Championship dreams were on the line from Feb. 4 to 7 as Humber Polytechnic hosted the OCAA Curling championships at Dixie Curling Club, where Ontario’s six top college teams competed for a spot on the podium.
The opening three days of the competition featured a round-robin stage, with each team facing every other team.
At the conclusion of the round-robin stage, the Humber Hawks were ranked third among six teams in both men’s and women’s competition.
Their finishes secured spots in the semifinals against the top-ranked Mohawk Mountaineers.
In round-robin play, the Humber Hawks women’s curling team posted a 4-1 record, with their lone loss coming against the Mountaineers.
In the semi-finals, the Hawks opened strong with a deuce in the first end, but the Mountaineers responded to take a 3-2 lead by the fifth. The teams were deadlocked at 4-4 after eight, forcing an extra end, where Humber capitalized for a single point to clinch a 5-4 win.
During the championship game against the Niagara Knights, Humber trailed by one through three ends, but evened the score at 2-2 in the fourth. The Knights regained the lead, holding 5-4 through seven ends before breaking the game open in the end, defeating Humber 9-4, earning the Hawks silver.
Team skip, Haily Brittain, in her third year on the team and first year in the skip position, was recognized individually, earning First All-Star Team honours.
“I’m proud of us for making it this far,” Brittain said. “I was really happy with our performance. So no matter the outcome, I knew I was gonna be proud of us.”
As the junior member of the team, Brittain has taken on new responsibilities and helped guide strategic adjustments, particularly in the semi-final against the Mountaineers.
“We saw how we played against them the first time, we kind of let them do the shot they could make a little bit better,” she said. “So we felt on the second go, just kind of capitalize on their misses and kind of make them play the shots that were harder.”
This is the women’s Humber Hawks' second consecutive silver win in the OCAA Curling Championships.
Success at the OCAA Championships extended beyond the women’s team, as the Humber Hawks men’s curling team earned silver and advanced to nationals.
The male Humber Hawks went 3-2 in round robin play, falling to the Mohawk Mountaineers and Sault in their two defeats.
In the semifinals, Humber staged a comeback-heavy match against the Mountaineers, overcoming a 4-2 deficit through four ends to tie the game 5-5 by the sixth. A single in the seventh proved decisive, as the Hawks defeated the Mohawk Mountaineers 8-5 to avenge their round-robin loss.
The gold medal final proved more difficult.
Sault Cougars jumped out to a three-point lead in the opening end. Humber clawed back with points in the fourth, but ultimately fell 9-4 to the Mountaineers, taking silver home.
The men’s Hawks curling team faced challenges heading into the finals, competing with just three players and no alternate.
First-year lead, Liam Murphy, was recognized for his efforts, earning Second All-Star Team honours.
“We played with three this last game,” Murphy said. “I'll definitely remember how hard we had to work, especially with three people. It was a lot of curling, a lot of sweeping, and a lot of rocks thrown, just how much we overcame together."
Looking ahead to the national championship, Murphy said the team is confident and focused on its ultimate goal.
“I think we’re in a really good spot. Team is in a good mindset,” he added. “We know we’re going to nationals. That is a big goal. Go win that, get the national title, and we’ll be happy.”
The Hawks men’s curling team continued its dominant run, earning a fifth consecutive silver medal at the OCAA Championships.
Both teams will represent Humber Polytechnic at the CCAA national championships in Regina beginning Feb.17, with a national title on the line.
