Big shoes are never easy to fill. The UFV Cascades men’s soccer program knows this all too well. Following the departure of a five year stalwart in net by the name of Jackson Cowx, the program needed to pivot to find their keeper of the future.
With second-year goalie Lewis Hiebert being the only netminder returning this season, the Cascades signed rookie Matheus De Souza out of Surrey, B.C. to compete for the starter’s position. De Souza joins UFV from the Whitecaps FC MLS Academy, where he played from 2021 through 2024. What some might call a challenging transition into Canada West, De Souza acknowledged the familiar feeling between the two leagues and emphasized that the difficulty of every match at the Canada West level was something he was akin to.
De Souza has wasted no time making his presence known on the pitch. Just like Cowx before him, De Souza has played every minute for the Cascades in 2025/26, marking a new era between the posts for UFV. Through his first six starts with the Cascades, De Souza earned Canada West player of the week on Sept. 16 after posting a program high four consecutive shut-outs over a total of 462 minutes and 35 seconds before the streak was snapped in a 6-2 victory the following weekend over the Saskatchewan Huskies
Coach Tom Lowndes had glowing remarks about his new keeper.
“Matheus has come in and been excellent. His shot stopping ability is really good, his distribution, his communication, and he’s a great kid, really good character. The lads love him.”
Trusting the players to defend and block shots is vital in both the success of a keeper and the team as a whole. With veteran defenders in front of him, a talented group of forwards, and midfielders who can score in bunches, De Souza can settle into a difficult Canada West division. Mistakes lead to growth, and Lowndes has insulated the rookie with an experienced defensive core.
De Souza was quick to credit his teammates when discussing the team’s success
“[We have a] really good back line, unreal. I was talking to some of the guys and they said that they got my back, I got their back, we have that connection with all of us.”
De Souza stays vocal and focused on the action by constantly communicating with teammates and staying locked on the ball throughout the 90 minutes of playing time. He told The Cascade that the second he loses his focus could be the one that the ball ends up behind him or that the game slides another direction.
Having a strong duo of keepers is essential for the Cascades’ tandem to develop their skills alongside each other, but also for the players in front of them to learn how each goalie controls the game and stays sharp in practice.
“Matheus knows every day when he comes to training that Lewis is going to push him. It’s a perfect relationship and one that will only get better as the season goes on.”
As both De Souza and Hiebert continue to gain valuable experience playing against top-ranked teams in Canada West, and if the long-term results are as promising as the early success, the Cascades net is in good hands, or gloves, for a long time.
