MSOC: UBC's Dzikowski named Player of the Year

Nov. 2, 2023 - Sebastian Dzikowski has been named the 2023 Canada West Men's Soccer Player of the Year after an explosive offensive campaign with the UBC Thunderbirds.

The third-year forward from Calgary, Alta. broke through in a big way this season, scoring a program record 15 goals while also setting a new single season conference record with 43 shots on target.

Dzikowski scored at least once in ten of UBC’s 16 regular season games, finishing with 19 points while leading the T-Birds to a conference leading 13-1-2 record. He also scored three goals in two playoff wins over Calgary and Alberta last weekend, leading the T-Birds to another CW Finals appearance and a berth at U SPORTS nationals.

The conference unveiled its entire list of men's soccer major award winners on Thursday morning. A pair of Dzikowski's UBC teammates were also recognized, with Brennen Fuerst named Rookie of the Year and Chris Lee recognized as the Student-Athlete Community Service award recipient.

Mount Royal's Caden Rogozinski was named Defensive Player of the Year after being the pillar of a stingy Cougars defence that surrendered just five goals all season. Victoria's Larry Stefanek was named Coach of the Year after overseeing a resurgent Vikes program that finished in second place in the tough Pacific Division.

The major award announcements come as the conference prepares for what promises to be a dramatic final between the Thunderbirds and Cougars this Saturday, hosted by Mount Royal University at Stadium Field in Calgary.

Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. MT.

More information on the Canada West men's soccer championship can be found here.

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sebastian Dzikowski (UBC)

Entering his third Canada West season with seven goals in his previous two seasons, Dzikowski exploded for a program record 15 goals in 2023 while also setting a new single season conference record with 43 shots on target.

The 6-foot-3 forward from Calgary was an ever-present danger in the area all season long and despite his big size, proved his incredible footwork and dexterity time and time again.

With four goals and six points in the first weekend of the Canada West season, Dzikowsi scored at least once in ten of UBC’s 16 regular season games including a hat trick against the MacEwan Griffins. He finished the season with 19 total points, second only to former T-Bird Gagandeep Dosanjh for the most in a single season in program history.

Dzikowski is the first Thunderbird to win Canada West Player of the Year since Thomas Gardner in 2018.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Caden Rogozinski (Mount Royal University)

Rogozinski earns Defensive Player of the Year honours after being the pillar of the best defensive side in Canada West this season. The third-year defender played a key role in shutting down opposing offences, helping MRU surrender just five goals against in 14 games. The team's tight defensive structure helped the Cougars once again surge to the top of the Prairie Division, as they went 11-2-1 and recorded an astounding ten clean sheets in the process.

The hometown Calgary product was a model of stability in the MRU backfield, appearing in all 14 regular season games. The well-rounded defender even delivered some offensive heroics in last weekend's semifinals, knocking home the opening goal in the Cougars' eventual 3-1 semifinal win over Victoria.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE: Chris Lee (UBC)

Lee's impact on the pitch has been undeniable this season, starting all 15 games for the first place Thunderbirds and developing a reputation for being one the top attacking defenders in the conference.

But his impact on team, school and community has extended far beyond the field of competition. Chris has been a regular volunteer for the Physical Activity Research Center (PARC) for much of 2023. PARC is associated with ICORD, a world leading research center on spinal cord research. From March 2023 through August 2023 Chris volunteered four hours each week at PARC, providing assistance to people with spinal cord injuries by aiding in adaptive equipment use while maintaining a safe and inclusive environment. In September, Chris was promoted in his volunteer role to a supervisory role, and he now volunteers ten hours each week at the facility.

He's also been active in building the game of soccer at the grassroots level. While playing with BC League 1 team Nautsa’mawt FC this past summer, Lee assisted with soccer camps for youth in remote Indigenous communities. During this time Lee assisted with camps in both Alert Bay and Campbell River, B.C.

Lee has been named an Academic All Canadian in each of his first two years as a student-athlete and has a current overall GPA of 4.0.

Throughout his time at UBC, Lee has proven himself to be an exemplary student-athlete who is achieving at high levels both on the field of play, in the classroom, and in his community.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Brennen Fuerst (UBC)

Earning a starting role in UBC’s season opener on a very deep team, Fuerst proved his worth as an impact player right from the start of training camp. The midfielder out of the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy program earned his first Canada West assist in his first game and scored the game winner against the defending U SPORTS champion WolfPack the following weekend, one of two goals on the season.

Fuerst dressed in 15 of UBC’s 16 regular season games, starting in 14 of those.

The Calgary native is the second straight Thunderbird to win the conference’s Rookie of the Year award after teammate Eric Lajeunesse earned the honour in 2022.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Larry Stefanek (Victoria)

Stefanek oversaw a Victoria program that experienced a resurgence in 2023, as he guided the Vikes to an impressive 10-4-2 record in just his second season at the helm.

The team improved by seven wins over their previous year's record, finishing second in the tough Pacific Division and qualifying for the CW postseason.

Under his guidance, the Vikes were one of the most well-rounded sides in Canada West. Victoria ranked third in offence by scoring 1.50 goals per game, while also playing shutdown defence, finishing fourth by giving up just 0.81 goals per game.

Stefanek and the Vikes defeated Lethbridge 3-0 in the CW quarterfinals last weekend, before eventually bowing out to Prairie Division champion Mount Royal in a tight semifinal decided in extra time.

The conference also announced its men's soccer All-Star and All-Rookie teams last week. Click here to view the selections.