A major university football showdown is coming to Waterloo this weekend. The Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks’ football team will be hosting the Queens University Gaels for the 117th Yates Cup on Saturday. It’s the third year in a row the Golden Hawks have played in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship game, but it is the first time since 2017 that they will be hosting. Laurier defeated the University of Guelph in the OUA semifinal 37 – 30 last week. But the University of Guelph Gryphons didn’t go down without a fight. Guelph was shut out early on, but rallied in the second half. “We gave ourselves a little bit of room, but then it was definitely way too close for comfort at the end,” Michael Faulds, Golden Hawks’ head coach, said. “That’s going to be the message this week. We’ve got a great Queens team coming in. We’re going to have to play four quarters. If we get up on them, we can’t take our foot off the gas.” When the Golden Hawks and the Gaels clashed in early September, it was Laurier who came out on top, 47 – 32. “We had a pick six and we had a touchdown on special teams by Tayshaun Jackson, so things you don’t really count for as coaches,” Faulds said. “We know it’s going to be an outstanding game. They’ve got a really good quarterback and Alex Vreeken. So, we’re going to have to be at our best.” The Golden Hawks received OUA recognition this week for their second undefeated regular season in a row. Receiver Ethan Jordan was named the most valuable player of the year, linebacker Jessie Wilkins was recognized as the outstanding stand-up defensive player and Faulds received the David ‘Tuffy’ Knight award for coach of the year for the third time in a row. “I always deflect and love to say that it’s a staff of the year award,” Faulds said. “We’ve got 20 staff members that do a great job teaching up our student athletes. So, it’s great to get that recognition after an 8-0 season.” Seagram Project Continues While the football team prepares to host the big game, Laurier is also in the midst of renovating University Stadium. “Last year we opened up with a new turf field, new uprights, a video board, new lighting. This year, you’ll see, one section of our brand-new grandstand already done and one, that’s on its way and almost completed. So next year will be fully serviced on both sides,” Ryan Lannan, associate director of Interuniversity Sport at Wilfrid Laurier University said. Another major change will see a heated bubble stretched over the artificial turf at University Stadium. “This coming winter, we’ll be erecting the bubble and the winterized dome over the entire field. That’s going to be a massive advantage and opportunity for our athletes on all of our programs, the campus and our students and even the community. So, we’re really excited for that next step,” Lannan said. “Our intramural programs, from a field perspective, kind of cease in the winter because we don’t have really a place to do that. So, come this winter, not only will our student athletes, our football program, rugby, soccer, be able to have a world class space to train in, our students will have a world class space to be active.” Currently, most Laurier teams that use a field head to RIM Park during the winter. “We always try to make it a 12 month of the year sport. But as we know with Canadian winters, you’re limited to what you can do if you don’t have indoor space. So, RIM Park, we’re able to utilize that once a week. But when you have an indoor full field bubble on your campus, that presents so many more opportunities of seven days a week training,” Faulds said. When the grandstands are complete and the bubble installed, the next phase of renovations will focus on the building along Seagram Drive. A new workout facility, gymnasiums and communal areas are expected to be installed. Laurier is expecting a full crowd on Saturday. Kickoff for the Yates Cup is at 1 p.m. at University Stadium. The winner will head to the Mitchell Bowl to face the winner of Canada West the next weekend. Whoever wins between the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan will host the Mitchell Bowl. The national championship, the Vanier Cup, is scheduled for Nov. 22 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
