Banner Season: Nine lacrosse teams linking up in Limestone City for championship weekend
Burlington, Ont. – Powering their way into three days of championship games, nine teams will battle it out to hoist the Patterson Cup and ultimately, to see who will be crowned victorious at the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Lacrosse Championship. Hosted at Tindall Field, the defending champion Queen’s Gaels will welcome their eight additional conference counterparts to Kingston from October 27th to 29th, with competition starting with the round robin slate on Friday.
Championship Details
When: Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29 | FULL SCHEDULE
Where: Tindall Field (Queen’s University)
Participating Schools (9): Brock Badgers, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, Queen’s Gaels (host), Toronto Varsity Blues, Trent Excalibur, Western Mustangs, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Defending Champions: Queen’s Gaels
Student Athletes to Watch:
Cassidy Anyon, McMaster Marauders | Leading her team in scoring leading up to the OUA finale, Anyon is playing in her senior season with the Marauders and is looking to go out on a high note. The kinesiology major brings the strongest set of stick skills, is a reliable distributor on offence, and works off both sides of the field when attacking, which she hopes will help lead her maroon machine to a banner this year.
Rylin Cormier, Toronto Varsity Blues | Making her impact with the Varsity Blues, Cormier has registered a team-leading 34 goals and 12 assists this fall in exhibition play. As she approaches her senior season, Cormier’s varsity experience and well-rounded skillset will be called upon to help her team get back on the podium.
Talyn MacLean, Guelph Gryphons | The Oshawa, Ont. junior is ready to step on the championship stage with the Gryphons for the 2023 OUA finale. As the team’s 2022 MVP and current co-captain, MacLean leads the team with her invaluable knowledge and skill on the defensive line, and that incredibly valuable perspective will prove pivotal for Guelph on the banner season stage.
Tyler McDonald, Trent Excalibur | Coming in to the 2023 championship fresh off of a gold medal with Team Ontario Box at the 2022 Canada Summer Games, McDonald is ready to switch it up as a field player and push the Trent Excalibur to get back atop the podium at the championship this year. If her contributions to the team’s success throughout their exhibition schedule are any indication, the Lynden, Ont. product is primed for a strong banner season debut.
Mackenzie Shigwadja, Brock Badgers | After not making it out of the round robin stage a year ago, Brock will turn to team captain Shigwadja, a third-year player from Oshawa, Ont., to help turn the tides this time around. The Badgers’ leading goal-scorer is a mainstay on the score sheet game in and game out, and will surely be relied upon to give the St. Catharines squad an offensive spark this weekend.
Morgan Vickers, Queen’s Gaels | A team captain with the defending champion and host Gaels, Vickers has made an impact since her first season with Queen’s. She has played in multiple gold medal matches and won two OUA championships during her tenure with the Tricolour and will be looking to end her senior season with another banner, this time coming on home turf.
Catharine Vinkovich, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks | The Ridgebacks are entering the weekend with a younger roster, but having Vinkovich’s leadership will be a valuable asset against the conference’s best. One of the team’s few veteran players and part of the Ridgebacks Leadership Council, the senior psychology major remains a key figure for any Ontario Tech success this weekend.
Syd Watson, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | Finishing just shy of the podium last year, Watson and the Hawks are ready to fight for their moment to shine. The junior has is no stranger to competing at a high level, and continues to do so while following in the footsteps of her father, Bobby Whipper Watson, six-time champion with the Toronto Rock and member of the NLL Hall of Fame.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
An underdog team that works hard game in and game out, the Brock Badgers will have to continue their blue collar style of play to forge their path toward an OUA podium this weekend. Much like they have throughout their exhibition games, the Badgers will need to fight hard for every point, but that approach is something that the team can rely on to help ensure effort leads to success in Kingston.
The Guelph Gryphons have finished just shy of the podium, in fourth place, for the past two seasons, but once again, will look to take that important step into the top three this time around. Despite having a down year through their exhibition games, the team is always ready to bring their best on championship weekend and will be hoping to get their hands on some hardware this weekend as a result.
The McMaster squad is relatively young and inexperienced. Despite having 11 returnees from last season, 14 members of the maroon machine are in either their first or second year, with half of the team having two or fewer years of total lacrosse experience. The young Hamilton bunch also features four Marauders with current or previous experience on other teams.
Not only are the Queen’s Gaels the hosts of the 2023 OUA Lacrosse Championship, they are also the defending champions. In order to defend their title and fend off the frenzy of capable competitors in Kingston, the Tricolour will turn to many returning student-athletes and a strong group of first year players, all of whom have been working hard to ensure the Gaels are up for the challenge.
This year the Toronto Varsity Blues are looking to peak at just the right time. Having finished 5tht he previous year, they hope to push their way to a podium finish in Kingston, and compete for their first OUA banner in over two decades.
So close yet so far, the young Trent Excalibur team is looking for redemption after a silver medal finish at last year’s championships. After taking home the previous two OUA titles and building a lead in the 2022 gold medal match with Queen’s, the perennial contenders were unable to seal the deal, but the young Peterborough group has improved throughout the fall and are preparing to battle for the title on the last Sunday of the season.
If the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks are to get back on top of the conference’s lacrosse mountain, they will do so with a largely local group. Half of the team’s 16 players, in addition to all of the team’s coaches, come from the area, and with only one player graduating after this season, the future remains bright for the purple and gold. This year’s team will also feature five first-year starters and four converted Team Ontario box players, all looking to help Laurier take home the Patterson Cup.
What They’re Saying:
“I’m really excited to see the team put a great effort in on the weekend and anything can happen for us if we come ready to work. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with them.” - Vince Longboat, Head Coach, Brock Badgers
“This season, we've been able to make tremendous strides as a team. We haven't always been the most consistent, but at times when we played well like we're capable of playing, we've been very, very good, and we're just trying to get that on a little more consistent basis. We're really looking forward to going to OUAs this weekend and giving it our all." - Mike Bottosso, Head Coach, McMaster Marauders
“Our team is extremely excited for the upcoming OUAs, especially because we’ll be playing on our home turf. We have been working hard all season and are excited to be challenged. We have such a dedicated and driven team and we are ready to give our all. We are looking forward to a fun weekend of lacrosse and hope to see fans come out to the games!” - Morgan Vickers, Student- Athlete, Queen’s Gaels
“This season, the team’s positivity and ability to come together cohesively, both on and off the field have been our greatest strengths. These women bring the energy and the spirit to the sport of lacrosse. Their dedication and collaboration have elevated their potential as a team. We look forward to a competitive and fun OUA tournament! - Jesse Porter, Head Coach, Toronto Varsity Blues
“Our team looks forward to competing for an OUA Championship every year! We have a young team that is hungry and is pushing themselves each week to be able to fight for the championship on the last Sunday of the season. This team has improved so much from the beginning of the season, and I believe they are ready. - Erica Evans, Head Coach, Trent Excalibur