Banner Season: Final matchups set as top pool finishers prepare to go for gold
Kingston, Ont. (via Queen's Gaels) – The finals are set at the OUA Squash Championships with a rematch of last year’s title game in the Men’s Division and a new competitor looking to end a lengthy title streak in the Women’s Division.
The Western Mustangs will look to earn their 39th consecutive OUA Men’s Squash title on Sunday, facing a familiar opponent in the Toronto Varsity Blues. In the Women’s Division, the Queen’s Gaels will play for their eighth consecutive title on Sunday, this time facing the McMaster Marauders.
In Men’s Division action, the Mustangs concluded round robin play Saturday morning with a 7-0 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees to top Pool A standings with a 3-0 record. In the semifinals, Western defeated the Waterloo Warriors 7-0 to advance to the title game. Western has yet to drop a set this tournament.
The Varsity Blues meanwhile, topped Pool B standings after a 7-0 win over Waterloo to start the day. Toronto followed that up with a 6-1 win over the host Gaels in the semifinals.
“I think we’re playing really well,” Toronto’s Josh Wolpert said after the two match wins. “We were pretty dialed in today, really wanted to make statements in both the matches. We knew we were playing tough competitors and we’re pleased with the outcome.”
In last year’s final Western defeated Toronto 5-2, the only two sets they dropped all tournament.
“It’s going to take a special performance,” Wolpert said when asked what it would take to break the Mustangs’ impressive streak. “I think everyone just needs to focus on their own individual matches and hope for the best, prepare well, and see what happens.”
In other Men’s Division action, the Gaels opened their day with a narrow 4-3 win over the Guelph Gryphons to book a spot in the semifinal. Queen’s will take on Waterloo in the Bronze Medal Game on Sunday.
And the Brock Badgers edged McMaster 4-3 in round robin action before also getting by the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Consolation Semifinals to advance to Sunday’s Consolation Final. The Gryphons defeated the Marauders in the other Consolation Semifinal and will face Brock in the Consolation Final.
McMaster and Ottawa will meet in the 7th-place game.
In the Women’s Division, the host Gaels opened the day with a 7-0 win over Ottawa to finish round robin play undefeated and atop Pool A with a 3-0 record.
Queen’s took on Western in the semifinals and advanced to Sunday’s Gold Medal Game with a 7-0 win.
The Marauders also finished round robin play undefeated after a 7-0 win over Brock to start the day. The top seed in Pool B, McMaster edged the Varsity Blues 5-2 in the semifinals to set up a match with Queen’s on Sunday.
“We started out with two tough matches against Waterloo and Western, which both had very intense matches,” said McMaster’s Sofia Quon. “But I think U of T has definitely been our closest match, and the best matches overall. Everyone’s getting more comfortable and getting better. It’s more exciting, more pressure.”
“We just have to try our best. Results will come. But I think this is the first time McMaster will ever medal.
Western and Toronto will meet in the Bronze Medal Game Sunday while Guelph and Waterloo will meet in the Consolation Final after both winning their Consolation semifinal matches. The Gryphons defeated Brock 7-0 while the Warriors defeated Ottawa 6-1.
The Badgers and Gee-Gees will face off in the 7th-place game.
Action resumes Sunday with the Men’s and Women’s Gold Medal Games starting at 9 a.m. while the Bronze Medal Games are scheduled for 11 a.m.
