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U SPORTS/CCAA Day 3 Recap!
U SPORTS: Golden Hawks continue to soar, women register first U SPORTS curling shutout in 14 years
The Laurier Golden Hawks men and women continued their undefeated runs on Wednesday, each improving to 5-0 following Day 3 of the 2025 U SPORTS / Curling Canada Championships.
Both teams have now set their sights squarely on the national titles, each clinching their spot in the semifinals as the only perfect teams remaining, with just one day left in the round robin.
Adding to an already successful day, the Golden Hawks women made U SPORTS history with just the second-ever shutout at the Women’s Curling Championship and third overall at the joint event when factoring in the men, blanking the McMaster Marauders 7-0
Leading off with a triple in the second followed by a quartet of consecutive stolen singles, Laurier registered the first women’s curling whitewash in a rematch of the OUA gold medal game, since the Alberta Pandas topped the Saskatchewan Huskies 8-0 in round robin play in 2008. The only other U SPORTS curling shutout occurred when the Memorial Sea-Hawks men beat the Brandon Bobcats 9-0 in pool play at the inaugural Championship in 2008.
“I don’t think we were too concerned about what the score was (against McMaster),” Laurier head coach John Gabel said, downplaying the historic achievement. “But we were super pumped to play them again and give them our best shot – which we did.
“It starts with our skip setting the tone and everyone feeding off of that. Emma (Artichuk) has been good at captivating the team and keeping them going.”
Re-establishing their game after some challenges Tuesday, Laurier’s momentum started a few hours earlier with a 6-1 lead at the break, scoring four in the seventh to overwhelm StFX 10-4 – for a total of 17 points in two matches.
“We’re just a lot more comfortable playing with a few extra rocks in play,” said Artichuk. “We love being able to put the pressure on the other team and see if they can react to it – we were super successful today.”
Not to be outdone, the Golden Hawks men duplicated the success of their teammates, coming up with a narrow victory of their own – also in a rematch of the conference championship – by grabbing a single in the final frame for a 6-5 win over Carleton.
Earlier in the day, Laurier also scored a pair in the third and fifth and stole another two in the eighth to beat Brock 6-3.
“We knew it was going to be a really good game tonight and we just gave it our all,” said Golden Hawks men’s skip Kibo Mulima. “It was a grind, we had to come from behind a little but we made a lot of shots late and just stuck with it, so I think that perseverance is what got us the win.”
The dual success of both programs was not lost on him either.
“It’s a really exciting time for Laurier curling,” he added. “It’s awesome that we’ve been able to come out and cheer each other on and kind of take this trip together.”
Elsewhere in women’s action, Dalhousie was also perfect on Wednesday to move into second place at 4-1. In the morning draw, the Tigers added six in the final four ends, for an 8-6 win over Thompson Rivers, and then stole six points in a 9-2 romp of Lethbridge.
It was a tough day for the host Pronghorns after registering their first national program win 24 hours earlier, with the team also giving up a steal of five to Guelph, dropping the game 7-2. Meanwhile, the WolfPack rebounded to 3-2 to move into a tie for third with Regina, after nailing back-to-back doubles in the first two ends to down the Gryphons 6-3.
The Cougars also split their contests on the day, tallying a pair in the fourth and singles in the fifth and sixth, to defeat McMaster 6-4, before allowing three in the third, a steal in the fifth and a pair in the seventh in a 6-2 decision for StFX.
With just one win and two games to play, the X-Women, Pronghorns and Gryphons will each need to run the table and get some help for a chance to advance.
On the men’s side, the three remaining playoff spots are all up for grabs with little separation – featuring four rinks level at 3-2, and the others not far behind.
In the afternoon draw, Carleton jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two and left no doubt, cementing their match against Lethbridge with three in the fifth to win 8-2. The Pronghorns were also outmatched by Brock, who scored four in the first and sixth, to cruise to a 12-1 final.
