As OUA action inches closer towards the exam and holiday breaks, the Warriors worked the weekend, as only they can - never giving up the fight - resulting in a golden ending for your Warriors in the pool. 

Women's Basketball: From zero to OT heroes  

On Friday, Women's Basketball were met with historically, one of their toughest opponents in the Queen's Gaels. Down by only three points after a first quarter which saw Ghiselle Poblete (Brampton, Ont./) and Olivia Tomlin (Kitchener, Ont./) lead the scoring charge for Waterloo, Queen's displayed why they are ranked fourth in the country. After the first, the Gaels held the Warriors to 33 total points, while scoring 71 themselves. The final was 87-46 from Kingston. 

The difference a day can make brings confidence and swagger. Travelling west to Oshawa to take on an Ontario Tech Ridgeback squad who were looking to break into the win column themselves; the Warriors showed their mettle right until the final buzzer. Having been down 49-45 at the end of the third quarter, the Warriors bounced back to tie the game by the end of regulation, and force overtime.  

In the extra frame, Poblete and Simran Lail (Brampton, Ont./) led the charge with four points each, and in the final seconds, Tomlin drew a critical foul to head to the line and put the game to bed. The Warriors took it 81-74. The team will now come back home for a weekend showdown with the Guelph Gryphons on Friday night, and the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday night. 

Men's Basketball: Gaels and Ridgebacks stop the Warriors in their tracks 

Off the back of a two-game split in Ottawa a week ago, Men's Basketball took to the road once again to face the Gaels and Ridgebacks. In Kingston, the Warriors were looking to rewrite the narrative of their season, having won only one of their last seven games. Even with Graham VanDonkersgoed (Caledonia, Ont./)'s eight defensive rebounds, and a team-high 18 points for Isaiah Mcrae (Burlington, B.C./), the Warriors could not muster a fast-breaking Gaels squad who shot 50.7% from the field. The final score was 93-64. 

Heading into Oshawa themselves, the Warriors faced an Ontario Tech team in which they had an even record against a season ago (1-1). Both teams came flying out of the gate. Cristian Craciun's (Hamilton, Ont./) positioning earned him six steals on the night, with three coming in the second quarter. Vandonkersgoed continued his strong form on the weekend with a career-high 11 points. Despite this, and a third quarter in which they outscored Ontario Tech 22-13, the Warriors fell 68-63. The team will be back in action this weekend on Carl Totzke Court to face the Gryphons and Thunderwolves, on Friday and Saturday night. 

Women's Hockey: 2-0 in T.O. 

After a strong showing, which earned them a weekend sweep last time out, Women's Hockey looked to continue their strong form as they took to the provincial capital to take on the Toronto Varsity Blues and the TMU Bold. Against Toronto, the Warriors played the comeback role yet again, conceding two goals before the mid-way point of the second period, and turning on the jets.  

Two minutes after the Varsity Blues made it 2-0, Lyndsy Acheson (Summerland, B.C./Penticton Secondary School) got the Warriors on the board with an end-to-end solo effort for her first goal of the season. A tight-knit group even when facing a multiple-goal deficit, always come through. It only took seven seconds for the Warriors, and Nikki McDonald, to tie it. Gracey Smith (Waterloo, Ont./Preston High School) won a clean draw back to Katina Duscio (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's High School), who charged up the left side, and threaded a beautiful pass across the goal mouth; right on McDonald's tape. 2-2.  

The game would go into overtime, the second time these two teams have gone to extra time, in less than seven days. As both teams were changing, Duscio once again demonstrated her elite passing ability to find Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School) on the left side. With Tia Lascelle (Lancaster. Ont./Ontario Hockey Academy) to James' right, on a two-on-one rush, James' patience with the puck opened the backdoor for Lascelle, to tap it into an empty net. The Warriors had done it again. Lascelle netted her third goal of the season just 50 seconds into overtime, and the comeback was complete. 

