Photo credit: Chris Tanouye
Trent Excalibur Women's Lacrosse Team Wins Back-to-Back OUA Championships
Reigning Patterson Cup champions bring home second consecutive gold following 10-9 victory over the Queen's Gaels
The Trent Excalibur women's lacrosse are the reigning Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Patterson Cup Champions after defending their title in a thrilling 10-9 victory over the Queen's Gaels.
"It's all about the team, and the leadership from the student-athletes and coaches," said Deborah Bright-Brundle, director of Athletics and Recreation at Trent University. "To come back to the pitch from an intensive training year due to pandemic to win the Patterson Cup once again and win gold in 2021 is truly amazing. We could not be prouder of our women's lacrosse team and program. All credit goes to our coaches and student-athletes."
The OUA Championship, hosted over the weekend in Oshawa by the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, saw the Excalibur team win both round robin games on Saturday before advancing to the semi-final and championship games on Sunday.
After a victorious semi-final matchup against the Western Mustangs, the Excalibur faced off against the undefeated Queen's Gaels for the final of the OUA championship.
Graduating goaltender Emily VanDamme came up with huge saves down the stretch, boosting the team moral throughout the game, holding off an attempted Gaels comeback late in the game.
"We came in with the mentality that we're winning this game, and we did," Emily said. "We couldn't be happier than we are now."
Trent Excalibur defender Victoria Clark and midfielder Avery Di Giorgio were selected OUA First Team All-Stars, while Excalibur head coach Tori Wasson was named OUA Coach of the Year.
"Our team worked hard for this win," Coach Wasson shared following the gold medal victory. "I'm so proud of each player. This win was all them – the heart, getting to this point, and rising as a team is so important."
Coach Wasson, together with the full Excalibur coaching staff, has built a strong program and recruited exceptional student-athletes since the team began in 2013. In just eight years, the team has won the Patterson Cup three times, first in 2016, then again in 2019 and 2021. In 2018, the team won bronze at the OUA Championship.
Learn more about Trent's award-winning varsity program by visiting the Trent Excalibur Varsity page and get the latest team updates by following the 1Excalibur on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
For more information contact:
Cara Walsh, Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6240 or carawalsh@trentu.ca
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