record books in a solid performance on Saturday, going a perfect 2-for-2 on her field goal attempts in a 34-7 win against Alberta.

With two field goals against the Golden Bears, Turner has surged into the top five in Manitoba school history in regular season field goals made, at 25.

She converted a long of 34 yards, and also added four extra points in the victory.

View Football: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Field Hockey - Anais Chace (Victoria Vikes)

Sept. 20 at UBC - 1 GA, 4 saves in shootout in 2-1 SO win

Sept. 21 at UBC - 0 GA, shutout in 2-0 win

Anais Chace played a vital role in keeping the Vikes unbeaten in 2025 in two matches against UBC. Despite being tested by mutiple UBC set pieces, Chace allowed only one goal during regulation in game one and helped the Vikes secure the crucial bonus point in the shootout. Allowing the first goal of the shootout, Chace stopped stopped the next four to give the Vikes the shootout win.

In game two, Chace made crucial saves down the stretch, closing the door on all of the Thunderbirds' scoring attempts to secure the Vikes' third shutout of the season.

View Field Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Golf - Brooke Tombs (Calgary Dinos)

2025 University of Calgary Invitational Women's Champion | 79-80-159

The impressive start to her U SPORTS career continues for Dinos' rookie Brooke Tombs, who brought home her first individual tournament title at the UofC Invitational Monday from Springbank Links.

One week after placing third at her first university meet down in Lethbridge, Tombs turned bronze into gold. The rookie had a tournament-leading opening-round score of 79 and showed her consistency with a score of 80 on Day 2 to finish three strokes ahead of the next golfer for the win.

Tombs' efforts also helped the Dinos flip a two-stroke deficit into a one-stroke team win.

Men's Golf - Adam Reed (Calgary Dinos)

2025 University of Calgary Invitational Men's Champion | 74-69-143 (+1)

Third-year Dino Adam Reed was the lone golfer to shoot under par on the final day of action to bring home not only the UofC Invitational individual crown, but help Calgary win the men's team title by one stroke Monday from Springbank Links Golf Club.

Reed - the runner-up at last year's home tournament - was once again outstanding. After firing a 74 (+3) on Sunday, the righty followed that up with a 69 (-2) on Monday to take the individual title by an impressive three strokes.

His efforts also helped the Dinos bring home their second team trophy of the season in comeback fashion. Calgary trailed by 18 strokes after Day 1, only to turn that around on Monday to finish one stroke ahead of Alberta for the win.

Women's Cross Country - Morgan Tiede (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Dakota Classic hosted by University of Saskatchewan: 1st-place, 29:29.6

Morgan Tiede opened up the 2025 cross country season on a high note, securing first place in the third annual Dakota Classic. Her season-opening win came thanks to a time of 29:29.6 which saw the third-year athlete cross the finish line just three seconds ahead of teammate Angelina Beveridge-Warick in a tightly-contested race.

Her individual title also helped Saskatchewan capture the event's team title for the Huskies.

Men's Cross Country - Adonais Downes (Regina Cougars)

Dakota Classic hosted by University of Saskatchewan: 1st-place, 27:09.1 

Adonias Downes captured first place in the men's race at the third annual Dakota Classic on Saturday, rolling through the course in 27 minutes, 9.1 seconds.

The Regina product cleared the second-place finisher by 13.4 seconds to claim top spot, helping the Cougars to second place in the overall team standings.

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.