Holiday action for many OUA teams
HAMILTON, Ont. – Even though the Ontario University Athletics regular season schedules have been put on hold for the winter break, plenty of OUA teams will be hosting holiday tournaments or exhibition games in the weeks to come. Several OUA squads will host teams from across the country and around the world as they hope to stay sharp when the regular season resumes in early January.
The non-conference action begins on December 28 through December 30. The Ryerson Rams men’s basketball team will play host to the Ryerson University National Invitational Tournament. The weekend tournament will see the Chinese U19 national team join the Rams and other top competition representing each of the four Canadian regional associations.
Women’s volleyball and women’s hockey will also be on display that same weekend. The Toronto Varsity Blues will be hosting the No. 8 Sherbrooke Vert et Or, the Queen’s Gaels and the New Brunswick Varsity Reds as part of the Women’s Volleyball National Invitational Tournament.
The Hawks Holiday Tournament, hosted by the Laurier women’s hockey program, will also run December 28 to 30, and will feature some of the top women’s hockey programs in Canada. The No. 5 Golden Hawks will welcome the top-ranked McGill Martlets, the Guelph Gryphons and a host of PWHL squads for the three-day event.
Several men’s hockey exhibition games will also be on the schedule. The McGill Redmen will visit the Lakehead Thunderwolves for a pair of games on December 28 and 29, with both games beginning at 7:30 p.m. On December 28, the Queen’s Gaels and Carleton Ravens will bring OUA hockey to Kemptville, Ont. as they play a neutral-site contest beginning at 3 p.m. Guelph visiting York on December 30 at 3 p.m. and Windsor hosting Western for a 7:30 p.m. start will wrap up weekend action.
The first weekend of 2013 will feature tournaments hosted by the York men’s volleyball team and Waterloo women’s hockey, running January 4-6. The 34TH Annual York Excalibur Volleyball Classic will feature teams from the OUA, Quebec and Newfoundland, as well as Budo University from Japan. The Waterloo Warriors Tournament will take place the same weekend and will feature the host squad, as well as the Toronto Varsity Blues, Laurier Golden Hawks, Western Mustangs and Brock Badgers. A team from the prestigious Scanlon Creek Academy will also be on hand to try test their skill against elite OUA competition.
The regular season schedules for OUA sports return in early January. Men’s hockey returns to action on January 3, while women’s hockey returns to the rink on January 11. Both men’s and women’s basketball get back under way on January 3. The women’s volleyball schedule resumes on January 4, while the men return to the court one week later on January 11.
Visit the following team schedules for full holiday schedules, including out of province competition:
Men’s Hockey
Western Mustangs
Women’s Hockey
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Men’s Volleyball
Women’s Volleyball
