VANCOUVER – It's been a season of celebration for the UBC Thunderbirds, but the party is just getting started.
After capturing their first conference title since 2017 with an undefeated regular-season record, the T-Birds continued to collect accolades, with fifth-year
Kenzie Girgis earning Canada West Player of the Year honours.
The midfielder wasn't the only one who walked away with prestigious hardware to close out the 2026-2027 campaign.
Robyn Goh was named Goalie of the Year,
Mackenna Brown secured Rookie of the Year, and head coach
Geoff Matthews took home Coach of the Year in just his third season with the blue and gold.
Two other T-Birds were recognized for their efforts, as second-year defender
Sukhman Hundal and third-year midfielder
Shannon Stelling both earned a spot on the Canada West All-Star Team.
Girgis, who first set foot on the Point Grey campus for the 2022-2023 season, is closing the final chapter of her T-Bird playing career with a bang. After helping to dethrone the long-time champion Vikes and lift her team's first CW banner in nine years, the Player of the Year award now adds another milestone to an already impressive resume.
The Ottawa-native has steadily developed into a key contributor and leader since joining the roster. She tallied three of her eight career goals this season, one of which carried seismic weight. The 'Birds faced off against the Vikes at the midway point of the year and, trailing by one in the final minute, Girgis fired home the equalizer, leading to a shootout win for her squad – a result that played heavily in the balance for Canada West standings by season's end.
"She thoroughly deserved [Player of the Year]. She's someone who works really hard every single training," reflected head coach Matthews. "She holds herself to a very high standard as a national team player. But what I love is that she's there to support her teammates first and foremost. So, I'm glad she got that recognition. She's just an incredible leader, a great captain. We wish all the best for the national team, and we'll be supporters of hers forever."
Goh was next in the award line, earning Canada West Goalie of the Year for her stellar play between the pipes. With UBC splitting the duties between netminders throughout the campaign, the fourth-year was the lone goalie to suit up for action in each of UBC's eight games. Throughout, she boasted the lowest goals-against average of any goalie in the conference with at least 200 minutes played, coming in at 1.17 per game.
"We've spoken about goalies and sharing the load; that's always tough. Goalies want to be between the pipes the whole time, so for her to be able to step away in key moments and let Pascale [Pottier] and Kaelen [Uy] get some minutes has been great. When she has stepped in, she's been exceptional. She made some really important saves in the fourth quarter [of the title-clinching game]. She won us the shootout against Uvic [earlier in the season], too. The minutes don't reflect her quality. She's an exceptional goalie."
Mackenna Brown rounded out the player awards by earning Canada West Rookie of the Year after making an immediate impact in her first season with the 'Birds. Arriving on campus with plenty of experience, the Vancouver product had already made a significant stamp on BC's Field Hockey scene. After attending St. Michaels University School, the now Kinesiology major turned into a three-time National Champion and won the FHBC U16 Female Athlete of the Year. In her first full season with the T-Birds, the midfielder has tallied two goals across eight games, cracking the starting lineup in each of the final six games of the regular season.
"Mackenna has been incredible. She was someone we've been scouting for a long time, so we were very excited when she decided to come to UBC. Super dynamic midfielder, probably the most dynamic player in Canada, in my opinion. Feisty, quick, speedy, very competitive. She hates to lose, and I think if anything, that has kind of rolled off into the rest of the group. She's got a bright future ahead of her."
Matthews himself was the final member of the T-Birds to collect an award, earning Canada West Coach of the Year. Completing his third season, the South African native has just achieved his first undefeated campaign at the helm, leading to his first conference banner and the program's first in nine years.
Matthews has been a steady guiding presence since grabbing the reins, combining for a remarkable 15-2-7 conference record across his tenure. This season, his team boasted a 2.5 goals-for and a 0.73 goals-against average per game – good enough to lead the league in both categories. Yet, Matthews believes this success doesn't fall on his shoulders but on the entire coaching staff.
"To be recognized by the other coaches in our conference, for me, I'm really proud of that. I couldn't do it without the girls and the fellow coaches, though. We've got a coaching staff of six, so, I get the recognition, but we all put in the same amount of work, so this award is really for the entire UBC coaching staff."
With the Canada West banner raised and plenty of individual awards claimed, the most decorated T-Bird squad in recent years knows there is still one more elusive trophy left on the table. The blue and gold will now turn their attention to Waterloo, Ontario, as they will make the cross-Canada journey to represent UBC at the U SPORTS National Championship. The two-day tournament kicks off November 6 before concluding with the title game on November 7.
ALL-STARS
Mackenna Brown (UBC)
Maeve Connorton (Victoria)
Molly Garnham (Calgary)
Kenzie Girgis (UBC)
Robyn Goh (UBC)
Lydia Harrington (Victoria)
Sukhman Hundal (UBC)
Sadie Lee (Victoria)
Mandy McIntosh (Calgary)
Shannon Stelling (UBC)
Victoria Zaccagnini (Calgary)
