As announced by Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA), University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's lacrosse midfielder, Zach Abu-Ali was named the Rookie of the Year and received all-Canadian honours.

Abu-Ali broke onto the scene in Toronto, finishing in fourth-place in CUFLA scoring with 35 goals in nine games. Additionally, he finished sixth in overall points with 51.

The Mississauga native is the first Varsity Blue to garner Rookie of the Year honours since Jason Barnable in 2015. Meanwhile, he's the first Blue to be an all-Canadian since Henry Klinck earned the recognition in 2023.

The finance and economics student scored in many different ways in 2025, notching three power play goals, a shorthanded goal and seven hat tricks. In U of T's 15-9 season opening win over McMaster, Abu-Ali had an impressive five-goal debut and didn't look back from there. He set a new career-high for goals in a game on Saturday, Sept. 27 afternoon when he tallied eight goals in a win over Laurentian.

In addition to Abu-Ali's honours, U of T also received the award for Stadium of the Year. Varsity Stadium played host to five regular season contests this fall, continuing to serve as one of the premiere venues among the 14 teams hosting CUFLA competition throughout the 2025 campaign