Banner Season: McMaster crowned women’s champions for second time in three years

Sudbury, Ont. (C/O Laurentian Voyageurs) - It was championship Sunday at the 2024-25 OUA Women’s Curling Championship in Sudbury and the teams came out firing on all cylinders.  After three incredible draws, it was the McMaster Marauders who stood at the top of the mountain and were crowned OUA champions for the second time in three years.

The day opened with the quarterfinals in the morning and saw a number of tightly contested games, with three of the four needing the final shot to be thrown.  In the first quarterfinal, the top seeded Voyageurs were the first team to put a crooked number on the board, taking two in the sixth end for a 4-3 lead over Queen’s.  After forcing the Gaels to a single in seventh, the Voyageurs took hammer into eighth tied at 4.  Mia Toner’s rink set up the end beautifully and Bella Lehtimaki-Croisier was forced an in-off on her last. However, her shot flashed and missed the ricochet, leading to a steal of 2 for the Gaels and the win.

Laurier opened up their battle with Brock with three in the first but the Badgers battled back and counted three of their own in the sixth to tie things at 4.  After the Golden Hawks were forced to a single in the seventh, Brock’s Rhiannon Beckstead had a double for the win but was too thick on her hit, sending the Golden Hawks to the semifinals.

After McMaster opened up a 3-0 lead in their battle with Carleton, the Ravens clawed their way back, tying things up at 3 heading into the final end.  After Carleton’s Jenny Madden was slightly heavy with her draw to the button, the door was open for Rachel Steele to put one on the lid and she took full advantage, securing the single and the win for the Marauders. In the final matchup, Guelph opened their game against Waterloo by stealing four points in the first two ends before securing four more in the fifth to cruise to a 9-4 win over the Warriors.

In the semifinals, Laurier jumped to an early 2-0 lead over Queen’s, pushing that to 5-1 after three ends.  After Toner was heavy with her draw in the sixth, Laurier’s Emma Artichuk had an open hit for four and made no mistake, booking the Golden Hawks into the final and a trip to nationals with a 9-3 win.

On the other sheet, after Guelph opened the game with a single, McMaster blanked before scoring a pair and then stealing in each of the next four ends to secure their third straight trip to the championship game and nationals with a 7-1 win.

In the bronze medal game, the teams traded singles through the first half, entering the break tied 2-2.  Coming out of the break, Justine Toner’s Gaels managed a steal of two but Jillian Uniacke and the Gryphons responded with three of their own in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.  In the eighth, the Gaels manufactured an opportunity for three but after a measurement, it was only two and the teams headed for an extra end.  In the extra, the Gryphons built a wall in front of the button and Toner’s in-off was a little thin, leaving Guelph sitting three to earn the bronze medal and the last ticket to nationals.

In the gold medal game, McMaster opened with a deuce and proceeded to steal singles in each of the next three ends to open a 5-0 lead.  Laurier regrouped in the fourth end break and had an opportunity for a split in the fifth to score three but they flashed their rock and had to settle for a single.  Artichuk and crew, however, continued to battle and stole singles in the sixth and seventh ends to make it a 5-3 game.  Sitting one with her last, Artichuk attempted to hit and roll onto the button.  Her rock spilled too far, however, and Rachel Steele did not have to throw her last as McMaster earned their second title in three years, winning 5-3.

Championship MVP - Shannon Warriner, Waterloo         

Coach of the Year - Morgan Lavell, Guelph

OUA ALL-STARS

First Team

Skip        Bella Lehtimaki-Croisier, Laurentian

Vice       Shannon Warriner, Waterloo

Second  Victoria Zemmelink, Laurier

Lead      Justine Toner, Queen’s

Second Team

Skip        Emma Artichuk, Laurier

Vice       Sadie McCutcheon, Queen’s

Second  Emily Parkinson, Queen’s

Lead      Violet French, Waterloo