Canada West Rookie of the year - Dane Domic

• Mount Royal Cougars
• Midfielder
• Open Studies
• Calgary, Alta.

What a season it was for Dane Domic and the Mount Royal Cougars.

Domic is the CW Rookie of the Year after finishing second in the league with 14 points. He made a huge impact on the Mount Royal Cougars, leading the team in points thanks to his six goals and eight assists. The only games Domic didn't secure points in were games when the Cougars were kept off the scoreboard all together, showing how much he means to the offense. 

 Domic has spent time with the Canadian U20 national team as well as playing in the Netherlands with Sparta Rotterdam U19. His skill and passion for the game of soccer can not go unnoticed when he takes the field. The breakout star has already taken the league by storm and with four more years of available eligibility, the opportunities for Domic and the Cougars are endless.

"Dane has been a complete professional from the day he walked into training camp. He brings his best day-in and day-out to practice, and we are very excited to support him through his long career in soccer.". - Head Coach, Ryan Gyaki 


Canada West Coach of the Year - Ryan Gyaki

• Mount Royal Cougars
• Fifth season

It was a historic season for the Mount Royal Cougars, who set a Canada West program record with nine wins.

A large part of that success came thanks to the work of head coach Ryan Gyaki, who is the conference's Coach of the Year.

MRU topped the Prairie Division standings this season with a 9-4-1 record, as Gyaki continued to leave his mark on the Cougars.

Internationally Gyaki represented Canada at the U20 and U23 level. In 2005 he captained the Canadian U20 national team and scored all four of their goals during qualifying for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. Later that year he was named the Canada Youth Player of the Year and was ranked as one of the top ten players to watch at the tournament.

After returning from Europe Gyaki began to focus on coaching and in 2014 the Calgary native joined MRU as an assistant coach. The next season he became head coach and guided the Cougars to the playoffs for the first time in the program's CW history.

"Since the 2015 season when Ryan took over the reigns as head coach, our men's soccer program has continually developed their culture into one of high accountability, expectations, and professionalism.  His incredible passion for the program's success shines through in his leadership. While Ryan would be the first to say individual awards are a by-product of many other individuals contributing to the greater goals of the team and program, he has very much earned personal recognition as the Canada West Coach of the Year.  We are proud of him, and look forward to the program's continued climb to the top of U SPORTS men's soccer." - Rob Godfrey, Manager of Varsity Athletics 

Canada West article here