WATERLOO, Ont. – For the first time since 2012-13, the #6 Laurier Golden Hawks sit alone at the top of the OUA standings. With a 3-1 win over the #4 Guelph Gryphons in a winner-take-all showdown on Saturday night at the Waterloo Memorial Rec Complex, Laurier secured first place with 60 points and a 21-4-0-1 record. The purple and gold will now receive a first-round bye and await the winner of Brock vs. Windsor in round two. 

The stakes were high, and so was the emotion, as the game marked Senior Night, when 12 graduating players were honoured in a pre-game ceremony. Fittingly, three seniors found the back of the net in what Laurier's manager of women's hockey operations and head coach, Kelly Paton, later described as a reflection of the team's leadership rising to the occasion. 

"One of the first things we spoke about post-game was where some of the leadership pieces fell today," said Paton. "If you're a team that expects to go on a long playoff run, that senior group is going to lead by action. The younger players learn through that and follow accordingly." 

Between the pipes, Kayla Renaud delivered another strong performance in her second consecutive start, turning aside 31 shots.  

Laurier opened the scoring early, with Olivia MacMillan capitalizing on a miscue from Guelph goaltender Sophie Helfenstein. Trying to gain the zone, Marra Klassen would dump the puck around the boards, where Helfenstein went to play it behind her net. The puck, however, would take a bounce off her stick and right onto the tape of MacMillan, who would backhand the puck into the empty cage to give the Golden Hawks the 1-0 lead. 

The Gryphons pushed back late in the second period, and after Renaud had already stopped more than 20 attempts, Teghan MacRae beat her short side from just above the goal line to tie the game at one. 

"We can't play a safe game just because we're leading," Paton said. "When they scored, I think it woke us up again. Our league is so close; the competition and skill gaps are very small. It's good for us to get challenged like that and then respond accordingly. I think it showed itself in the right moments today." 

And those moments came midway through the third period. In a tightly contested, back-and-forth battle defined by puck pursuit and second efforts, Elle Spencer would play hero. After winning a board battle, Spencer drove to the front of the net. Marieve Roussel found her with a centring pass, and Spencer buried her 14th of the season top corner. 

"To be honest, I felt like the pucks weren't really going my way," Spencer admitted. "I really refocused in the third period, and then I got one bounce and made it count." 

With just over 90 seconds remaining, Guelph pulled Helfenstein for the extra attacker. The Gryphons managed only one shot before Kara den Hoed received the puck off a defensive-zone draw and sent the puck the length of the ice into the empty net, sealing the win and first place in the league. 

"It was a pretty incredible moment with the team, reflecting on the last few years and our vision and seeing it come to life," said Paton. "It wasn't an easy path, but the last few years have been special in building to this. We're really proud of the group." 

With the division title on the line, Paton underscored just how significant the opportunity was for her group. 

"If you look at the last few years, that 2 versus 3 matchup has ended our season," Paton said. "Finishing first was something we spoke about, and the importance of putting ourselves in that position. We felt that if we got to 20 wins, it would put us there. Ironically, we ended up needing 21." 

The milestone also marked a career-high 21 wins for Paton and the 100th career game for senior Emerie Maltby, adding another layer to an already memorable night. 

"Our job isn't done, though," Paton said. "We'll enjoy this tonight, but next week will be about getting organized for round two. For now, the players deserve every minute of this. They've done more than enough to get us here. We just get to support them along the way." 

Laurier will now await its second-round opponent as postseason play gets underway. Stay tuned to Laurier Athletics for schedule details.