The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team claimed their 20th provincial championship in program history, winning the OUA McCaw Cup Championship with a 3-2 victory over the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, March 15 at Columbia Ice Field in Waterloo, Ont.

After falling to the Warriors at Varsity Arena in last year's McCaw Cup final, the Blues returned the favour by spoiling the Warriors attempt at their second consecutive championship. U of T's victory is their second OUA title in three years, and third in the past six.

First-year goalie Lyla McKinnon earned OUA championship MVP honours, stopping 26-of-28 shots in the win. 
 
The Blues were able to get off to a great start, scoring 14 seconds into the first period. Fourth-year forward Sophie Grawbarger tipped a Katy McKenna shot into the back of the net, with the second assist going to fourth-year defender Emma Potter.
 
Keeping their foot on the gas pedal, U of T doubled their lead on a play by their top line. Second-year forward Taylor Delahey finished off a give-and-go passing play with fourth-year forward Aili McKeown off the rush as Delahey, the Markham, Ont. native, netted her third goal of the playoffs.
 
A back-and-forth second period saw Waterloo apply pressure in an attempt to even up the game. Despite ramping up the intensity, McKinnon was up to the task, turning away all 13 shots from the home side to keep the Blues ahead. The Blues cushioned their lead heading into the second intermission as Emma Irwin buryied a cross-crease pass from Grawbarger on a 5-on-3 powerplay.
 
Waterloo threw everything they had at the Blues in the third period. Carly Orth found the back of the net early in the frame to cut the Blues lead to 3-1. A relentless Blues team continued to fight for the win as they played a strong defensive game with McKinnon continuing to make great saves. Waterloo's Nikki McDonald made it a one goal game with 28 seconds remaining, but it would prove to be too little, too late. 
 
The Blues, and Warriors, will now turn their focus to the 2025 Miller Waste Systems U SPORTS Championship in the Waterloo Region. The tournament runs from Thursday, Mar. 20 until Sunday, Mar. 23. Games will be streamed on CBC Sports digital platforms and live stats are available here. Seeding and scheduling will be announced tomorrow.