2025 University Championships – Championship Sunday Recap

York Lions win first ever U SPORTS Championship

Two wonderful matchups have been on faucet for Sunday in Charlottetown. A rematch of the Atlantic division championship recreation and a rematch of final yr’s gold medal recreation. The story writes itself. An opportunity to proceed the dynasty, an opportunity for redemption, an opportunity at a home-soil medal. The whole lot was on the desk when the primary ball was pushed again on Sunday afternoon on the 2025 Discipline Hockey Canada College Championship.

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

Dalhousie and UPEI performed to an exciting 1-1 draw on Thursday on the opening day of the occasion. Dalhousie carried a lot of the play in that match and had the lead late, when UPEI’s Kayla Batchilder tied the sport. Immediately’s match had a number of the identical backwards and forwards motion as each groups tried to get that ever-important first objective.

It had the sensation of a recreation that was spiraling in the direction of a shoot-out. Each groups had penalty stroke alternatives. Each groups had high quality grade A scoring probabilities within the second half however nobody may break the impasse. Within the dwindling minutes, the all-Canadian and Atlantic MVP Batchilder did what she’s been doing all yr; discover the online. Not as soon as, however twice. Batchilder scored back-to-back targets firing two pictures simply contained in the close to aspect put up.

17 of the UPEI gamers are from the home-province, so when the group counted down the ultimate seconds, the UPEI Panthers may lastly have fun a bronze medal on dwelling soil with their family and friends.

Sanne Meijer vanDerloensloot, Molly Doyle and Abby Henn continued to shine for Dalhousie. On the UPEI aspect, Bathcilder led the way in which, and GK Bria Matthews, alongside aspect Livi Lawlor, Miah Lawlor, Carly Acorn and Katie-Grace Noye had stellar performances all weekend lengthy. It was really a group effort throughout the board for UPEI as they safe a U SPORTS bronze medal.

GOLD MEDAL MATCH

A yr in the past, the York Lions and the UVic Vikes performed on York College campus within the U SPORTS gold medal match. The Vikes grabbed the lead early and held on till the bitter finish securing the win and their sixth straight nationwide title. On Thursday in Charlottetown, the 2 groups battled to a nil-nil draw. Over the earlier 120 minutes of hockey, one objective separates these two groups. We knew it was going to be a nail-biter until the very finish.

The touring followers of those two packages needed to wait virtually one other full 60 earlier than they acquired their catharsis. It got here in the way in which of a Juliet Redelaar objective within the 58th minute of the sport. It appears becoming that Gates McAllister fired the ball into the circle, Elise Piper one-touched it over to Redelaar for the ending objective. All three of these gamers have been standouts all weekend lengthy in Charlottetown.

The objective despatched a shock-wave across the facility. For the higher a part of the last decade, UVic and UBC virtually felt inevitable when it got here to the nationwide match. York had no time for that narrative and stopped the western juggernaut of their path. The sport itself was backwards and forwards with a great deal of probabilities at each ends. Each goalkeepers have been excellent on this one. Once more one objective is all of the distinction on the earth.

Captain Abby Thompson was first to the touch the McCrae Cup earlier than celebrating along with her group. The York Lions have formally gained their first ever U SPORTS title and this group will go down in historical past.