MSOC: UBC tops coaches poll in wide open Canada West

Aug. 22, 2024 – With a new defending champion for the first time in five years, the 2024 Canada West men's soccer season promises to be as wide open and competitive as any in recent memory.

The conference has released its 2024 men's soccer coaches poll ahead of Friday's season opener, with parity reflected from top to bottom. UBC emerged as the favourite to reclaim the CW Men's Soccer Championship Trophy after receiving nine first place votes, with defending champion Mount Royal University close behind after three first place nods. The Alberta Golden Bears came in third, receiving a single first place vote.

Just three points separated fourth place Trinity Western and fifth place Victoria, while Saskatchewan (#8), UBCO (#9), UFV (#10) and UNBC (#11) were all separated by just four points.

There's plenty of intriguing storylines for fans to follow, including what the MRU Cougars will do for an encore after a magical ride in 2023. The Cougars went 11-2-1 in last year's regular season, building up to a memorable postseason run that saw the team capture their first Canada West title in program history, defeating UBC 1-0 in the CW Gold Medal Game.

The victory put an end to the T-Birds' impressive five year reign as Canada West champions.

While UBC did extract some measure of revenge by defeating MRU in the 2023 U SPORTS bronze medal game, expect a T-Birds team with a strong returning class to be motivated to reclaim top spot.

“I expect our team to be strong and in the hunt once again this year," says UBC head coach Mike Mosher. "We return a strong core of players from last year's squad with maybe the key missing piece being Sebastian Dzikowski, the CW leading scorer, MVP and U SPORTS MVP. So one of the keys for our success will be replacing the goals that Sebastian provided last year, but I am confident that with the quality I believe we have that someone or a few individuals will step up in this regard."

Any potential rematch between the T-Birds and Cougars will need to wait until the postseason, as the two teams aren't scheduled to meet in the regular season.

After falling to UBC in last year's semifinals, the Alberta Golden Bears are also looking to take another step forward this season. To do so, head coach Martin Fenger-Andersen knows his team will need to display consistent quality each week.

"Our key to success will be the ability to be consistent and deliver high-level performances week in and week out" says Fenger-Andersen. "The CW division has a lot of quality across all 13 schools and is annually one of the toughest divisions across the country, so we have to be at our best each game."

Opening weekend across the conference begins this Friday through Sunday, including MRU kicking off their season and celebrating their 2023 championship banner at home against Lethbridge on Saturday afternoon.

The regular season runs through Oct. 20, with playoffs slated to begin Oct. 25.

Fans can catch all the action on CanadaWest.TV, which now allows fans to watch games on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku. Regular season sport passes are available for $39.99.

For the complete 2024 Canada West men’s soccer schedule, click here.

To view CW men's soccer history and records, click here.

2024 CW Men's Soccer Coaches Poll 

Team - Points (First-place votes)

TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW

UBC Thunderbirds

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #1

From the coach: “I expect our team to be strong and in the hunt once again this year. We return a strong core of players from last year's squad with maybe the key missing piece being Sebastian Dzikowski, the CW leading scorer, MVP and U SPORTS MVP. ​ So one of the keys for our success will be replacing the goals that Sebastian provided last year, but I am confident that with the quality I believe we have that someone or a few individuals will step up in this regard.” – Head Coach Mike Mosher

Key Performer: Luke Norman
​Midfielder
​2nd Year
​Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.

With four goals and five assists in 2023, Norman is UBC's top returning scorer having finished sixth in Canada West points last season. The Vancouver product was named to the 2023 conference All-Rookie team and was a force in the postseason, scoring the T-Birds' game winning goal in both their quarter-final and bronze medal victories at the U SPORTS National Championship.

Mount Royal Cougars

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #2

Key Performer: Caden Rogozinski
​Defence
​4th Year
​Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

Captain Caden Rogozinski, who was named Canada West Defender of the Year, a Canada West First Team All-Star, and earned a Canada West Gold Medal , played 13 games and helped the Cougars to 11 clean sheets. As the captain, he is the heart and soul of the defending Canada West champions.

Alberta Golden Bears

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #3

From the coach: "Key to success will be the ability to be consistent and deliver high-level performances week in and week out. ​ The CW division has a lot of quality across all 13 schools and is annually one of the toughest divisions across the country, so we have to be at our best each game.” – Head Coach Martin Fenger-Andersen

Key Performer: Marcus Velado-Tsegaye
​Forward
​3rd Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

A deep and balanced team, the Golden Bears have come up one win short of the CW Final and qualifying for nationals in consecutive seasons. The Bears biggest area for improvement is goal scoring, as they ranked 11th in Canada West last year. A 2023 U SPORTS All-Canadian, Velado-Tsegaye will need to elevate the team's offensive production in order to get the Golden Bears over the hump in 2024.

Trinity Western Spartans

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #4

From the coach: “For our team it will come down to two different areas…can our key players stay healthy. Last season we lost key players to injury before preseason and during the first weekend of the season. We need to stay healthy. If we can stay healthy then it will come down to key moments in the game and winning those. We lost too many points from winning positions last year.” – Head Coach Mike Shearon

Key Performer: Thomas Powell
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C.

Thomas is the captain of the Spartans and the most dominant player on the field for TWU. He led the Spartans in points (7) and goals (4) in 2023. This past spring Thomas was drafted 15th in the CPL draft and played the summer with Vancouver in the CPL.

