(Toronto, Ont) – In a hard-fought opening match of the U SPORTS Field Hockey Championship, the OUA Champion Waterloo Warriors went head-to-head against the University of Victoria Vikes on a windy Thursday afternoon in Toronto.

Both teams adopted a cautious approach early on, with neither willing to risk mistakes in the first quarter of the tournament. The Warriors nearly capitalized on a penalty corner opportunity, but Victoria's defense held strong, keeping the game locked at 0-0 through the first half.

Midway through the third quarter, however, a key moment broke the deadlock. With the Vikes pressing, the Warriors conceded a penalty stroke, which UVIC converted for the lead. Later in the fourth, the Vikes scored a second goal from a deflected penalty corner, resulting in a 2-0 victory.