Vikes midfielder Hundal named Canada West Men’s Soccer MVP

Canada West Communications

Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) announced the 2015 men’s soccer all-stars and major award winners Thursday evening at the conference’s annual awards banquet in Vancouver, ahead of the conference’s Final Four tournament which opens Friday.

Taking home Canada West’s top honour as conference MVP was Victoria Vikes fifth-year midfielder Cam Hundal, who was also named a first-team all-star.

Hundal, a former CIS Championship MVP (2011), finished the regular season second in points with 17, and tied for second in conference goals with 10.

Rookie of the year honours went to Alberta’s Shamit Shome. The midfielder finished eighth in goals during the regular season, finding the back of the net six times for the Bears, who finished second in the Prairie Division behind Calgary. Shome was also named a second team all-star.

Rounding out the conference major award winners was UBC’s Mike Mosher, who was named the Canada West Coach of the Year. In 19 years with the Thunderbirds, Mosher has led the program to four national titles and enters the weekend’s Final Four in search of his sixth conference title.

Mosher’s UBC team dominated the conference first team of all-stars, with five players earning recognition.

Earning the conference’s Fair Play Award, which recognizes the team that had the best discipline record over the course of the regular season, was the Victoria Vikes. In the 12-game season, the Vikes received just four yellow cards. The achievement marks the fifth time in the last seven years Victoria has won the award.

Canada West major award winners:

Most Valuable Player:

Cam Hundal, Victoria Vikes, Midfielder

Fifth-year University of Victoria midfielder Cam Hundal (Terrace, B.C.) helped the Vikes to a 7-3-3 record and a spot in the Canada West Final Four in his final year. Since his rookie year Hundal has been an impressive addition to the Vikes roster, having previously been a CIS Championship MVP, Championship All-Star and Canada West Rookie of the Year, all in 2011. Five seasons later Hundal is without a doubt the leader on the team, boasting 10 goals and seven assists in 13 games played. The Education major was named Canada West Star of the Week three times and was the top pick twice.

Hundal has started every single game this season and has scored or assisted in all but six matches. Hundal notched a hat- trick in late September against Trinity Western and for the Vikes’ last two games entering the conference championship, he got on the board for two goals and two assists for each of those gamesin each.

Leading up to this season Hundal has been named a Canada West All-Star in all four seasons and adds the feather to his cap as the 2015 Canada West MVP. The five-foot-nine speedster won a championship with Victoria in his first season, in 2011, and entering the Canada West Final Four is just one game away from the hopes of reliving his rookie year.

Rookie of the Year:

Shamit Shome, Alberta Golden Bears, Midfielder

University of Alberta Golden Bears soccer rookie Shamit Shome has won the Canada West Rookie of the Year award for the 2015-16 season.

Shome is the seventh member of the U of A program to win the Canada West honour, and the first since Niko Saler was honoured in 2012.

A former member of the FC Edmonton Academy program, and the Alberta provincial team, Shome started in the midfield for all 12 of Alberta’s conference games this season, scoring six goals, including two game winners, and collecting seven points overall. Shome was also recently named to Canada’s U-20 team, the only CIS player named to the national youth squad, and will attend a 10-day camp in Mexico and play in a pair of matches against the CONCACAF power.

"This is a fantastic honour for Shamit. He has been an integral part of the Golden Bears midfield this past season – p playing every minute of every game, contributing six goals, along with providing a strong defensive responsibility,” said Golden Bears head coach Len Vickery.

“His work rate is phenomenal and his talents, honed with FC Edmonton Academy and the provincial team, have been recognized by our national teams as well,” .”said Golden Bears head coach Len Vickery.

Coach of the Year:

Mike Mosher, UBC Thunderbirds

For the second time in three seasons, UBC’s Mike Mosher is the Canada West Coach of the Year. He previously merited the honour in 2009 and 2013.

Mosher’s Thunderbirds went undefeated for the second time in four years, going 10-0-2 while giving up just five goals in the process. UBC won the Pacific Division by 11 points. The Thunderbirds accomplished all this after losing three goalkeepers, an All-Canadian defender and the Canada West Most Valuable Player to graduation at the end of the 2014 campaign.

During his tenure at UBC, Mosher has led the Thunderbirds to five Canada West Championships and four CIS Championship titles.

"We are proud to have Mike as part of our UBC team., Hhe supports athletes both on an off the field and repeatedly develops winning teams,” said Gord Hopper, UBC Director of Athletics, Performance and Team Support.

Canada West First Team All-Stars:

Goalkeeper: Chad Bush, UBC Thunderbirds

Defensive players: Niko Saler, Alberta Golden Bears; Bryan Fong, UBC Thunderbirds; Chris Serban, UBC Thunderbirds; Harry Lakhan, UBC Thunderbirds; Garrett Peters, Saskatchewan Huskies

Offensive players: Gagan Dosanjh, UBC Thunderbirds; Dominic Russo, Calgary Dinos; Cam Hundal, Victoria Vikes; Sean Einarsson, UBC Thunderbirds; Cody Cook, Mount Royal Cougars

Canada West Second Team All-Stars:

Goalkeeper: Colin Hasick, Calgary Dinos

Defensive players: Brayden Gant, Trinity Western Spartans; Tyrin Hutchings, Mount Royal Cougars; Dominick Zator, Calgary Dinos; Tammer Byrne, Fraser Valley Cascades; C.J. Gilroy, Alberta Golden Bears

Offensive players: Shamit Shome, Alberta Golden Bears; Moe Teliani, Alberta Golden Bears; Ryan Glanville, Thompson Rivers WolfPack; Jarvis Ambaka, Trinity Western Spartans; Tolu Esan, Alberta Golden Bears

Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA):

Canada West is the premier athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. With the most wins in CIS and over 100 national championships in the past decade, Canada West and its 17 member-institutions commit to a student-athlete experience where competitive excellence, scholarship and sportsmanship contribute equally towards moulding outstanding graduates and community leaders.