As announced by Ontario University Athletics (OUA) on Thursday afternoon, the University of Toronto men's soccer program received two major awards as Varsity Blues first-year forward Jordan Grey was recognized as the OUA East rookie of the year and fourth-year goalkeeper Alex Lin received the OUA East Champion of EDI Award. In addition, Anthony White and Mehdi Essoussi were all selected as first team all-stars, while Grey, Filip Zendelek and Micah Joseph were named second team all-stars.

In his first season with the Blues, Grey played a pivotal role in contributing to an OUA-best 46 goals by the U of T this season. A consistent presence up front with his 6-foot-6 frame, he scored those six goals across five different games. Appearing in all 12 regular season games, the life sciences major finished second on the team in goals scored and ranked ninth in the province. Grey marks the fourth consecutive Blue to claim the honour of OUA East rookie of the year following Niklas Hallam (2024), Michael Maslanka (2023) and Tadiji Vukas (2022).

Earning recognition for his outstanding contributions off the pitch, Lin becomes the first Varsity Blue to receive the recently introduced Champion of EDI Award. The veteran goalkeeper serves as Chair of the U of T's BIPOC Varsity Association (BVA). After membership declined significantly, Lin revitalized the BVA through strategic outreach, creating a thriving support network for BIPOC student-athletes across all U of T campuses. He expanded the BVA's impact by leading participation in Black History Month programming, Future Black Applicant Day, Indigenous Education Week, and community LGBTQ+ events, while simultaneously building organizational sustainability through succession planning and increased Indigenous representation in leadership. His dedication to ensuring every BIPOC student-athlete feels valued and empowered exemplifies the commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion that this award celebrates.

Receiving OUA East first team all-star honours for a second consecutive season, Essoussi continued to provide vital leadership for the Blues in the middle of the pitch. Appearing in all 11 games this season, the engineering major notched two goals and one assist, while serving as the primary transition piece between the U of T defensive and offensive zones.

Also receiving all-star recognition for a second time, White made a return to the Blues lineup this fall after previously competing with U of T in 2022. Despite the gap in time, the veteran defender was able to immediately jump back into his role shutting down opponent attacks. White competed in 12 regular season contests adding one goal and one assist to go along with his defensive efforts. He made the leap from second team honours in 2022 to first team in 2025.

Finally, the trio of Zendelek, Joseph and Grey received OUA second team all-star honours for the first time in their U of T careers. Zendelek earned nine wins in goal, collecting seven clean sheets along the way. Meanwhile, Joseph provided range in the midfield appearing in eight regular season games, adding his first career goal in an impressive 6-2 victory at Trent in early-October.

The complete list of 2025 OUA East men's soccer award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player – John Moncada, Trent
Rookie of the Year – Jordan Grey, Toronto
Coach of the Year – Grant Purdy, Trent
Community Service Award – Landyn Lawson-Hayes, Ontario Tech
Champion of EDI Award – Alex Lin, Toronto

First Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper – Roberto Paguaga-Frankovich, Carleton
Defender – Nicholas Gagnon, Carleton
Defender – Nabil Hakim, TMU
Defender – Anthony White, Toronto
Midfielder – Mehdi Essoussi, Toronto
Midfielder – Caden Tomy, Carleton
Midfielder – Jacob Ball, Queen's
Midfielder – Justin Santos, TMU
Striker – John Moncada, Trent
Striker – Erion Metaj, Ontario Tech
Striker – Cyrus Rollocks, TMU

Second Team All-Stars
Goalkeeper – Filip Zendelek, Toronto
Defender – Liam Pender, Queen's
Defender – Yusuf Osman, Carleton
Defender – Noah Carew, Trent
Defender – Olly Sankar, Laurentian
Midfielder – Micah Joseph, Toronto
Midfielder – Alex Maadanian, Ontario Tech
Midfielder – Caleb Charles, Trent
Striker – Jordan Grey, Toronto
Striker – Leo Frans, Trent
Striker – Christian Keshishian, Ontario Tech