Stars shine bright: Moncada and Zeppieri lead 2025 conference honours

Burlington, Ont. – Putting up points was the name of the game for this year's outstanding class of award winners, with two standing above the rest. Trent's John Moncada and York's Christian Zeppieri added to their highlight reel seasons, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2025 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men's soccer season.

Most Valuable Player (East) - John Moncada, Trent Excalibur

Moncada made his mark in the conference all year long. In his first season with the Trent Excalibur, the forward registered 14 points and recorded one assist for a league-leading 15 points. His 14 goals not only led the conference and the nation, but were also a new program record for the Excalibur.

The Scarborough, Ont. native had a presence in almost every game he played, starting in 11 of Trent's 12 regular season matches this fall. Moncada found his footing in the second game of the year and didn't look back. A dominant force on the field, he went on a roll in early September, scoring a brace in four straight games during that stretch.

Adding to an incredible individual effort this season, Moncada helped the Trent Excalibur complete their best season in program history, finding their way back to the playoffs for the first time in nine years. 

Most Valuable Player (West) - Christian Zeppieri, York Lions

Three times is the charm for York Lions Zeppieri, who put up another MVP season. The midfielder from Maple, Ont. had an impressive eight goals and four assists this season. His 12 points were good for third in the league rankings.

Zeppieri put the ball towards the net 31 times over his 10 games, a feat that put him tied for second, behind only his teammate. He was the player you wanted with the ball when it mattered most, as he scored two game-winning goals.

His leadership helped the Lions reach their third consecutive OUA championship final.

Zeppieri became the first player in conference history dating back to 2002 to win the league MVP award in three straight seasons. Eight previous athletes have won the award on two separate occasions, with six of those doing so in consecutive seasons.

Rookie of the Year (East) - Jordan Grey, Toronto Varsity Blues

Every season brings new talent, but few players make an impact as quickly and decisively as Grey did. In his debut season with the Toronto Varsity Blues, he appeared in all 12 regular season games and tallied six goals. The life sciences student from Ajax, Ont. was also firing on all cylinders in the first few games of the playoffs, scoring both of the Blues' goals in their semifinal win over the Waterloo Warriors.

Along with helping his team clinch an OUA championship berth on their home turf, he contributed to an OUA-best 42 goals by the Blues this season.

Rookie of the Year (West) - Marco Sciortino, York Lions

The Lions were able to lock up the OUA West rookie of the year award locked for a second straight season, as Sciortino claims another for the Toronto-based team.

From the moment he stepped on the pitch, the commerce student proved he belonged, scoring five goals and recording four assists on the year. His first career goal in the OUA was followed in quick succession by two more in the same game, netting a hat trick against the Windsor Lancers.

Sciortino has been a difference maker for York, helping them punch their ticket to their third consecutive OUA title game.

The Maple, Ont. product becomes the second consecutive Lion to win the OUA West Rookie of the Year Award after Luca Accettola won it a season ago and parlayed it into a professional contract with York United of the CPL.

Community Service Award (East) - Landyn Lawson-Hayes, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks

A true leader in his community, Lawson-Hayes spends his free time working as a foster care support worker. The second-year commerce student supports foster children in their homes, collaborating closely with foster parents to follow individualized care plans for each child.

Beyond his work in foster care, the Ridgebacks defender also dedicates time to coaching youth at his local soccer club, always finding new ways to give back to his team and community.

Community Service Award (West) - Yigal Bruk, York Lions

Before joining the York Lions, Bruk played for FC Schalke 04's U19 and reserves in Germany, as well as representing the Ukrainian Youth National Team.

Apart from his accomplishments through sport, he holds an impressive academic standard; however, Bruk's community involvement is perhaps most impressive of all.

In his first year with York, the Vancouver, B.C. product organized a donation of 25 brand new Nike soccer balls to his team and organized a fundraiser that raised $880 for the 2025 season.

