After OCAA Gold, Cougars turn attention to Curling Nationals in Regina

By Thiago Neuenschwander*
tneuenschwand@saultcollege.ca

With a dominant performance, the Sault College Cougars captured their first Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men's Curling title since their back-to-back championships in 2014–15, and their sixth in the history of the Provincials. Last Saturday, Dan Lemieux's squad left no doubt, defeating the Humber Hawks with a tremendous 9–4 in the final at the Dixie Curling Centre in Mississauga. Riding the momentum of their gold-medal victory, the Cougars now shift their focus to Regina, Sask., where they will represent Ontario at the 2026 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Curling Championships, hosted by Curling Canada, beginning February 17.

On the final day of competition in Mississauga, which ended with a triumphant finish for the Sault Ste. Marie squad, the Cougars also edged the Durham Lords 7–6 in a tightly contested semifinal. In addition to the decisive team title, Sault College dominated the individual honours in the men's division. Skip Evan Robert was named tournament MVP, while teammates Jake Clouthier (lead) and Justin MacKay (second) earned First Team Championship All-Star selections. Benjamin Appleton (vice) was named to the Second Team All-Stars, and Dan Lemieux was recognized as the OCAA Coach of the Year.

Lemieux believes that the experience gained from previous tournaments helped the Cougars reach the top of the podium this season. "We have a strong group. We were there last year, so we came in with valuable experience. We talked about how we could become stronger this season. The last time we entered Provincials representing Northern Ontario, we learned a lot. So we sat down and looked at what we could adjust strategically to make ourselves stronger. We also worked extensively on the mental aspect of the game, which was a challenge for us the year before. I'm very proud of them because they elevated both their mental approach and their strategy, and they performed exceptionally well," said.

Just days before facing the best in the country, the coach believes the Cougars must repeat the formula to try and achieve success on the national stage as well. "We had a short turnaround, and we're still kind of celebrating. The main thing for me is making sure they get back and refocus on their new goal. We sat down at practice last night and talked about returning to the same things that helped us achieve our goal at Provincials. We faced many of these teams last year, and I believe we'll be ready", added the OCAA Coach of the Year.

In addition to the Cougars, seven other teams will be chasing glory at the Nationals: the SAIT Trojans (Calgary, Alta.), NAIT Ooks (Edmonton, Alta.), Mohawk Mountaineers (Hamilton, Ont.), Humber Hawks (Toronto, Ont.), Gaillards du Cégep (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), Assiniboine Cougars (Brandon, Man.) and Concordia Thunder (Edmonton, Alta.). The Sault Cougars are aiming for their first national title in Men's Curling. The team's best result came in 2016, when it earned the silver medal at the championship held at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. Another significant achievement was the bronze medal captured at the 2014 edition, when Sault College hosted the national championship.

The OCAA champions first match will take place next Tuesday (Feb. 17), at 3 PM, against the Concordia Thunder, third place in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Men's Curling tournament.

NATIONALS - This year, Curling Canada will host the U SPORTS and CCAA national championships simultaneously at the Callie Curling Club in Regina. "We're excited to see the U SPORTS and CCAA Championships hosted in Saskatchewan, a province that never fails to deliver when it comes to national curling events," said Nolan Thiessen, CEO of Curling Canada, in an interview with the official U SPORTS website. "These U SPORTS and CCAA events are about more than just competition — they are about creating meaningful experiences to keep these student-athletes in our sport at a time when they are working hard to balance their athletic and academic development," he added.

The CCAA Curling Championships returns to Saskatchewan for the first time in 41 years, when Saskatoon hosted the event in 1985. The championships were held annually from 1984 through 1990 and were reintroduced in 2012. "The CCAA's collaboration with Curling Canada has fostered increased interest and participation in the sport across the country", said Brandon Stone, CCAA Chief Executive Officer also in an interview with the official U SPORTS website. "It has been a valuable partnership for the membership and the CCAA is excited to return to Saskatchewan and join USPORTS in Regina for the 2026 Championship", celebrated the representative of the organization.

*with information of OCAA, CCAA and USPORTS official websites