The next day against the Bold, the Warriors would not waiver yet again. Having won their last six in a row against TMU going into this game, confidence was sky-high as they snatched victory from the hands of defeat not even 24 hours earlier. With Lascelle, Duscio, McDonald, and Andrea Murray (Mississauga, Ont./Gonzaga) getting into the assist column; the star of the show…was Teagan Gray (Burlington, Ont./Dr. Frank J Hayden Secondary School). Having not scored since the season opener at Carleton on October 10, her first OUA hat trick could not have come at a better time. Scoring one in the first, one in the second, and one in the third, Gray's heroics, alongside a marker from Duscio and Carly Orth (Bolton, Ont./Humberview Secondary School), propelled the Warriors to yet another weekend sweep; 5-2 the final.  

With this win, the Warriors have won four games in a row, and have since climbed back to a winning record. They have also earned their place at the 10-spot in this week's U SPORTS Women's Hockey Rankings. They will be back in action this Friday night, to take on the Bold once again, at Columbia Icefield Arena. 

Men's Hockey: Down but never out, overcoming the Saturday Blues  

With Men's Hockey coming into a weekend homestand, looking to make more magic under the lights at Columbia Icefield Arena - on Friday night - they were met with the Brock Badgers; an opponent in which the Warriors have struggled with in recent memory. Even with an incredible showing from Dan Murphy (Waterford, ON/) between the pipes, where he made 22 saves, Brock's offensive power was too much for the Warriors on this night. With Jesse Fishman (Thornhill, Ont./Blyth Academy Downsview) and Brendan Bays (Ottawa, Ont./Immaculata high school) netting their sixth and first goals of the season respectively, the Warriors fell 6-2.  

A new afternoon on home ice is all it takes to change the course of the weekend, and the mentality through the rest of the season. Welcoming the Varsity Blues to Waterloo, the Warriors got right to work in the first. Eleven minutes in, Jaden Goldie (Owen Sound, Ont./St Mary's High School) scored his fifth of the season, a far side one-timer off a beautiful feed from Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic Secondary School) below the goal line.  

After conceding two straight goals to the Blues, it only took 10 seconds to tie it. With Simon Rose (Renfrew, Ont./St. Josephs High School) streaking down the left side, he shovelled the puck toward the net front, where a diving Cory Jewitt (Clinton, Ont./St Annes Catholic Secondary School) got a stick on it, to make it 2-2 just like that; Jewitt's third goal of his young OUA career. After giving up a power play goal to Toronto midway through the second, the Warriors once again came back, with two goals in 30 seconds. Jaden Reyers (Komoka, Ont./Victus Academy) and Murray both found the back of the net to give the Warriors a 4-3 lead, which they would take to the dressing room.  

With the Blues tying the game at four in the third period, the Warriors once again contributed to the back-and-forth nature of a high-flying game on the goal front. Off a crafty face-off maneuver from Nathaniel Bierd – where he pushed the puck forward instead of drawing it back to the line – Emmet Pierce (Napanee, Ont./NDSS) pounced on it near the crease to elevate it into the back of the net. The Warriors had their winner. After Jaxson Murray (Waterloo, Ont./St. David Catholic Secondary School) put the game to bed with an empty netter in the final minute, the Warriors had their victory; a victory in which handed the Varsity Blues their first regulation loss this season on the road. To cap off 2025, the Warriors head on the road to take on the Windsor Lancers this Friday night, and the TMU Bold on Saturday afternoon. 

Women's Volleyball: Thunder on the horizon, calmed the storm 

On Carl Totzke Court this weekend, Women's Volleyball kept on rolling, and as the Thunderwolves travelled south the Waterloo, your Warriors calmed the storm. After losing the first two sets, and facing the loss, the Warriors were not phased in the slightest in staging a comeback. On the offence, Stella McKenna (Calgary, Alta./Western Canada High School) popped off with 18 kills and four aces. Madison Seo (Ancaster, Ont./Westmount Secondary School) continued to do what Madison Seo (Ancaster, Ont./Westmount Secondary School) does and put up 41 assists of her own. The net-front presence also continued to make the difference on defence. Avery Isaacs (Calgary, Alta./Bishop Carroll High School) came in clutch with seven blocks and 11 kills, as the Warriors took the next three sets in a row with utmost authority. The final was 3-2 in five sets.  