Meanwhile, reigning champion and FISU Winter Games representative Regina came into Wednesday still searching for a win and were finally rewarded. After nearly being pushed to the brink of elimination by conceding a steal of two to Memorial in the sixth to fall 6-3, the Cougars got into the win column with five points in the final two ends, defeating UNB 7-3.
The REDS and Sea-Hawks were also involved in close encounters with Calgary. Each tied 4-4 late in evenly-matched contests, UNB broke through with a pair in the seventh for the 6-4 triumph, while Memorial added four in the penultimate frame to take the game 8-4.
The final day of round robin play at the U SPORTS / Curling Canada Championships is slated for Thursday, with action beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. MT, ahead of Friday’s medal round.
TEAM STANDINGS
Men
Laurier 5-0
UNB 3-2
Memorial 3-2
Calgary 3-2
Carleton 3-2
Brock 2-3
Regina 1-4
Lethbridge 0-5
Women
Laurier 5-0
Dalhousie 4-1
Thompson Rivers 3-2
Regina 3-2
McMaster 2-3
Guelph 1-4
Lethbridge 1-4
StFX 1-4
CCAA: Mohawk and Red Deer Set the Pace
Day three of 2025 CCAA Curling Canada Championships saw some separation between the teams with Mohawk College taking the top spot in the men’s division and Red Deer Polytechnic building distance between the other women’s teams.
Women’s Championship
The morning wave started on Sheet B, the Assiniboine Cougars took on the Humber Hawks. The Cougars established early momentum, scoring in the first two ends before delivering a dominant four-point fourth end. Humber struggled to find their footing, managing only single points in the third and sixth ends. Assiniboine continued to build on their lead, securing another four points in the fifth to put the game out of reach, finishing the match 10-2.
The Concordia Thunder went head-to-head with the Mohawk Mountaineers on Sheet C. Mohawk got on the board first in the opening end, but Concordia quickly took control, putting up three points in the second end and four more in the third. The Mountaineers struggled to keep up, managing only single points in the first and fifth ends. Concordia extended their lead with additional points in the fifth and sixth ends, with a strong finish they won 10-2.
The match on Sheet G saw PACWEST take on the Fanshawe Falcons. PACWEST made an early statement with a four-point second end after a scoreless opening. Fanshawe responded with points through the third and fifth ends, but PACWEST remained in control, adding three more points in the sixth to extend their lead. Despite a late push from the Falcons in the final ends, PACWEST held on to secure a 7-5 victory.
On Sheet H, the SAIT Trojans faced off against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens. It was a back-and-forth battle with the teams exchanging single points throughout the game. However, a strong finish by the Queens, including a two-point seventh end, gave them the momentum they needed. With a final score of 7-4, Red Deer Polytechnic secured the win over the Trojans.
The evening round kicked off with PACWEST playing the Mohawk Mountaineers on Sheet A. PACWEST struck first on Sheet A, scoring one point in the first end and two points in the second end that set the tone for the match. Mohawk responded with a two-point third end, but that was the extent of their offense for the game. PACWEST took full control from the fourth end onward, eventually winning 11-2.
The game on Sheet B saw the Fanshawe Falcons take on the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens in a tightly contested battle. The first two ends were blank, with neither team getting on the board until the third, where Red Deer took a single point lead. They followed up with a crucial two-point fourth end, establishing control. Fanshawe responded with a single point in the fifth, but Red Deer’s steady scoring in the later ends secured the 5-3 victory for the Queens.
The Humber Hawks and the SAIT Trojans faced off on Sheet F. Humber opened the scoring with a single point in the first end, but SAIT quickly took control, putting up a four-point second end to seize momentum. They continued their strong performance and Humber managed to add just one more point in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. With a final score of 8-2, SAIT secured a victory over the Hawks.
