Trent Excalibur Women’s Lacrosse Team Capture OUA Patterson Cup
/The Trent Excalibur women’s lacrosse team are Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions after claiming the 2025 Patterson Cup over the weekend in Waterloo.
Photo courtesy of Marina Particelli.
Trent entered the championship as the top seed following a 7-1 regular season. The Excalibur opened their postseason with a 17–2 rout over the McMaster Marauders on Friday evening.
Saturday’s semifinal was a rematch against the host Laurier Golden Hawks, the only team to defeat Trent during the regular season. The Excalibur got revenge with a 14–6 win to Sunday’s championship.
In the final, Trent faced the two-time defending champion, Queen’s Gaels. Their first matchup saw the Excalibur defeating them 13–6 in their season opener back in September.
Queen’s got on the scoreboard first but the Excalibur quickly responded with a pair of goals by OUA Rookie of the Year Maddy Baxter to take a 2-1 lead after the first quarter. Trent’s Tyler McDonald and Natalie Fournier book-ended a Gaels marker in the second quarter to give the green and white a 4-2 half-time lead.
Queen’s cut the lead to 4-3 early in the third but McDonald scored her second of the game. Baxter completed the hat-trick to end the quarter as Trent increased their lead to 6-3. OUA offensive player of the year and Peterborough’s Abby Hiltz got on the board with a power play marker in the fourth quarter and Fournier notched her second of the game as Trent controlled the final stanza to win 8-4.
OUA goalkeeper of the year Kieran Gerow was named Trent’s player of the game, making nine saves. The Excalibur outshot Queen’s, 14-13 for the game.
The win marks Trent’s fourth OUA title in program history, following gold medal finishes in 2016, 2019 and 2021.
Trent Athletics will be hosting next year’s OUA Championship at Justin Chiu Stadium.
Several Excalibur players were recognized among the league’s best for their outstanding performances throughout the year:
OUA Rookie of the Year: Maddy Baxter
OUA Offensive Player of the Year: Abby Hiltz
OUA Goalkeeper of the Year: Kieran Gerow
Trent’s excellence was also recognized across the league’s All-Star selections:
Attacker: Abby Hiltz
Midfielder: Natalie Fournier
Midfielder: Maddy Baxter
