WATERLOO, Ont. - Laurier women's lacrosse goaltender
Raechel Cowan and men's golfer
Matthew Whitehead have been named the Laurier Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 18, 2026.
Cowan delivered an exceptional goaltending performance at the OUA women's lacrosse championship, backstopping the Golden Hawks to a silver-medal finish and a berth in the provincial final.
The fifth-year kinesiology & physical education major was dominant in the crease throughout the championship weekend, recording 45 saves across three playoff games while adding 26 successful clears and consistently winning key possession battles. In the quarter-final against Western, Cowan stopped 18 shots to disrupt the Mustangs' offensive rhythm before earning OUA Player of the Game honours in the semifinal, making 15 saves and helping hold Queen's, a team that averaged 13 goals per game during the regular season, to just seven goals.
Cowan capped her Golden Hawks career with another standout performance in the championship final against Trent, turning aside 12 shots, including three free-position attempts. Her leadership anchored a Laurier defensive unit that excelled under pressure throughout the weekend and played a pivotal role in one of the program's most successful playoff runs in recent years.
This marks Cowan's second Laurier Athlete of the Week honour.
Whitehead captured the OUA men's individual championship and helped lead the Golden Hawks to a bronze-medal finish at the OUA Championship at Hylands Golf Club in Gloucester, Ont.
The fifth-year kinesiology & physical education student from Cambridge, Ont. opened the tournament with a bogey-free 68 (-4) to take the early lead before battling cold and windy conditions in the final round to post a 76 and finish at even par. Whitehead secured the individual title by one stroke over Brock's Robbie Pemberton and Western's Tyler Bunker.
His gold-medal performance helped Laurier earn an automatic berth at the 2027 Canadian University/College Championship and made program history, as the Golden Hawks have now produced back-to-back OUA men's individual champions for the first time.
Whitehead earns Laurier Athlete of the Week honours for the third time this season and career.
