The Varsity Blues’ men’s and women’s hockey teams had an eventful week, securing consecutive wins in their best-of-three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarterfinal round to advance to the semifinals. Most recently, the women’s team swept the Guelph Gryphons in the semifinal round to reach the OUA finals and clinch a spot in the U SPORTS Championship. 

Season recaps and history 

Both Blues’ teams entered the playoffs following strong regular seasons. The men finished 17–11–0, placing second in the OUA West Conference and 13th nationally. The women posted a 17–8–1 record, also securing second place in the OUA West Conference at an impressive seventh national ranking. 

Both teams have consistently ranked among the conference’s top five over the past two seasons. The men’s team has shown steady improvements, finishing fifth in 2022–2023, climbing to third last season, and reaching second this year. Meanwhile, the women’s team has maintained an exceptional record, winning the OUA Championship in 2023 and earning silver at both the provincial and national championships last year, their best finish since 2003. 

Women’s playoff progress 

Game one on February 27 of the Blues’ quarterfinal matchup against third-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees remained scoreless until just over a minute remained in the second period, when the Gee-Gees drew first blood on a power-play. 

However, the Blues quickly responded, with forward Ashley Delahey scoring off the ensuing faceoff. The Blues went on to score three unanswered goals in the third period, securing a 4–1 victory. 

In game two on March 1, last-minute action defined the match again, forwards Taylor Delahey and Scout Watkins-Southward scoring 11 seconds apart in the first period. Although the Gee-Gees managed to score in the third period, the Blues held onto their lead, and forward Sophie Grawbarger sealed the win with an empty-net goal, making it 3–1. 

The team swept the OUA-leading Guelph Gryphons in the semifinal round, continuing their momentum with a 3–2 win in game one on March 6. Despite giving up the first goal to the Gryphons, the Blues tied the game in the second period, with forward Emma Irwin capitalizing on a power-play. Although the Gryphons scored about two minutes later, the Blues scored two more power-play goals, taking the lead in the third period and holding on for the remainder of the game to secure the win. 

Game two on March 8 remained scoreless throughout the first two periods. The Blues took control in the third period, with goals from Grawbarger, Watkins-Southward, forward Abby Whitworth, and forward Abby Howland, recording a 4–0 shutout. First-year goalie Lyla McKinnon stopped all 27 shots faced. 

Blues forward Ashley Delahey celebrates her power-play goal. COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA
Men’s playoff progress 

The men’s team secured a 5–2 victory in their first quarterfinal game against the Windsor Lancers on Feb 27. The Blues opened scoring with forward Mason Reeves netting his second goal of the season, but the Lancers gained momentum in the second period, scoring two goals to take the lead. However, the Blues regained the upper hand in the third period, with forward Zack Smith scoring off a pass from defense Mark Cooper, the OUA’s leader in assists. They added three more unanswered goals to win the game. 

The team continued their success in game two on March 1. Although the Lancers scored first, the Blues quickly retaliated with goals from forwards Billy Moskal, Nicholas Wong, and Owen Robinson. The Lancers capitalized on a power-play, but the Blues sealed the win with an empty-netter, bringing the score to 4–2. With their second win, the Blues advanced to the semifinals, a strong performance following their elimination by the Laurier Golden Hawks in the quarterfinals last year. 

In their first semifinal game against the TMU Bold on March 5, the Blues had a 2–0 lead going into the second intermission. However, the Bold scored twice in the third period to tie the game. In an exciting finish, Robinson netted his second goal of the game with 40 seconds remaining, giving the Blues a 3–2 win. 

The men’s team fell short in their second game, losing 5–4 on March 7. The game remained even throughout; the Bold scored two goals in the first period, but the Blues responded, tying the game at two. The Bold took the lead again one minute into the second period, but Blues forward Ben Woodhouse scored to tie the game once more. A power-play goal by Robinson gave the Blues a 4–3 lead heading into the third period, but they could not hold on. The Bold scored two more goals in the third period to win 5–4. 

Blues forward Dylan Wightman surveys the ice for his teammates. COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA
What’s next? 

With their win, the women’s team clinched their spot in the U SPORTS Championships in Waterloo and advanced to the OUA finals on March 15 against the Waterloo Warriors in pursuit of the McCaw Cup. The Blues last played the Warriors on November 30, 2024, defeating them 2–1 in overtime. However, they will be looking to redeem themselves in a McCaw Cup rematch after their 2–1 loss to the Warriors in last year’s final. 

On the men’s side, with each team holding a win in the series, the winner of game three on March 9 will determine who advances to the OUA Queen’s Cup Championship on March 15. The Blues have not advanced to the OUA finals since 1993, where they won 5–4 against the Gryphons.