By the Numbers: Playoff berths, shutout debuts, and championship triumphs
October 24, 2018

By the Numbers: Playoff berths, shutout debuts, and championship triumphs

2003 – After play wrapped up in the regular season, the dust settled on what was a previously murky playoff picture, and it settled in a way that left the Waterloo Warriors postseason-bound. The team’s 4-4 record has them as the sixth-seed in the quest for the Yates Cup, earning the tie-breaker over the Laurier Golden Hawks after defeating their cross-town rivals earlier in the season in the Battle of Waterloo. That was the first time since 2002 that the black and gold earned a win in the matchup, and with their now confirmed postseason berth, the team will play past Week 9 for the first time since 2003.  

91 – Gabe Ferraro has made a name for himself after making clutch kick after clutch kick in the OUA. The Guelph Gryphons kicker has been doing so for five seasons now, and he wrapped up his final regular season game in a way that only he could. With the Gryphons and Warriors tied in the second overtime, Ferraro connected on a 42-yard field goal, which proved to be the winning points in the team’s win-and-you’re-in game. But more than securing the win, it also gave Ferraro a share of the all-time U SPORTS record for made field goals with 91.

52 – Zackary Kealey ended his breakout season for Queen’s with a huge game as he once again was the leading tackler on the Gaels. His seven-tackle performance against the Ottawa Gee-Gees brought his season total up to 52, which was sixth best in the OUA for the year. It was also one of the most successful defensive campaigns for a member of the Tricolour, as it marked the most tackles by a Gael since Sam Sabourin had 64 in the 2010 season.

28 – It was a debut to remember for UOIT goaltender Brooke Vial, as she not only backstopped the Ridgebacks to victory in her first career start, but did so in the form of a shutout. In what was the Oshawa squad’s only win of the young season, Vial recorded 28 saves for her first OUA win and shutout.

25 – It has been an unparalleled string of success for the Guelph Gryphons women’s rugby team, who claimed their third straight provincial banner on Saturday in a rematch against the Queen’s Gaels. While taking home the championship was a proud accomplishment for the Gryphons, the team accomplished another impressive feat simply by earning their spot in the OUA finale, earning a medal for the 25th consecutive season.

23 – Laura Upenieks claimed her second straight and third career OUA individual title in leading the Varsity Blues women’s golf team to their seventh straight provincial banner. Her two-day total of 160 was one stroke ahead of former Varsity Blue and current Guelph Gryphon Sarah Dunning, and the Etobicoke, Ont. native can thank her 23 pars or better over the 36-hole championship for securing her the edge.

19 – For the second straight year, the York Lions proved victorious in the annual Red and Blue Bowl against their cross-town rivals. With their 31-15 victory, a game that was highlighted by a three-interception performance from Kadeem Thomas, the Lions closed the game in the all-time series. With 49 editions now in the books, York now sits at 19 wins against the Toronto Varsity Blues during that span.

14 – With just one weekend to play, Stephanie Roberts made the most of her final two games with an offensive output that shook up the scoring leaderboard. Roberts netted five goals in two days to dramatically win the OUA scoring title on the last day of the season. She scored twice in McMaster's 3-0 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds Saturday, before adding a hat trick in the Sunday rematch to total 14 goals in 16 regular season games.

14 – Not only was it a monumental season for the black and gold’s football team as a whole, but for a number of individual Warriors as well. And one of the team’s key contributors ended his breakout campaign in style by etching his name into the OUA record books. Tyler Ternowski entered Waterloo’s final game of the season needing two touchdowns for the single-season record, and thanks to his two majors in the third quarter against the Guelph Gryphons, the third-year receiver brought his total to 14 to successfully top the OUA’s all-time list.

10 – After a grueling weekend of competition, just two teams remained battling for the baseball banner when the championship game rolled around, but even after another hard-fought nine innings, the score couldn’t be settled. It took one extra inning for the Laurier Golden Hawks to avenge their loss to the Toronto Varsity Blues a year ago, and the final blow came via a walk-off single from Matt Komonen to seal the Hawks win in the 10th frame.