The Waterloo Warriors punched their ticket to the gold medal game with a dominant 5-1 victory over the Concordia Stingers in the semi-final of the 2025 Miller Waste U SPORTS National Championship. With the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena packed with passionate fans from both sides, the energy in the building was high, setting the tone for an exciting afternoon of high stakes hockey.
From the opening face off, the pace and physicality of the game foreshadowed an intense battle. Both teams displayed strong defensive play early on, limiting each other to perimeter shots and few dangerous scoring chances. Faith Mitchell (Stirling, ON) was a wall for Waterloo, stepping into shooting lanes and breaking up Concordia's offensive flow. Emma Thornton (Kitchener, ON) brought relentless pressure on the fore check, generating key turnovers and allowing the Warriors to build momentum late in the period. That momentum turned into a breakthrough when Gracey Smith (Waterloo, ON) ripped a shot past the Concordia goalie, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The Warriors carried their composure and control into the second period, dictating the pace with sharp tape to tape passing that opened up the ice against the Stingers' structured defense. Goaltender Kara Mark (New Hamburg, ON) came up big with timely saves to keep Concordia from finding a rhythm. Waterloo's effort in the corners and along the boards stood out, as they consistently emerged with possession and kept the pressure on. Their persistence paid off midway through the frame when Brodi Levitt (Caledonia, ON) capitalized on a puck scramble in front of the net, extending the Warriors' lead to 2-0.
With everything on the line in the third, both teams hit the ice with urgency. Madison Pritchard (Richards Landing, ON) played a key role in controlling the tempo, calmly managing puck movement under pressure. Brodi Levitt (Caledonia, ON) continued to be a force, back checking hard and locking down defensively. Concordia finally found the back of the net midway through the period to cut the lead to 2-1, but Waterloo answered quickly. Kassidy McCarthy (Bowmanville, ON) responded with a stunning bar down snipe to restore the two goal advantage. As Concordia pulled their goalie in the final minutes, Brodi Levitt (Caledonia, ON) struck again, this time stealing the puck from a defender and burying it into the empty net. Madison Pritchard (Richards Landing, ON) added one more in the dying seconds, sealing a commanding 5-1 victory for the Warriors.
With the win, Waterloo advances to the national final, where they'll compete for the gold medal tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. After a performance marked by discipline, energy, and depth, the Warriors look poised to make a championship statement on the biggest stage.
