MSOC: MRU, UNBC players score big on All-Star rosters
Conference unveils all-star teams and all-rookies ahead of quarterfinal matches
CALGARY - The Mount Royal Cougars' men's soccer program has plenty to brag about as their regular season comes to an end. The Prairie division leaders see four of their players named First-Team Canada West All-Stars, as the conference unveils the coaches' selections Thursday.
Team captain, Mohammed El Gandour headlines the team for the Cougars, after posting eight goals and four assists on the year. He's joined by UNBC's Michael Henman, who tied the conference record for goals with an astounding 19 in just 15 games.
The Pacific leaders, UBC Thunderbirds, also saw several selections on the conference's top all-star roster. Fraser Valley, Alberta, and Thompson Rivers each had a player earn a spot.
Overall, the Cougars received nine all-star or all-rookie selections, the most of any school. UNBC earned the next highest with five.
The all-stars release comes as the Canada West men head into their quarterfinal match-ups this weekend.
The Saskatchewan Huskies will travel to Vancouver to take on the UBC Thunderbirds in the energetic Thunderbird Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m. Alberta is slated to host UNBC at Foote Field at 2:15 p.m. Saturday. Thompson Rivers will get a preview of playoff soccer ahead of hosting the U SPORTS nationals, as they welcome Calgary Friday at 7 p.m. at Hillside Stadium. Fraser Valley will hit the road to Calgary to face the MRU Cougars at 3 p.m. Saturday at the school's Stadium Field.
All four quarter-final matches will be available exclusively on Canada West TV.
Player / School / Year / Hometown / Program
- Goalkeeper
- Sterling Kerr / Mount Royal / 4 / Calgary, AB / Psychology
- Defending players
- Caden Rogozinski / Mount Royal / 2 / Calgary, AB / Business
- Thomas Gardner / UBC / 4 / North Vancouver, BC / Science
- Janko Vong / Alberta / 5 / Coquitlam, BC / Medicine & Dentistry
- Cody Gysbers / UNBC / 5 Victoria, BC / Psychology
- Jan Pirretas Glasmacher / TRU / 5 / Barcelona, Spain / Business Admin.
- Attacking players
- Michael Henman / UNBC / 4 / Victoria, BC / Business
- Mohammed El Gandour / Mount Royal / 4 / Calgary, AB / Business
- Victory Shumbusho / UBC / 5 / Chilliwack, BC / Arts
- David Schaefer / Mount Royal / 4 / Berlin, Germany / Health & Phys. Ed.
- Taylor Richardson / Fraser Valley / 5 / Langley, BC / Kinesiology
Second Team All-Stars
Player / School / Year / Hometown / Program
- Goalkeeper
- Daniel Zadravec / UNBC / 3 / Victoria, BC / Business
- Defending players
- Benedikt Mehl / Mount Royal / 3 / Berlin, Germany / Open Studies
- Daniel Kaiser / UBC / 4 / Calgary, AB / Arts
- Aaron Hidalgo-Mazzei / Saskatchewan / 3 / Winnipeg, MB / Kinesiology
- Kensho Ando / UNBC / 3 / / Tokyo, Japan / Psychology
- Alex Kemsley / Mount Royal / 1 / Axbridge, UK / Business
- Attacking players
- Habib Assem / Alberta / 1 / Edmonton, AB / Agriculture, Life & Environ. Sciences
- Ryan Lewis / TRU / 2 / Nelson, BC / Arts - Psychology
- Eryk Kobza / Calgary / 3 / North Vancouver, BC / Kinesiology
- Patrick Izett / TRU / 4 / North Delta, BC / Business
- Niklas Liebich / Mount Royal / 2 / Berlin, Germany / Business
All-Rookie Team
Player / School / Year / Hometown / Program
- Eric Lajeunesse / UBC / 1 / Ottawa, ON / Science
- William Omoreniye / Calgary / 1 / Calgary, AB / Business
- Jonathan Walter / Mount Royal / 1 / Calgary, AB / Open Studies
- Ronan Woodroffe / UBCO / 1 / Kelowna, BC / Arts
- Habib Assem / Alberta / 1 / Edmonton, AB / Agriculture, Life & Environ. Sciences
- Jordan Low / Trinity Western / 1 / Port Moody, BC / Business
- Elijah Dos Santos / TRU / 1 / Coquitlam, BC / Business
- Jaron Slopinski / Saskatchewan / 1 / Regina, SK / Arts & Science
- Mowbray Beghin / Mount Royal / 1 / La Havre, France / Interior Design
- Ivan Mejia Yepes / Fraser Valley / 1 / New Westminster, BC / Qualifying Studies
- Hagon Kim / UNBC / 1 / Ilsan, South Korea / Commerce
MEN'S ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIES BY TEAM
School / First Team All-Stars / Second Team All-Stars / All-Rookies = TOTAL
- Mount Royal Cougars: 4 / 3 / 2 = 9
- UNBC Timberwolves: 2 / 2 / 1 = 5
- UBC Thunderbirds: 2 / 1 / 1 = 4
- Thompson Rivers: 1 / 2 / 1 = 4
- Alberta Golden Bears: 1 / 1 / 1 = 3
- Fraser Valley Cascades: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
- Calgary Dinos: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
- Saskatchewan Huskies: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
- Trinity Western: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
- UBCO Heat: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1