Concordia Thunder and Assiniboine Cougars faced off on Sheet G, with Concordia establishing control early. Thunder opened the scoring with two points in the first end, followed by another two in the third and fourth ends. Assiniboine struggled to gain momentum. Concordia’s strong fifth end, where they scored three points leading to a 9-2 victory.
Men’s Championship
The SAIT Trojans started the afternoon games playing the Assiniboine Cougars on Sheet B. SAIT opened the game with two points in the first end and never looked bac. Assiniboine struggled offensively, remaining scoreless until the fifth end, where they managed a single point. However, the Trojans continued their control of the match, adding one more point in the sixth to seal a 11-1 victory.
The NAIT Ooks took on the Humber Hawks on Sheet C. NAIT jumped out to an early lead with three points in the first end, followed by additional scoring in the second and third ends to extend their advantage. However, Humber mounted a strong comeback, responding with three points in the fourth and fifth end to even the playing field. A crucial single point in the sixth and another in the eighth secured Humber’s hard-fought 8-7 victory over NAIT in a thrilling back-and-forth match.
The two undefeated teams of Mohawk and Red Deer battled it out for the top spot on Sheet G. Mohawk opened with a three-point first end to take an immediate lead. The Kings fought back with a single in the second, but Mohawk extended their advantage with another two points in the third. Red Deer managed to put up consistent points. Mohawk responded with two of their own in the sixth and sealed the win with another pair in the eighth totalling the game 9-4.
The Sault Cougars controlled their match against the Gaillards du Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue from start to finish on Sheet H. Sault got on the board early, scoring two points in both the first and second ends before breaking the game open with a four-point third. The Gaillards struggled to generate offense, remaining scoreless through the first three ends before finally putting up a single in the fourth. Sault maintained their dominance with a decisive 10-2 victory, the Cougars secured the win.
The evening round had The Mohawk Mountaineers matched up against the NAIT Ooks on Sheet A. Mohawk opened with a three-point first end and added to their lead with single points in the second and third ends. NAIT struggled to generate offense, remaining scoreless until the fourth end, where they managed a single point. Mohawk maintained steady pressure. NAIT picked up a consolation point in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. With a solid 8-2 victory, the Mountaineers secured the win.
In a tight battle on Sheet B, the Sault Cougars faced the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings. Red Deer took an early lead with a single point in the second end, but Sault answered back with one of their own in the third. A two-point sixth end gave Red Deer a slight advantage, but Sault responded in the eighth with a crucial two points to level the game. In the ninth and final end, the Cougars secured the winning point, completing the comeback for a 4-3 victory.
The SAIT Trojans played against the Gaillards du Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue on Sheet F. SAIT opened with a strong three-point first end before adding another in the third and two more in the fourth. The Gaillards managed to get on the board with a single in the second but struggled to keep pace. A two-point sixth end sealed the victory for SAIT, who cruised to an 8-3 win, continuing their strong form in the tournament.
The Humber Hawks matched up against the Assiniboine Cougars on Sheet G. Humber set the tone early with a massive six-point first end. Assiniboine managed to get on the board in the second with a single point, but Humber continued their strong performance, adding three more points in the third. While the Cougars found brief momentum with single points in the fourth and fifth ends, Humber remained in control, capping off the game with a two-point sixth end finishing the game 11-3.
Standings After Day Three
| Women | Record | Men | Record |
| Red Deer Polytechnic Queens | 5-0 | Mohawk Mountaineers | 5-0 |
| PACWEST | 4-1 | SAIT Trojans | 4-1 |
| Concordia Thunder | 4-1 | Sault Cougars | 3-2 |
| SAIT Trojans | 3-2 | Red Deer Polytechnic Kings | 3-2 |
| Assiniboine Cougars | 2-3 | Gaillards du Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue | 2-3 |
| Fanshawe Falcons | 2-3 | Humber Hawks | 2-3 |
| Humber Hawks | 0-5 | NAIT Ooks | 1-4 |
| Mohawk Mountaineers | 0-5 | Assiniboine Cougars | 0-5 |