MSOC: Canada West Unveils 2026 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams

Nov. 2, 2026 – The UBC Thunderbirds led all programs with six All-Star selections as Canada West announced its 2026 men's soccer All-Stars and All-Rookies on Monday morning.

The T-Birds, who went an undefeated 13-0-2 in the regular season and have advanced to Friday's Canada West Final, had two First Team and four Second Team honourees.

The Victoria Vikes placed four student-athletes on the First Team, the most first team nods of any program. The Mount Royal Cougars also had four total All-Star selections, followed by the Calgary Dinos with three. Saskatchewan and Alberta, who will match up against the T-Birds in Friday's final, had two selections apiece, while Fraser Valley had one.

The All-Rookie Team features 11 first-year standouts, with nine different schools represented. Alberta and Calgary led the way with two selections each, while seven other programs had one rookie recognized.

First Team All-Stars

Four returning selections from last year's First Team headline the 2026 group in Mateo Brazinha (Fraser Valley), Max Comsia (UBC), Eric Lajeunesse (UBC) and Fin Tugwell (Victoria).

Comsia led the conference with 15 points in 15 games, also tying for the lead in goals with nine. Saskatchewan's Tao Hein was the other player to tally nine goals, earning his first All-Star selection after being an All-Rookie last season.

Brazinha, the two-time reigning CW Player of the Year, had another solid campaign with seven goals in 14 appearances.

Mount Royal added two selections in forward Finn Marshall and midfielder Tim Beckedahl, while Evan Larson (Victoria) rounded out the midfield group.

The defensive selections were completed by Joey Plenzik (Calgary) and Archie Tugwell (Victoria), joining returning All-Stars Lajeunesse and Fin Tugwell.

Callum Weir (Victoria) earned the First Team goalkeeper selection after posting a 0.74 goals against average in 14 appearances, giving the Vikes four first team representatives overall.

Second Team All-Stars

UBC teammates Markus Rukavina and Luke Norman headline the attacking selections on the second team. Rukavina finished second in Canada West scoring with 13 points, including tying for the conference-lead in assists with eight. Meanwhile, Norman delivered another steady campaign by recording 11 points in 14 games - tied for fourth most in the conference.

Justin George (Alberta) also stood out offensively, finishing third in conference goal scoring with eight goals in 12 contests. He is joined by Ethan Cabral (Saskatchewan), Efe Udolu-Joshua (Calgary) and Brennen Fuerst (UBC) among the attacking selections.

Lucas Dasovic (UBC), Joseph Green (Mount Royal), Jacob Hunter (Calgary) and Patrick Kondraciuk (Alberta) make up the defensive group, with Kondraciuk receiving another nod after earning Second Team honours last season.

Mount Royal goalkeeper Sjard Strauss rounds out the selections, earning his second consecutive Second Team All-Star nod.

All-Rookie Team

The future of Canada West men's soccer remains bright, with 11 first-year standouts earning All-Rookie recognition.

The Alberta Golden Bears and Calgary Dinos led all programs with two selections apiece. Calgary's Luis Rangel-Kataev was a goal scoring sensation in his debut season, finding the back of the net seven times in 13 games - tying him for third in conference scoring. Teammate Josiah Walter added two tallies and an assist for the Prairie Division leaders.

Alberta midfielder Giorgio Artunduaga made an immediate impact for the Golden Bears with three goals and two assists, while teammate Josh Belbin contributed two goals and one assist.

The remaining selections included Elijah Bean (Trinity Western), Luis Beck (UNBC), Amir Ghasemi (Thompson Rivers), Daniel Neves (Mount Royal), Griffin Leach (Victoria), Julian Pearce (Fraser Valley), and Cornel Safsaf (Lethbridge).

UBC, Alberta to clash in Canada West Final

For the first time in four seasons, there's a new matchup on deck in the Canada West Final.

After three years of UBC and Mount Royal being matched up in the title game, this year it'll be the Thunderbirds versus the Alberta Golden Bears in the battle for the conference banner.

Both teams have already joined the host Victoria Vikes in qualifying for the 2026 U SPORTS National Championships in Victoria later this November.

UBC extended its incredible finals streak to 11 straight seasons, qualifying by defeating Lethbridge 6-0 in the quarters before a 2-0 triumph over Victoria on Sunday. The 'Birds will be in search of their eighth title since 2015.

Alberta makes their return to the title game, looking for their first CW title since 2016. They rolled past UFV in the quarters before mounting a sensational comeback in the semis against Calgary, scoring two late goals to stun the Dinos 3-2.

Fans can catch the game live on Canada West TV - Powered by BioSteel. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium.

Men's Soccer First Team All-Stars

Mateo Brazinha / Forward / Fraser Valley Cascades

Max Comsia / Forward / UBC Thunderbirds

Tao Hein / Forward / Saskatchewan Huskies

Evan Larson / Midfield / Victoria Vikes

Finn Marshall / Forward / Mount Royal Cougars

Tim Beckedahl / Midfield / Mount Royal Cougars

Eric Lajeunesse / Defender / UBC Thunderbirds

Joey Plenzik / Defender / Calgary Dinos

Archie Tugwell / Defender / Victoria Vikes

Fin Tugwell / Defender / Victoria Vikes

Callum Weir / Goalkeeper / Victoria Vikes

Men's Soccer Second Team All-Stars

Ethan Cabral / Midfield / Saskatchewan Huskies

Justin George / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears

Luke Norman / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds

Efe Udolu-Joshua / Forward / Calgary Dinos

Markus Rukavina / Forward / UBC Thunderbirds

Brennen Fuerst / Midfield / UBC Thunderbirds

Lucas Dasovic / Defender / UBC Thunderbirds

Joseph Green / Defender / Mount Royal Cougars

Jacob Hunter / Defender / Calgary Dinos

Patrick Kondraciuk / Defender / Alberta Golden Bears

Sjard Strauss / Goalkeeper / Mount Royal Cougars

Men's Soccer All-Rookies

Giorgio Artunduaga / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears

Elijah Bean / Forward / Trinity Western Spartans

Josh Belbin / Midfield / Alberta Golden Bears

Luis Beck / Defender / UNBC Timberwolves

Amir Ghasemi / Midfield / Thompson Rivers WolfPack

Daniel Neves / Defender / Mount Royal Cougars

Griffin Leach / Midfield / Victoria Vikes

Julian Pearce / Midfield / Fraser Valley Cascades

Luis Rangel-Kataev / Forward / Calgary Dinos

Cornel Safsaf / Defender / Lethbridge Pronghorns

Josiah Walter / Forward / Calgary Dinos

2026 Selections By Team

1st Team / 2nd Team / All-Rookies = Total Selections

UBC Thunderbirds: 2 / 4 / 0 = 6

Victoria Vikes: 4 / 0 / 1 = 5

Mount Royal Cougars: 2 / 2 / 1 = 5

Calgary Dinos: 1 / 2 / 2 = 5

Alberta Golden Bears: 0 / 2 / 2 = 4

Fraser Valley Cascades: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2

Saskatchewan Huskies: 1 / 1 / 0 = 2

Trinity Western Spartans: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1

UNBC Timberwolves: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1

Thompson Rivers WolfPack: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1

Lethbridge Pronghorns: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1