BURLINGTON, Ont. - Laurier's women's hockey program has been recognized with two of Ontario University Athletics' top honours following a memorable 2025-26 season. Laurier's manager of women's hockey operations and head coach,
Kelly Paton, has been named the OUA West Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, while goaltender
Sarah Howell has earned OUA West Division Goaltender of the Year honours.
Paton guided Laurier to a conference-best 21 wins this season, matching the program's highest total since 2012-13, while leading the Golden Hawks to the fewest goals against in the OUA (30) and a tie for the second-highest scoring offence with 76 goals.
Despite having the fewest power-play opportunities in the conference, Laurier posted the OUA's top conversion rate at 24.3 per cent and added an 88.9 per cent penalty kill, the fifth-best in the league.
The Golden Hawks were ranked nationally for 12 weeks during the season, including a high of #3 and finishing at #4 to close the regular season - the program's highest national ranking to finish a season since 2014.
The honour marks Paton's second straight Coach of the Year award after earning the recognition in 2024-25. Laurier coaches have now captured the award seven times in program history, including five by Rick Osborne and one by Bill Bowker.
Howell, a second-year kinesiology and physical education student from Greely, Ont., led the OUA with a 0.93 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage while posting an 11-3 record in 14 games. She also recorded six shutouts, the second-most in the conference, and allowed two or fewer goals in 13 of her 14 appearances, including an 11-game winning streak.
Her final save percentage matched the best mark in Laurier program history in 16 years.
Howell previously earned national and conference recognition as a rookie, being named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team and the OUA All-Rookie Team in 2024-25. She was also named a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian.
She becomes the first Laurier goaltender to win the award since Cindy Eadie, who earned the honour in 2001 and 2004.
For more information about the conference's other major award winners, visit oua.ca
