The Varsity Blues women’s ice hockey team secured their league-leading 20th McCaw Cup banner on March 15, winning 3–2 in a hard-fought battle against the Waterloo Warriors. This was the Blues’ fifth Ontario University Athletics (OUA) provincial playoff final in six years.
For the Blues, the playoff was an opportunity for redemption after the Warriors prevented the Blues from securing a back-to-back championship in overtime during last season’s final at the Varsity Arena.
The Blues were perfect in the playoff tournament leading up to the final, sweeping the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the quarterfinals before dispatching the Guelph Gryphons in a semi-final sweep. On the other side of the bracket, the Warriors were also undefeated until they lost to the Blues, despite being led by star players such as OUA Player of the Year Carly Orth. This set up an exciting rematch between two high-flying teams.
What happened?
The Blues were dominant from puck drop, with forward Sophie Grawbarger scoring on a tip-in from forward Katy McKenna’s point shot 14 seconds into the game. This early goal set the tone for the rest of the game, as the first period points were all for the Blues.
Midway into the first period, forward Taylor Delahey tucked away a smooth passing play with forward Aili McKeown off the rush to double the lead. Persistent forechecking by forwards Christina Alexiou and Abby Howland kept the Warriors pinned for the period, as the Blues played a game full of energy to keep the score at 2–0 going into the second.
The second period was a battle of the special teams, with both competitors picking up a combined 20 minutes of penalties during the period. The clean and composed Blues game frustrated the Warriors as they struggled on the breakout.
Despite numerous opportunities on the power play, the Blues could not find another way through OUA Goaltender of the Year Kara Mark.
Not to be outdone on the other end of the ice, Blues rookie goaltender Lyla McKinnon — who led all goalies in the playoffs with a remarkable .953 save percentage — stood on her head as the momentum of the game swung to the other end of the rink, making heroic save after heroic save to keep the team in the game.
Defence Emma Potter and McKeown put themselves on the line on the penalty kill to keep the score 2–0 despite great chances for both teams. With under two minutes left in the second period, forward Emma Irwin converted on a five-on-three power play to keep the pressure on the Warriors.
The third period began with a fire burning under the Warriors, with last year’s champions refusing to go down without a fight. Despite the Blues’ valiant defense, the OUA’s highest-scoring team gained a point three minutes into the period to set up a nervous end to the game. However, McKinnon and her defensive core kept back the subsequent Warriors onslaught with grit.
Despite being heavily outshot, the Blues rallied to show their experience and defensive stability throughout the third period — nullifying chance after chance to score for the opposing team. The Warriors added another goal when they pulled their goalie with 40 seconds left in the game, taking the score to 3-2.
Ultimately, it was not enough as the Blues secured their third McCaw Cup since 2020. McKinnon rightfully claimed the Finals MVP with her magnificent 26-save performances as the Blues staked their claim as Ontario’s best.
What’s next?
The Blues will now look forward to the U SPORTS National Championship back in Waterloo, which will run from March 20–23.
Coach Vicky Sunohara’s team will look to best last year’s result, when the Blues secured a silver medal in a hard-fought game against the Concordia Stingers. The Blues have not secured the national title since 2001, but a perfect playoff tournament, a high seed, and a cohesive team identity puts the team in an excellent position to make waves at nationals.
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