With a 0-0 draw versus the host Waterloo Warriors on Day 3 (Nov. 7) of the 2026 National Bank Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Championship, presented by Farm Mutual Re, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues qualified for the national gold medal match on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Toronto concluded the round-robin portion of the national showcase with a 1-0-2 (W-L-T) record to secure a Top 2 finish at the national showcase, earning berth to the championship final. The Blues opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against the Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds, before dominating in a 5-1 victory over the UPEI Panthers on Day 2.

In the Saturday contest both the Blues and Warriors battled the tough conditions with a cold drizzle throughout. Toronto applied serious pressure against the familiar opponent, facing the Warriors for a fifth time this season including exhibition, regular season, and playoff contests. U of T's pressure garnered 10 penalty corner opportunities versus just three from the home side across the 60 minutes of regulation. Each one was thwarted by the Warriors to keep the game deadlocked at zeroes. On the other end of the field, second-year goalkeeper Mary Yang was spectacular in net for Toronto, including a critical penalty stroke save in the third quarter. Fourth-year forward Ava Airnes was named Varsity Blues player of the match after serving as one of the primary pieces to the U of T pressure. Airnes currently sits tied for the tournament lead in goals scored with two across the three round-robin contests. She is tied with teammate Vanessa Marques and Sierra Blackburn of the Warriors.

Regardless of the outcome of the final round-robin match, U of T will match up against the UBC Thunderbirds in the championship final on Sunday. In 12 meetings between the two teams dating back to 2008, UBC hold a slight advantage with a 4-5-3 record.

The Blues will be looking to claim their 12th national championship banner since 1975 with the most recent coming in 2010. Toronto last appeared in a national championship final in 2023, dropping a best-of-three series versus the Victoria Vikes.

The gold medal match will begin at Warrior Field at 2:30 p.m., tomorrow afternoon. The entirety of the tournament is available to stream online via CBC Gem and CBC Sports Youtube.

2026 National Bank Field Hockey Canada U SPORTS Championship, presented by Farm Mutual Re
Thursday, Nov. 5 (4 p.m. EST) - Game #1: Toronto 1, UBC 1
Thursday, Nov. 5 (6:30 p.m. EST) - Game #2: Waterloo 4, UPEI 0
Friday, Nov. 6 (4 p.m. EST) - Game #3: Toronto 5, UPEI 1
Friday, Nov. 6 (6:30 p.m. EST) - Game #4: Waterloo 1, UBC 2
Saturday, Nov. 7 (2 p.m. EST) - Game #5: Waterloo 0, Toronto 0
Saturday, Nov. 7 (4:30 p.m. EST) - Game #6 UPEI vs UBC
Sunday, Nov. 8 (12 p.m. EST) - Game #7: Bronze Medal Match
Sunday, Nov. 8 (2:30 p.m. EST) - Game #8: Gold Medal Match