Both the women’s and the men’s University of Guelph soccer teams are potentially 90 minutes away from immortalizing them as the fifth ever double champions in OUA history. While both programs had drastically different roads to their championship games, they would join the Toronto Varsity Blues (2025), Laurier Golden Hawks (2008), and Western Mustangs (2004, 1998) as the only teams to achieve the rare feat. Someone’s O has to go The women’s side of the program have went on an unprecedented run in the 2026 season, going a perfect 12-0 in OUA West play, gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The team made quick work of the Western Mustangs in the OUA quarterfinals, taking home a 3-0 win. They clinched their spot in the final showdown following a 3-1 win against the Nipissing Lakers. The top seed of OUA West will square off against the top seed of OUA East, the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s. The Gee-Gee’s also went undefeated, although not perfect, in the regular season, posting a 11-0-1 record. They bashed Ontario Tech 4-0 in the quarterfinals before fending off the York Lions 2-1 to secure their place in the championship. Regardless of who wins, one team will be able to say they won the title undefeated. It would be Guelph’s second championship on the women’s side. The Gee-Gee’s hold the record of most titles won at 12, with a 13th potentially only an hour and a half away. Who doesn’t love an underdog? While their counterparts have yet to experience the taste of a loss, Guelph’s men have had a mouthful, and are using that to fuel an unlikely underdog story. The start of the season wasn’t far off mirroring the women, being undefeated after four games with a 3-0-1 record. This was directly followed by a six-game streak without a win, including four losses in a row. Before the last weekend of the regular season, Guelph was on the outside of the playoffs looking in, needing wins against the Brock Badgers and Laurier Golden Hawks to secure a spot in playoffs. They scraped a 1-0 at Brock, followed by a final day 3-1 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks that also knocked them out of playoff contention and securing the fifth seed for themselves with a 5-4-3 record. Guelph’s quest to the finals began in Waterloo, which saw a 4-1 routing of the favourites. They then headed to top-seeded York, who were the reigning national champions. The Gryphons would topple the crown holders 3-1, booking a spot in the semifinal against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, who they beat on penalties 1-1 (4-2). Another top seed stands in their way of completing their unlikely triumph, the OUA East champions, the TMU Bold. TMU posted a 7-2-3 regular season record, narrowing beating out Carleton on penalties 1-1 (5-4), before keeping a clean sheet against McMaster in a 1-0 victory. A win for the Bold would be their first OUA championship in men’s soccer, with Guelph looking to add their sixth ring in the category to their trophy cabinet. A date with destiny Both teams will square off for the OUA championship Saturday. The women Gryphons will look to be crowned at their home, the Gryphon Soccer Complex, against the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s, which is scheduled to kick-off at 1 p.m. The boys will travel to the GTA, where they will take on the TMU Bold at Downsview Park with a 7 p.m. kick-off. Both teams, win or lose, will represent OUA at the U Sports National Championships, being held for the men in Victoria, B.C. and the women in Vancouver, B.C. from November 12-15.