Trinity Western Spartans

Victoria Vikes

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #5

From the coach: “The Vikes will be a relatively young squad again this season. ​ For the team to be successful the leadership of the more senior players will be critical, along with the integration of the young players into the group. The Vikes will be focusing on consistent performances both at home and away and being dynamic in attack and strong in defence.” – Head Coach Larry Stefanek ​

Key Performer: Javier Sagaste
​Midfield
​5th Year
​Hometown: Victoria, B.C.

Javier Sagaste returns to the Vikes for his fifth season in 2024, coming off a 2023 season which featured the midfielder leading Victoria in goals (7), assists (7), and points (14). Sagaste also earned his first conference honour in 2023, being named a Canada West First Team All-Star, and was tabbed a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian for his 2023 performance.

Thompson Rivers WolfPack

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #6

From the coach: “Very young squad this season, 18 new players on roster and also four returning players with limited minutes in 2023.” – Head Coach John Antulov

Key Performer: Elijah Dos Santos
​Defence
​3rd Year
​Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C.

One of the few returning players on a new-look WolfPack roster that features 18 new faces, Dos Santos will relied upon as a leader both on and off the field. The talented centre back has formed the spine of a stingy WolfPack defence for the past two seasons and was a key contributor on the 2022 U SPORTS National Championship winning squad. ​
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​Equally as capable at shutting down attackers as he is at starting the attack from the back with pinpoint passing, Dos Santos is set to once again star for a WolfPack squad that is eyeing its seventh-consecutive CW postseason appearance.

Calgary Dinos

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #7

From the coach: "Our success will come out of their returning core players being healthy, and embracing a new style and philosophy. We also have a strong recruiting class that should help complement the team this year.” – Head Coach Ramon Mifflin

Key Performer: Gianmarco Plenzik
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

Gianmarco Plenzik enters his fourth season with the Calgary Dinos. The local product has been one of the clear leaders in his time with the Scarlet & Gold, leading the team in goals last season.

Saskatchewan Huskies

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #8

From the coach: “We are looking to rebound from a disappointing season last year. I thought we had some good performances, but we need to turn those into results. Canada West is the strongest Conference in the country and the parity is so tight between all teams, our team needs to make sure we are ready every weekend to compete with some of the top teams in the country. This group has been great to work with this pre-season and I am excited to see what they can bring to the field!” – Head Coach Bryce Chapman

Key Performer: Luke Mackie
​Centre Back
​4th Year
​Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.

Mackie is the captain of the Huskies and exemplifies the ultimate Huskie athlete both on and off the pitch. Leading by example, Luke demonstrates the standards of the Huskie men's soccer program with his hard-nosed style of play on the pitch and strong academics off it. He is a local athlete who has risen through the ranks to become the leader of the Huskies.

UBCO Heat

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #9

Key Performer: Malachi Emerson
​Forward
​4th Year
​Hometown: Surrey, B.C.

Entering his fourth season with the Heat, Emerson is a proven producer up top and UBCO will need that offence as they look to get back to the Canada West playoffs. The talented striker, who has started all 33 games he's suited up for, has amassed eight goals and 11 points over his Heat career and he's poised to chase down a couple of Heat Canada West career records in 2024.

UFV Cascades

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #10

From the coach: “The squad staying healthy for the majority of the season is a major key. Goalkeeper Jackson Cowx leading his backline, the leadership and quality of Anthony Vega in the midfield and Mateo Brazinha leading the front line and being a threat to the opposition will be vital to our team having success this year.” – Head Coach Tom Lowndes

Key Performer: Jackson Cowx
​Goalkeeper
​5th Year
​Hometown: Surrey, B.C.

Cascades' goalkeeper Jackson Cowx will look to shore up the defensive end for UFV once again this season. Cowx sits fourth all-time in program wins and shutouts for the Cascades, while ranking second in program saves. After UFV struggled with injuries last season, the fifth-year goalkeeper will mind the net for a young and talented Cascades team that looks to boast lots of depth coming into the 2024 season.

UNBC Timberwolves

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #11

Key Performer: Isaac Tate
​Midfield
​2nd Year
​Hometown: Victoria, B.C.

After an impressive rookie Canada West campaign, second-year midfielder Isaac Tate is poised to take on an even larger role in the TWolves attack in 2024. Tate's speed, poise, and skill are obvious and Steve Simonson will lean on Tate's creativity in a big way as the TWolves look to take the next step and return to the Canada West postseason.

Lethbridge Pronghorns

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #12

From the coach: "We are looking forward to the upcoming year. The core group has remained from last season and we have an exciting incoming recruiting class. The aim is to try and build on the previous season.” – Head Coach Vikram Virk

Key Performer: Will Hughes
​Defence
​4th Year
​Hometown: Lethbridge, Alta.

Hughes was a Canada West Second Team All-Star last year and was third in Canada West for scoring with 11 points in 12 games, including six goals. He'll look to help an emerging Pronghorns team return to the Canada West postseason in 2024.

MacEwan Griffins

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #13

From the coach: “We are excited to be playing home matches where we practice/train for the first time in our men's program's history.” – Head Coach Adam Loga

Key Performer: Chance Carter
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

The former FC Edmonton product is entering his fourth season with the Griffins and continues to be one of the most unsung two-way players in Canada West. The stats belie his impact on the success of the squad as his superior ball skills and physicality allow him to be equally adept at driving play and shutting down the opposition. Setting a pro-level example as a former Canadian Premier League player, Carter brings a level of leadership that will again be huge for a Griffins team looking to return to the playoffs in 2024.