Two Trent Excalibur Student Athletes Honoured with 2025 to 2026 Bonnie M. Patterson Award

Trent University Excalibur student athletes Natalie Fournier and Aly Saydam are being recognized with the 2025 to 2026 Bonnie M. Patterson Award for distinguishing themselves in competition, the classroom and the community.

photo courtesy of trent university, facebook.

Natalie Fournier, a dual-sport athlete in women’s volleyball and lacrosse, and Aly Saydam, a veteran setter on the men’s volleyball team, have each received the $2,500 award, which recognizes returning student athletes who demonstrate leadership, academic achievement and excellence in varsity sport.

Named in honour of former Trent president and vice-chancellor Bonnie M. Patterson (1998–2009), the award celebrates student athletes who reflect the values of commitment, teamwork and community contribution.

Psychology student Natalie Fournier (from Georgetown, ON.) has distinguished herself as one of Trent’s most accomplished dual-sport student-athletes, excelling at the varsity level in both volleyball and lacrosse while maintaining a strong academic standing.

A program leader and offensive force for the Excalibur women’s volleyball team, Fournier (Gzowski College) cemented her place in the record books this season, becoming the program’s all-time leader in both kills (542) and points (646). In 2025 to 2026 alone, the outside hitter recorded 126 kills, 151 points, 95 digs, 36 assists, eight blocks and 17 service aces, continuing to drive the team’s success with her dynamic and consistent play.

As a midfielder/defender with the women’s lacrosse team, Fournier played a key role in securing the 2025 OUA Championship, the program’s fourth championship title, and was recognized as an OUA All-Star, highlighting her versatility and ability to excel across two varsity sports in different seasons.

Off the field, Fournier is equally committed to serving her community. During the summer of 2025, she volunteered with Compass Community Services, supporting their Tele-Connect program, a phone outreach service that provides social connection and medication reminders for individuals navigating mental health challenges. She also gives back to the next generation of athletes by running youth secondary school clinics in both volleyball and lacrosse and volunteering at Trent-hosted high school tournaments for both programs.

Aly Saydam (from Ottawa, ON.), a fourth-year Kinesiology student, has been the steady hand guiding the Excalibur men’s volleyball program from the setter position while maintaining his academic standing on the honour roll and a renewable scholarship, earning him the title of OUA Academic All-Canadian.

During the 2025 to 2026 season, Aly recorded 405 assists, orchestrating the offence with poise and precision. He added 79 digs, 28 kills, 15 blocks, seven aces and 46 points, showcasing his well-rounded skillset and willingness to contribute in every facet of the game.

Saydam is a member of the team’s Leadership Group, fostering a positive culture within the program. He also served as Tournament Convenor for Trent’s Boys High School Volleyball Tournament, helping deliver opportunities for young athletes to compete at the university level.

In addition to his contribution to the volleyball community, Saydam is a Gzowski College ambassador, helping students navigate campus life and supporting college programming and events. He is also a member of the 1EX Council and the Trent Kinesiology Society, serving as the fourth-year representative. This year he volunteered for the East vs. West Charity Hockey Game, contributing to one of Trent’s long-standing campus fundraising initiatives through the Colleges.

Off campus, Saydam has extended his passion for kinesiology and community health through a placement with On the Move, a Peterborough-based program that offers community exercise classes for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease throughout the Kawartha region.

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Trent Excalibur's Team Bus Gets Makeover With Unveiling of New Wrap

Trent Athletics & Recreation can kick off the sports season with new threads as it unveiled the wrap for its first-ever Excalibur team bus, put on display on Wednesday.

The bus can hold roughly 56 passengers and there are over 320 student-athletes enrolled this year at Trent University. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“This is something when I came here from day one, it was certainly right at the top of the list and I told them as such that we'd be working on this and getting it for them,” said Nathan McFadden, Trent University director of Athletics & Recreation.

While the team had a vehicle to transport the athletes for road games, this is the first time in the school’s history that it has had a custom-wrapped bus for away games and championships.

“The unveiling of the Excalibur bus marks a true milestone for our varsity program,” said McFadden. “Our Trent Excalibur bus is more than transportation, it's a symbol of our commitment to the student-athlete experience, to building community, and to proudly showcasing the Excalibur spirit wherever we travel.”

@ptbo_canada Trent Excalibur has unveiled a new wrap on its team bus marked with the Justin Chiu Stadium, Otonabee River silhouette and motto, “Defend the River: EXcel. Excite. EXceed.” The bus can hold roughly 56 passengers and there are over 320 student-athletes enrolled this year at @trentuniversity #ptbocanada #journalism #news #fyp #trentuniversity ♬ Sport Motivation - Eternal Waves

The new wrap on its team bus marked with the Justin Chiu Stadium, Otonabee River silhouette and motto, ‘Defend the River: EXcel. Excite. EXceed.’

“We very much wanted something that was dynamic and bold; two things hat are important to our program,” explained McFadden. “The 'Defend the River' was something we had student-athletes come up with about a year or so ago and we had used it a little bit in our branding. It was something they gravitated to and we did as well so we went through with that. With the river running through our campus, this is something that ties in for us.”

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Trent Excalibur Volleyball and Curling Weekend Recap

Trent’s volleyball and curling excalibur teams competed in a number of different championship games this past weekend, recapped below.

photo courtesy of Trent excalibur.

Excalibur volleyball faced the York University Lions during a home game on Feb. 3. The women’s team put up a good fight, with a slow start and very competitive 2nd and 3rd sets. The Lions ultimately won the match 3-0.

The men’s team fell to the Lions as well with a score of 1-3.

Excalibur volleyball will play their final home games Feb. 18 and 19 against the Brock Badgers.

In curling, the excalibur women’s team competed in the OUA Championships hosted by Ontario Tech University.

The women went undefeated in round robin play and entered playoffs as the overall number one seed and with the best LSD (last shot draw) score out of the undefeated teams.

Trent lost 4-3 in a closely contested quarterfinal game against Laurentian University. The game came down to the last rock in the eighth end.

Trent men’s curling will host the Men’s OUA Curling Championships at the Peterborough Curling Club Feb. 10 to 12.

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PTBOCanada Pics: Trent Unveils New Sculpture To Symbolize Past, Present & Future Of Trent Athletics

Trent University unveiled a new sculpture today: "The Excalibur". It symbolizes the past, present and future of Trent Athletics coming together as one. Sara Rettie (business graduate) is the brains behind this new permanent fixture that rests between the Trent athletic complex and Justin Chiu Stadium. She started it as a legacy project while studying at Trent, with the intention of creating something to show how far Trent Athletics has come as well as all the great things that are yet to come. Sara had help from fellow business student Cole Maricotti and it took them a year to complete the project. Sara drew a rough sketch of her vision and then Cole got them in touch with local contractor Todd Riddolls of California Iron (2629 Lakefield Rd, North of Trent) to make the concept a reality. The sculpture was unveiled this evening (September 4th) just before the Trent Excalibur Men's Field lacrosse game versus the Nipissing Lakers—Trent's last exhibition game before their season starts September 7th against the defending National Champions, the McGill Redmen (on the new Thomas A. Stewart turf). Here's pics...

Sara Rettie with the sculpture  

Ceremonial faceoff: Trent president Dr. Steven E. Franklin with Rettie and lacrosse players Brock McGillis (left) from Trent and Brodie Birkhoff (right) from Nipissing (Brodie is a Peterborough native)

Big crowd tonight. Wow.  

—PTBOCanada's sports reporter Scott Arnold

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