WATERLOO, Ont. -- The Golden Hawks women's hockey team are coming off a breakthrough year where their 17-9 record was the best since 2013-14, and they sat above .500 for the first time in nine years. With a third consecutive postseason berth on the line, they now know what the road ahead looks like as the OUA released the 2025-26 season schedule. 

The Golden Hawks take to the road for an opening night tilt with the Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday, October 8. It will be the first season opening away game for the team since the 2019-20 season. Laurier also looks to continue their success against their Highway 7 rivals after winning both games last season.  

It will be a quick turnaround for game two as the Golden Hawks face the Brock Badgers two days later, hoping to extend their five-game winning streak over their hosts, in which four of those are shutout wins. 

The purple and gold are back in Waterloo for their home opener on Friday, October 17 at 7pm as they take on the Nipissing Lakers. The two split the season series last year with the Golden Hawks' February win snapping a four-game losing streak against the Lakers. The next day is the second leg of the home opening weekend where the TMU Bold come to town for a 7pm puck drop. 

Laurier's next stop is right down University Avenue to reignite the Battle of Waterloo against the Waterloo Warriors at CIF Arena on Friday, October 24. The Warriors have had their number in the regular season and playoffs, handing the Golden Hawks seven straight losses. 

It will be an early test for the Golden Hawks as the two teams have met in the OUA quarterfinals for two years in a row, but both series went the Warriors' way in back-to-back sweeps. The Warriors are also entering this year off an extended postseason run, being finalists for the McCaw Cup and winning silver at the U SPORTS championship. 

The Golden Hawks are back home against the Queen's Gaels on Saturday, October 25 at 7pm before hitting the road again for three games.  

They then enter a home weekend on November 14 and 15 with two teams the Golden Hawks swept in last year's regular season, the Carleton Ravens and the Windsor Lancers. Both games are set to start at 7pm. Then it is up to Oshawa to meet the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. 

On Friday, November 28 at 7pm, the Golden Hawks meet the Badgers for the second and final time to kick off their longest four-game homestand that spills into the second half of the season.  

The following day, the Golden Hawks meet the Western Mustangs in a special partnership game with the Woodstock Wild Girls Hockey Association in Woodstock. This is the third straight year the Golden Hawks will feature in the spotlight match, winning both prior games. 

The first game back from the winter break will be the ninth all-time game between the Golden Hawks and the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday, January 9 at 7pm. A day later, Laurier wraps up the homestand against the York Lions, a team that the Golden Hawks have not beaten on home ice since 2018-19.  

Laurier begins a four-game road trip, the longest of the season, on Friday, January 16, heading to Toronto for the weekend, facing TMU first then the Lions. Last year, the Golden Hawks had a road record of 10-3, one of those wins marked Laurier's first away win against the Bold since 2015-16. 

The next weekend the Golden Hawks head west to meet the Mustangs and the Lancers. Three of Laurier's five wins over the Lancers have come on the road. 

January 29 and 31 starts a quick, albeit tough, homestand for the Golden Hawks as the Toronto Varsity Blues, the McCaw Cup champions and U SPORTS bronze medalists, pay a visit before round two of the Battle of Waterloo. Both games start at 7pm at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. 

The Golden Hawks head to North Bay to face the Lakers, then to Toronto for another bout with the Varsity Blues to conclude both season series. Laurier then comes home for the final homestand on Thursday, February 12 as the Ridgebacks come to Waterloo as the underdogs, losing four of the last seven matchups. 

February 14 is not just Valentines Day this year, but Laurier's Senior Day to celebrate the contributions of the graduating student-athletes and the regular season finale. It is safe to say that there will be no love lost on the ice between the Golden Hawks and the visitors they saw in the season-opening game in the Gryphons, with puck drop scheduled for 7pm.   

"The excitement for the upcoming season is building, and with the level of competition in the OUA, we know the importance of being prepared for regular season play," manager of women's hockey operations and head coach Kelly Paton said.  

"We've learned from previous season(s), and now we are focused on continuous improvement—both as individuals and as a team. This year, it's all about building on that success and setting a new standard for performance." 

Golden Hawks women's hockey season tickets can be purchased here, and single game tickets are available here.  

Looking to get in on the action for both our men's and women's hockey teams? Be sure to secure your Golden Hawks Hockey Season Ticket package that gives you access to all home games for both of our Golden Hawks hockey teams, available here.