Before starting at York, he volunteered at two medical clinics – one a specialty plastic surgery practice and the other a family medicine clinic.

His work volunteering at the family medicine clinic inspired him in March of 2024 to found Generations Assisting Loved-ones (GAL) Senior Care Foundation - a non-profit dedicated to fighting the senior fraud epidemic. Through in-person presentations, they are facilitating prevention through education and emphasizing breaking down the barrier between coming forward and hidden embarrassment.

Recently, the Freud Lab partnered with Generations Assisting Loved-ones, to speak with seniors about the research they are doing.

Yigal also volunteers each summer at the Matthew Hoppe Foundation in California, where he coaches kids, passionate about soccer. Moreover, he even teaches line dancing at York University and acts as a Run Leader and Safety Officer at the YU Run Club while not suiting up for the Lions.

Champion of EDI Award (East) - Alex Lin, Toronto Varsity Blues

Lin is the chair of the Toronto Varsity Blues BIPOC Varsity Association (BVA).

After membership declined, the fourth-year life sciences student revitalized the BVA through strategic outreach, creating a thriving support network for BIPOC-identifying student-athletes across all University campuses.

The Blues goalkeeper has expanded the BVA's impact by leading participation in Black History Month programming, Future Black Applicant Day, Indigenous Education Week, and community LGBTQ+ events. He has done all this while simultaneously building organizational sustainability through succession planning and increased Indigenous representation in leadership.

His unmatched dedication to ensuring every BIPOC-identifying student-athlete feels valued and empowered exemplifies his commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion on his campus and beyond.

Coach of the Year (East) - Grant Purdy, Trent Excalibur

It was a record-breaking and memorable season for the Trent Excalibur, led by their bench boss Purdy. They finished the regular season with a 6-5-1 record for 19 points, setting a new program record for both wins and points in a season.

It was an impressive season all around for Purdy's Peterborough, Ont. squad, scoring 29 goals to tie for second best in the league. On the defensive end, Trent was able to collect three clean sheets on the season and allowed their opponents to score only 28 times.

Prior to stepping into the head coaching position with the Excalibur, Purdy won back-to-back provincial (OFSAA) gold with the Villanova College women's soccer, and in 2018 coached the 2001 Whitby Boys to an Ontario gold medal.

Rounding out this remarkable year and stemming from Purdy's leadership, the Excalibur also secured four all-star honours and Moncada's MVP nod.

Coach of the Year (West) - Jon Morgan, Waterloo Warriors

Morgan took the head coaching job prior to the start of the 2024 campaign, and in only two seasons behind the bench has turned the Warriors into one of the top programs in the OUA.

This season, he led Waterloo to second place in OUA West with a 7-2-3 record, after coming up short of the playoffs a year ago. In 2025, Waterloo hosted a playoff match on home turf for the first time in over 15 years after securing a bye into the quarterfinals.

Under his guidance, Waterloo scored 29 goals in the regular season, tied for a solid second best in the league. The Warriors' numbers are a significant improvement from 12 goals a year ago.

Along with his individual honours of coach of the year, Morgan was influential in four all-star nods for the Warriors program in 2025.

Most Valuable Player (East) - John Moncada, Trent Excalibur

Most Valuable Player (West) - Christian Zeppieri York Lions

Rookie of the Year (East) - Jordan Grey, Toronto Varsity Blues

Rookie of the Year (West) - Marco Sciortino, York Lions

Community Service Award (East) - Landyn Lawson-Hayes, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks

Community Service Award (West) - Yigal Bruk, York Lions

Champion of EDI Award (East) - Alex Lin, Toronto Varsity Blues

Coach of the Year (East) - Grant Purdy, Trent Excalibur

Coach of the Year (West) - Jon Morgan, Waterloo Warriors

First Team All-Star (East)

First Team All-stars (West)

Second Team All-stars (East)

Second Team All-stars (West)