VANCOUVER – As Canada's most successful university soccer program begins another campaign full of promise and potential to add to the trophy case, the UBC Thunderbirds have added a talent-laden group of seven recruits as the class of 2026.
Defenders Elijah Clarke, Will Edgson, Ben Zimola, Shawn-Allen Guillaume and Ty White join forward Marcus Blount and midfielder Declan Froh for what UBC head coach
Mike Mosher calls the backbone for the program's future.
"I'm really happy with the seven new faces that we've got coming in. We're balanced in terms of positions across the board and I think they will be the guys to form the foundation of this program for years to come," said Mosher who is into his 31
st year at the helm of the blue and gold. "They're good players, they're good students and good people and they'll take on all the information we're giving them on the field but also they'll take in the information and continue the leadership and culture of the program. I think that's been a real key of ours as we progress year to year, we don't skip a beat in either way."
Ben Zimola with Cavalry FC U21
Representatives of three provinces, all seven incoming recruits boast a formidable resume of skill and success.
Defender Elijah Clarke (Burnaby, B.C.), midfielder Declan Froh (Richmond, B.C.) and forward Marcus Blount (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) all head to Point Grey from the Vancouver FC U19 program.
Will Edgson heads east across Georgia Strait from his native Victoria to join the 'Birds as the 5-foot-11 defender spent his most recent development with the Pacific FC Youth squad.
Will Edgson (right) Photo: Sheldon Mack
Calgary's Ben Zimola trades in his Cavalry FC U21 kit for the blue and gold and also brings experience on the national level, captaining team Alberta's silver medal squad at last year's Canada Summer Games.
Shawn-Allen Guillaume is a transfer from Algonquin College. The native of Aylmer, Quebec will join UBC's faculty of Arts and still has four years of eligibility remaining.
Ty White (North Vancouver) rounds out the incoming defender group, bringing his 6-foot-1 frame to the T-Birds from Burnaby FC.
Following 2025's history making season in which the T-Birds set a new Canada West record with 15 wins while also going undefeated, the team has graduated out a number of veteran leaders, perhaps most notably in defenders
Markus Kaiser and
Marcus Puhalj. Yet the bulk of last year's core returns, including multiple All-Canadian defender
Eric Lajeunesse.
Despite the team boasting one of the deepest rosters in the country, Mosher expects this incoming group to push returning veterans, part of the internal competition which has been a big factor in the program's long-standing success.
"They're all fully capable of playing minutes in our team at the Canada West level as it stands right now. It doesn't matter if you're a true freshman right out of high school or if you've been around the program for a few years…everything is earned," said Mosher. "I'm really pleased with what we've got with this young group, we've brought them in for a reason. They really fit the profile of what we're looking for in terms of players in our program with their quality, how they play, their technical abilities, their tactical understanding and just their overall character and leadership as we push along.
"Competition is a foundation of our program for spots, it's always competition to be in the 11, to be in the 18, just to make the squad, it's not easy. I'm really confident this group coming in will embrace that and look to get after it, and they have already and we're just over a week in. All indications are it's exactly what I've hoped for in terms of a good fit from this group."
The next week provides several key opportunities for Mosher and the coaching staff to assess their roster, starting with a Friday night battle south of the border against Seattle Pacific University.
The squad will play the defending NCAA Division I champion Washington Huskies Sunday afternoon before returning home to prepare to face the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières at Thunderbird Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
"We've got a good weekend away, it's always nice to get your team away for a couple days. We've got two really competitive games, Seattle Pacific is always one of the strongest schools in their conference and then of course Washington, this will be the third year in a row going down to play them for a really good test.
"QTR had a great season last year, they won the Quebec conference and they've had a good strong program for a good while now also so three really good tests. We'll play everybody over the course of those three games to get ourselves ready for that opening weekend."
The 'Birds open up the 2026 Canada West campaign Thursday, August 27 at home to Fraser Valley in a rematch of last year's Canada West semifinal.
