In a matchup that brought a gold medal atmosphere to night one of the 2026 Miller Waste U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship, the Warriors linked up with a familiar foe from down Highway 7. The result wasn't the one the home crowd was hoping for, as the Guelph Gryphons took the 2-0 victory to move on to the semifinals.
To say the energy in the build-up to this one was electrifying would not do the night any justice. With the Warriors in a duel with the Guelph Gryphons in their quarterfinal appearance, this matchup was a unique one for the tournament, as it would serve as the only quarterfinal in this tournament to feature two provincial rivals.
With black and gold-clad crowd in full force right from the time warmups kicked off, the anticipation was seething.
Recent history and proximity aside, the Warriors' spirits have been at an all-time high coming off their McCaw Cup quarterfinal defeat, which saw the Gryphons win a decisive third game in triple overtime back on March 1.
In a rematch between the pipes, Kara Mark (New Hamburg, Ont./Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School and Victus Academy) would face Gryphon Martina Fedel.
With the Warriors outskating the Gryphons in the early stages, the play remained scrappy, with the crowd not settling for one second. A pounding check inside the Guelph zone put the Warriors on the powerplay at exactly the five-minute mark.
Brooke Williams (Valley, N.S./Cobequid Educational Center), who was ever valiant at the faceoff circle all period, continued to do so on the player advantage; an exceptional effort from a Warrior in her first national tournament contest.
As the powerplay expired, the Gryphons struck first. Katherine Heard, the recent recipient of the OUA West's Player of the Year award, ripped it short side on Mark. 1-0 Guelph. Another chance after Heard's goal arose off the stick of Jessica Teskey at the side of the net, but Mark stoned her with the right pad. Perfect response from the Warrior netminder, who was unflappable as ever once again.
After the Guelph goal, Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School) was taken down behind Fedel's goal. Warriors back to the powerplay. Just 32 seconds into the advantage however, Nikki McDonald took an interference call, and the teams played four-on-four. A game where the officials never deigned to put the whistles away, powerplay time was for the taking everywhere.
With 11 seconds left in the four-on-four play, the Gryphons took another penalty. On the Warriors shortened power play chance, Fedel remained strong in Guelph's crease; with Tatum James (Stratford, Ont./Northwestern Secondary School), Carly Orth (Bolton, Ont./Humberview Secondary School), and Keiara Raitt (Ancaster, Ont./Ancaster High School) giving all their might.
The physicality continued with James taking a boarding call, to send Guelph to yet another powerplay.
Shorthanded, and hemmed in their zone with five minutes to go, Mark made a huge right-pad stop on Gryphons forward Jadyn Calder below the dot, and the Warriors killed it off.
The Warriors could not mitigate their penalty trouble. With four minutes to go, Brodi Levitt (Caledonia, Ont./McKinnon Park) was sent off for a hook, and Guelph went back to work. Nikki McDonald, the clutch playoff performer she is, blocked a point shot that set the crowd ablaze. The Warriors killed off yet another penalty, and did not let Guelph score with four on the ice.
With just over a minute to go, Tia Lascelle (Lancaster. Ont./Ontario Hockey Academy) took the puck away in the slot, and she was all alone, with only Fedel in front of her. A close chance, she just missed the mark while going for the far-right corner.
20 minutes done and dusted. 1-0 Gryphons, as both teams went to the room. The Gryphons outshot the Warriors 8-7 in the first – however the story of the first were both teams' inability to strike on the powerplay; the Warriors going 0-4, and Guelph 0-2.
Second period. The reigning OUA champs up one, and the atmosphere not dwindling at all, Brooke Williams (Valley, N.S./Cobequid Educational Center) won yet another opening draw; kickstarting some pushback from the black and gold.
Honing the Gryphons into their own end early, the Warriors hit two crossbars in succession, with James and McDonald being denied by Fedel's best friend on two straight shots. Still 1-0 Guelph.
Just moments later, Heard once again had a look right at Mark, but Kara held her ground.
As the play became wide open, dueling backhanders from Orth and Gryphon Katelyn McKenna were both steered aside by the goalies' right pads.
Halfway through the second frame, the Warriors got a sixth chance on the powerplay, with Reese Coffey taking a board.
McDonald, Katina Duscio (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's High School), Orth, James, and Tia Lascelle (Lancaster. Ont./Ontario Hockey Academy) went to work. Moving the puck well to gain the zone, especially with the patience and edgework of Duscio, the Warriors could not break the Gryphons defense, and Fedel at the back.
With just over five to go, Mark made another huge stop on Calder, and the puck tracked away from the Warriors netminder; sitting in the crease. Sarah Bestic (Waterloo, Ont./St. Davids) cleared the puck out of danger, saving Guelph from doubling down.
With just over 90 seconds to go, Gracey Smith (Waterloo, Ont./Preston High School) delivered a beautiful pass right onto McDonald's stick in stride, on her right wing; Fedel was tidy to the task yet again, however.
1-0 Guelph after 40. Shots 19-18 for Guelph. The mood was tensing even further. Last year's silver medalists were facing elimination on night one, with just 20 to go.
Third period. Same starting five to take the draw and set a tone. Crowd? Even louder, with chants of "Let's go Warriors" ringing through the Woolwich Memorial Centre.
It became a back-and-forth affair on offense. Just what the Warriors wanted to try and shift the momentum their way.
With the Warriors in on a two-on-one, Raitt dished it across to a dashing Williams, but the pass just missed the mark, with a Gryphon stick tracking it well.
Within eight minutes from the end of regulation, James took a roughing penalty, sending Guelph to their fourth powerplay. While looking dangerous, the Gryphons could not solve Mark, and the score remained 1-0.
Crunch time. Cowbells ringing, this was the atmosphere of the century. With 3:33 on the clock, the Gryphons took a delay of game penalty, to add more tensity to the situation.
With under two to go, Reagan called a timeout, which gave the girls time to soak in the situation, and to rest.
The puck dropped once again, and coach's call was looking to be the right one. With Mark at the bench for the extra attacker, the Warriors slowed the play down and forced the Gryphons to slow themselves and navigate their defensive zone.
After a huge faceoff win from Smith, Acheson's point shot found its way back to her once again, with a Gryphon blocking it before it could reach Fedel. Orth took a crack herself, with nothing on the other side, but white and red jerseys in the way. A desperation chop to keep the puck in by McDonald unfortunately ended up on the stick of Gryphons forward Kaitlyn McKenna, who sent it into the empty net. 2-0 Guelph, and that would be the final.
Warriors captain LynsdyAcheson earned player of the game honours for her hard-working effort.
Mark, who made 29 saves, shone as she always has in front of her adoring fans.
Post-game, Mark was gracious as ever in acknowledging the opponent, and also expressing how proud she and the team was to be on this stage at home once again.
"We're just so happy we were able to be a part of this nationals, and this experience," Mark told Darren Stevenson of 519 Online Sports. "There are still hockey games to play, and we still want to show up. We're not going to take our foot off the gas," she added.
With the defeat, the Warriors will now play the Manitoba Bisons in Saturday morning's consolation semifinal. Puckdrop is set for 10:00 AM. Tickets are on sale at gowarriorsgo.ca/whtickets.