Not even 24 hours later, they continued to feed the Wolves with smashing attacks; only needing three sets on this day. Sydney Batiuk (Prince Albert, Sask./Ecole St. Mary) led the charge with 14 kills and an ace, Isaacs once again demonstrated her consistency with 11 kills and 2 aces, while Mackenzie Leu (Waterloo, Ont./Bluevale Collegiate Institute) secured three aces of her own. Continuing to distribute the ball beautifully, Adyson Kelly (Calgary, Alta./Bowness High School) picked up 31 assists to secure yet another weekend sweep at home. The final was 3-0. As the Warriors inch closer to the break, they will be back in action in the nation's capital this weekend, on the road to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. 

Men's Volleyball: Six sets, straight to the point(s) 

After the Women's side swept Lakehead over the weekend, Men's Volleyball took to Carl Totzke Court themselves and extended the narrative. Facing the RMC Paladins, the Warriors looked to extend their unbeaten run against RMC, dating back to 2010. The role players from the last few matches, continued to do what they do best. Daniel Nikashov (Vaughan, Ont./Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School) and Lucas Redmann (Winnipeg, Man./Dakota Collegiate) combined for 19 kills and six aces, which Cohen Peters (Vancouver, B.C./Pacific Acadamy) played the role of Mr. Assist, dishing out 24. The Warriors' power from the net front did not give the Paladins a chance to block a single ball that came their way. They wrapped up the weekend opener with a 3-0 victory.  

The next afternoon, they got back to business, illustrating why their home court is a feared space for competitors to come into. Redmann and Nikashov were at it once again, this time picking up a combined 21 kills. Redmann in particular, was all over the offensive scoreline – picking up three blocks and collecting eight digs. Peters once again set his teammates up brilliantly with 33 assists, and Will McIntyre (Waterloo, Ont./Laurel Heights Secondary School) sparked seemingly every offensive charge with 10 digs of his own.  

While the Paladins demonstrated a better effort on this day, the Warriors' heart and soul contributed to yet another straight-set victory; 3-0 the final. A perfect showing to wrap up the 2025 portion of their schedule. The squad will be back in action once the calendar turns, hosting the McMaster Marauders for a weekend set on Friday, January 9, and Saturday, January 10. 

Swimming: Treading through Golden lanes 

It was a team swim for the ages, where your Warriors struck gold. This past weekend, the Warriors won the Dean Boles Divisional Championship in Guelph, with a combined team score of 1752. Topping the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Gryphons, whom they shared the podium with, the Warriors' victory secures their place back in the Merrily Stratten Division for next season. A well-earned promotion, after an outstanding weekend. On the Women's side, Megan Frost (Pointe Claire, Que./John Rennie High School) was exceptional. She contributed 65 points of her own to the team, by winning the 800m Freestyle with a time of 9:05. She also picked up second place spots in the 400m Freestyle and 400m IM; and was part of the relay which secured third place in the 4 X 100m Freestyle.  

On the Men's table, Louie Yin (Toronto, Ont./Parkdale Collegiate Institute) shone brightly as well. His 59 points were highlighted by two first place finishes in the 50m Backstroke, and the 100m Backstroke. His efforts were capped off by giving the squad the lead off they needed in the 4 X 50m Medley, to grab second place for the Warriors in the event. Yin's heroics additionally earned him Athlete of the Week honours. All around, a capstone result for the season, in which the Warriors will taste promotion in the coming year. The Warriors will be back in the pool in 2026, when they head to Hamilton for a Quad Meet with McMaster, Brock, and Guelph.