Bermudian field hockey player Lauren Cardwell and her University of Toronto Varsity Blues teammates claimed national silver after suffering a narrow 2–1 defeat to the UBC Thunderbirds in the championship final in Waterloo.
Despite a spirited late rally sparked by 2026 National Player of the Year Maggie Mullins, Toronto ran out of time to complete a comeback as UBC held on to secure the national crown. The runner-up finish marks the Varsity Blues' first national podium appearance since taking silver in 2023 and represents the 27th national medal in program history since 1975—a tally comprising 11 gold, eight silver, and eight bronze medals.
UBC dominated possession throughout the opening quarter, pinning Toronto inside their own half for long stretches. That early territorial control paid dividends in the 10th minute when Thunderbirds captain Kenzie Girgis converted a well-placed shot from a penalty corner to open the scoring.
The contest opened up in the second quarter as both sides traded chances. Toronto began to find rhythm in transition, highlighted by a sharp attacking link-up between second-year forwards Catalina Meilleur and Allie Lavis that earned a late penalty corner, though UBC defended resolutely to preserve their 1–0 advantage at halftime.
Toronto ramped up the pressure after the interval in search of an equaliser. Winning back-to-back penalty corners, fourth-year midfielder Alicia Lung fired two dangerous efforts toward goal—Lavis narrowly missed deflecting the first, while Lung's second dragged just wide of the near post. At the opposite end, second-year goalkeeper Mary Yang kept the Blues within striking distance by smothering a difficult bouncing shot off a swift UBC counter-attack.
With under 10 minutes remaining, UBC doubled their lead. Absorbing pressure before breaking forward through a crisp sequence of long passes, the Thunderbirds found Amy Stelling unmarked in front of an open net to slot home what proved to be the decisive goal.
That cushion proved vital in the closing stages as Toronto forced another pair of consecutive penalty corners. Mullins stepped up on both occasions, drilling a powerful strike into the back of the UBC net on the second attempt to halve the deficit, but the Thunderbirds successfully navigated the final moments to seal victory.
Following the final whistle, Mullins was named Player of the Match for the second time over the tournament weekend. Her dominant two-way performances also earned her the Tournament MVP award alongside a spot on the Tournament All-Star team, where she was joined by Toronto teammates Kirsten D'Silva and Olivia Thompson.
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