Fraser Valley – MSOC: Brazinha goes back-to-back as Canada West Player of the Year
For the second straight season, the University of the Fraser Valley’s Mateo Brazinha has been named the Canada West Men’s Soccer Player of the Year.
The talismanic striker becomes the first player in UFV history to earn Canada West Player of the Year honours for a second time, and the first Canada West’s men’s soccer player in over 20 years to win back-to-back Canada West Player of the Year recognition. The last player in the conference to achieve the feat was UBC’s Aaron Richer in 2002 and 2003.
UFV head coach Tom Lowndes praised the enormous achievement from his captain.
“It’s an unbelievable achievement for Mateo to go back-to-back as the player of the year. It’s fully deserved. He’s scored a lot of big goals for us, and he is a true leader in our program,” he explained.
“He’s a great player, a great kid, and probably the best player in UFV Athletics history, so I’m just really delighted for him. I’m so proud of him and what he has been able to achieve over the past couple of years.”
The dynamic fourth-year forward from Port Coquitlam, B.C. delivered another outstanding campaign for the Cascades, leading the conference with 13 goals in 13 regular season games and finishing tied for the U SPORTS lead in points (15).
Brazinha’s performance powered Fraser Valley to a strong season, finishing third in the Pacific Division with a 7-4-4 record. The Cascades advanced to the semifinals after a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Calgary, before falling 1-0 in a heartbreaker to undefeated UBC.
UFV Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Nick Sirski echoed the praise for Brazinha’s achievement.
“I’m extremely happy for Mateo to be able to earn this award for the second consecutive year. He’s been a great representative of the Cascades throughout his four years here so far, and someone who is respected by his teammates both on and off the field,” Sirski commended.
“This is a massive achievement that doesn’t only reflect the great season he has had, but also exemplifies the hard work and achievements of all his teammates that have trained and battled by his side, the tireless effort of the support staff that have helped him through challenges all season, and the unending support of those around him.”
Despite the Cascades season coming to an end in heartbreaking fashion, Brazinha’s contributions helped the program reach new heights in 2025. The program reached the Canada West final four for the second consecutive year, marking the first time the UFV men’s program has done so in back-to-back years.
