CALGARY – First-year forward Luis Rangel-Kataev has been named Canada West Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Dinos player in a decade to earn the honour, the league office announced Wednesday.

The Calgary native enjoyed an impressive debut in the conference, recording seven goals and one assist across 13 appearances.

The recognition makes Rangel-Kataev the first Dinos player to claim the award since Bori Falaye in 2016 and just the third in total after J.P. Khouri earned the award back in 1997.

"Luis is an outstanding young man who truly exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete," said Dinos head coach Ramon Mifflin. "He has made an exceptional impact on our team, stepping up in a big way during a season when we lost several key players to graduation.

"His hard work, commitment, and contributions went far beyond what you would typically expect from a first-year player. We are incredibly proud of Luis and the impact he made on our team this season."

Rangel-Kataev made an immediate impact in his Dinos career, coming off the bench to score on his debut in a 2-0 victory over Mount Royal in the season opener. He followed that up with a brace in a 3-0 win over Saskatchewan before finding the net again against Alberta. His standout performance came against UBC Okanagan, where he recorded two goals and an assist in a commanding 5-1 victory.

His stellar form in September saw him earn his first honour, being named BioSteel Athlete of the Week for men's soccer. His contributions to the side helped Calgary equal the program record for wins in a season, finishing the campaign with nine victories to top the Prairie Division standings.

-UC-