OSHAWA, Ont. – The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will be hosting their second provincial championship in two weeks, as the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's field lacrosse championship will be taking place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Oshawa.
Action at the three-day championship will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday on Terry Kelly Field at the Oshawa Civic Recreation Complex. The championship will wrap up with the gold medal game scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Western Mustangs enter the championship as the three-time defending champions, as they recorded their fourth straight undefeated regular season. The Mustangs are in the midst of a historical run, not having lost to OUA competition since dropping the gold medal game to Laurier in 2010. Western has outscored their opponents 203-65 en route to a 12-0-0 record during the regular season. Western's offence is led by Tawnie Johnson, who was an OUA all-star one season ago.
Finishing in second place in the OUA western conference was the up-start Brock Badgers, who went 8-3-1 during the regular season. Goaltending is a strength for the Badgers, with 2013 OUA all-star Eryn Matisz in-between the pipes. Brock started the season with nine consecutive wins, but faltered down the stretch with three losses and a tie.
The Guelph Gryphons have won three straight OUA silver medals and will be looking to get a fourth shot at dethroning the Mustangs. In last year's gold medal game, Western took a 9-1 halftime lead, but the Gryphons closed the gap to 13-8. The Gryphons struggled during the regular season, as they sported a 3-7-0 record.
In the east, the Toronto Varsity Blues posted an 8-2-0 record to earn the number one seed in the conference. Toronto will be looking to play a factor in the medal equation, with their only two losses coming against Brock and Western. The Varsity Blues finished the season on a four-game win streak and will look to carry that momentum into the championship.
Edging out Queen's (5-6-1) and Trent (3-4-3) for the second spot in the east was the host UOIT Ridgebacks. UOIT had their best season in the five-year history of the program, racking up four wins and two ties. Led by
Taylor Milburn on the offensive attack, the Ridgebacks will look to win their first OUA medal on home turf this weekend.
OFFICIAL SCHEDULE Friday, Oct. 31
Game 1 - Trent Excalibur vs. McMaster Marauders - 11 a.m.
Game 2 - Guelph Gryphons vs. York Lions - 12:45 p.m.
Game 3 - Brock Badgers vs. Queen's Gaels - 2:30 p.m.
Game 4 - UOIT Ridgebacks vs. Laurier Golden Hawks - 4:15 p.m.
Game 5 - Western Mustangs vs. Winner of Game 1 - 6 p.m.
Game 6 - Toronto Varsity Blues vs. Winner of Game 2 - 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1
Game 7 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 - 9 a.m.
Game 8 - Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 5 - 10:45 p.m.
Game 9 - Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 6 - 12:30 p.m.
Game 10 - Semi-Final - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 2:15 p.m.
Game 11 - Semi-Final - Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 - 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2
Game 12 - Loser of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 9 - 9 a.m.
Game 13 - Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9 - 10:45 p.m.
Game 14 - Bronze Medal Match - Losers of Semi-Finals - 12:30 p.m.
Game 15 - Gold Medal Match - Winners of Semi-Finals - 2 p.m.
