VANCOUVER – Finishing the season as the conference's scoring leader, third-year Thunderbird
Max Comsia has been named Canada West Men's Soccer Player of the Year.
Joining the third-year striker as part of the conference's major awards list announced Wednesday are fifth-year captain
Eric Lajeunesse who repeats as Defensive Player of the Year while
Mike Mosher has won his second straight Coach of the Year award, the fifth of his career.
Topping the conference with 15 points while producing career high numbers across the board, Comsia is UBC's first Player of the Year recipient since Sebastian Dzikowski did so in 2023.
A dominant force for the regular season champions all year, the North Vancouver native tied for the conference lead with nine goals, five of them standing as game winners.
"Max's emergence and development over the last several years has been outstanding," said Mosher. "As always, first and foremost, the credit goes to the player. Max was a guy who in his first year was basically a red shirt, but by January I already knew he was going to be a good player. His work in the gym, I'll give him credit there too, he's a bull – he's a strong guy and his hold-up play, his back-to-goal has really, really evolved positively, and then the goals have come. I'm absolutely thrilled for Max, he's very deserving of this award."
Twice named conference Player of the Week this season, Comsia has positioned himself in elite territory in just his third Canada West season having earned first team All-Star status for a second straight year.
In addition to his scoring prowess, the 6-foot-3 striker uses his strength and size across the pitch as true all-around player for the top-ranked T-Birds.
A three-time All-Canadian and twice a U SPORTS Championship All-Star, Lajeunesse's second consecutive Defender of the Year award is just accolades for one of the most impactful players the conference has seen.
Captaining the T-Birds to an undefeated season, the Ottawa product led another outstanding team defence with UBC conceding just 11 goals on the year along with a conference leading nine clean sheets.
Playing every minute of every game yet again this season, Lajeunesse added a pair of goals and two assists along with another goal and assist in UBC's quarter-final battle vs Lethbridge.
Since earning U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in 2022, Lajeunesse has gone on to play more than 50 CPL games for Pacific FC and set a new Canada West games played record this past season, finishing with 75 over his outstanding five-year T-Bird career.
"He gets better every year and he really took it to another level this year, I thought he was exceptional," Mosher said of his star defender. "I'll say it again, and I don't say it lightly as someone who has been around for nearly the last 50 years of our team, he goes down as one of the best players in our program's history."
"One of the real pleasures to see has been his emergence and development as a leader. From a really quiet guy in his first and second year where he didn't say a whole heck of a lot, now he's got the command of the locker room. Also, just how he carries himself – he's as exemplary a player as I've seen in my time."
Leading the Thunderbirds to first overall in the Canada West for a fifth straight year, Mosher's second consecutive Coach of the Year title comes after going undefeated in back-to-back seasons.
Mosher's side led the conference with 44 goals while allowing just 11 against, topping the Canada West with nine clean sheets.
"UBC is so lucky to continue to benefit from one of the greatest coaches in this country in
Mike Mosher," said UBC Managing Director of Athletics,
Kavie Toor. "His legacy speaks for itself and his consistent success is a testament to his dedication to both his program and players. Mike's ongoing impact is hard to measure given the number of student-athletes he has guided to success both on and off the pitch while at UBC and beyond their time as a Thunderbird. We are so proud of Mike's achievements and all those still to come."
Surpassing 250 conference wins this year in his 31
st season, Mosher has guided UBC to five U SPORTS titles as a head coach having also won three as a player.
With Sunday's 2-0 win over Victoria, Mosher and the T-Birds have earned a berth at an 11
th straight U SPORTS National Championship tournament and will host the Alberta Golden Bears in Friday's Canada West Final where the winningest head coach in conference history will go for a 13
th banner.
Kickoff for the 2026 Canada West Final is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 6 at Thunderbird Stadium.
Tickets are available online now or at the door and the game will also be
streamed live on Canada West TV.
