The No. 1 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues field hockey team will challenge the No. 3 York Lions in the OUA Championship final this Saturday at York's Alumni Field.

The Blues have won 31 OUA banners in program history dating back to 1971. Toronto last claimed OUA gold in 2021, defeating York and Guelph en route to the provincial banner and a berth to the U SPORTS championship final. The winner of this Saturday's final will not only advance, but also host, the 2023 U SPORTS championships. 

Holding the top spot in the U SPORTS national rankings for a majority of the fall season, the Blues battled to an 8-2 regular season record, finishing second in the OUA East division behind only the 9-1 Lions. Toronto then earned a berth to the gold medal game with an OUA semifinal shootout victory over the Waterloo Warriors this past weekend, setting up another matchup between the two Toronto-based rivals.

This fall, Toronto was the only team to hand York a loss, defeating the Lions 2-0 on home turf at Back Campus Fields on Oct. 7. However, the Lions also earned a 3-1 win over the Blues the day prior when they faced off at Alumni Field at York, splitting the regular season series.

The Blues defence has been stellar late in the campaign, shutting out their opponents over the last four matches played, including the OUA semifinal. Backstopped by fourth-year goalie Deepi Gill, U of T possesses a high-level defensive IQ with a backline core that also consists of veteran defender Evianne Rovers and midfielder Rebecca Carvalho.

Meanwhile, the Blues offence has been led by third-year forward Molly Koop and first-year standout Alicia Lung. Starting in all 10 regular season contests for a second straight year, Koop led U of T in scoring this season with a team-high seven goals, including a hat-trick in the team's regular season finale. As for Lung, the versatile midfielder tallied five goals this fall, notching a marker in three consecutive matches to close out the regular season.

With 12 different players recording a goal this season, Toronto has showcased its offensive depth all season long. Adding to the dynamic duo at the top of the U of T leaderboard, the trio of Carvalho, Elizabeth Assimes, and McKinley Kennedy all registered four goals as well.

Action begins at 1 p.m., between the Blues and Lions at York this Saturday.