HIGH ACHIEVERS WEEKEND WRAP: USA tops Canada in women’s para ice hockey series, Cochrane rink golden at first masters curling nationals

By Martin Cleary

Nineteen years after the first-ever all-female sledge hockey game was played in Ottawa, the Canadian and United States women’s para ice hockey teams returned to the nation’s capital for a three-game Frontier Series from April 10-12 at the Richcraft Sensplex.

World-champion Team USA recorded three consecutive wins over Canada to sweep this year’s edition of the annual series, which is staged to develop the women’s para ice hockey program, increase its visibility and try to earn inclusion in the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games.

Christina Picton scored the first goal of the series to give Canada a 1-0 lead in the opening game. But the U.S. tied the match in the second period. After a scoreless five-minute overtime period, the U.S. won the shootout 3-1.

Picton counted two goals, while Raphaelle Tousignant and Alyssa White had single markers in Canada’s 5-4 loss in the second game. Kelsey DiClaudio scored the game-winning goal for the Americans with 7:10 left in the game.

The third and final game on Sunday was a one-sided affair as the United States overpowered Canada 7-1. Tousignant had the lone goal for Canada.

Defender Emilie Charron-Pilotte of Luskville, PQ, is the only player from the Ottawa region on the Canadian women’s para ice hockey team.

Dr. Lindsay Bradley, the high-performance director and team physician for the team, and Adrian Huynh, the high-performance coordinator, are both from Ottawa.

GOLDEN FINISH FOR BRYAN COCHRANE IN CANADIAN MEN’S MASTERS CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT

Bryan Cochrane’s remarkable 2025-26 competitive curling season ended with a blast on Sunday.

On the heels of winning an unprecedented three Ontario curling titles in one year, a Canadian championship bronze medal and qualifying for a national tournament in December, the Russell Curling Club member made his debut at the Canadian men’s masters championship (60 years-plus) and emerged as national champion.

Cochrane and his rink of third J.P. Lachance, second John Wilson, lead Ken Sullivan and alternate Ken Wilson stole one point in the first end of the gold-medal final and then traded twos for the final six ends with Alberta’s Kurt Balderston to post a tight 7-6 decision at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre.

In their version of deuces are wild, Balderston led 2-1 after three ends, 4-3 after five and 6-5 after seven. Cochrane responded with his two-point efforts in the fourth end for a 3-1 lead, the sixth for a 5-4 advantage and the final eighth end for a 7-6 victory celebration.

It was Cochrane’s second medal at a Canadian championship this season. Earlier, he joined his sons Ryan at third and Jamie at second and brother-in-law Paul Nooyen to earn the bronze medal at the national curling club championship.

By winning his record sixth Ontario men’s senior championship, Cochrane also qualified to represent Ontario at the Canadian men’s senior tournament in December in Saskatoon. The winner will wear Canadian colours at the 2027 world championship April 24 to May 1 at a location to be determined.

Cochrane’s other Ontario championship titles came in the curling club final and the provincial men’s masters gold-medal match.

Read More: Record-setting skip Bryan Cochrane wins sixth Ontario men’s senior curling championship

Team Cochrane placed second in the men’s masters pool A standings with a 4-1 record, which was matched by Northern Ontario’s Robbie Gordon and Prince Edward Island’s Ian MacAulay. In Pool B, Balderston was undefeated in five games, while Manitoba’s Randy Neufeld placed second at 4-1.

In the next round of preliminary matches, Cochrane was 2-2, but finished third overall at 6-3 to qualify for the playoffs.

Cochrane wasted no time in his semifinal with a 7-3 win over Neufeld as the two teams shook hands after six ends, which was two ends earlier than normal.

After stealing one point in the first end, Neufeld countered with three in the second end. But Cochrane controlled the rest of the semi with two in the third and stealing one in the fourth and three in the sixth end.

“Tough week, but always fun to win,” Cochrane wrote in a short email.

OTTAWA, REGIONAL TEAMS WIN 10 ONTARIO WOMEN’S HOCKEY MEDALS

The Kemptville Storm and the Ottawa Valley Thunder struck gold at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association age-group championships, which were staged in eight Greater Toronto Area cities.

The Storm won the girls’ U11 BB championship by defeating Saugeen Shores Storm 2-1 in the gold-medal final. Kemptville finished the four-day super-tournament with a 5-0 record, posted three shutouts and only allowed two goals against while scoring 15 goals.

The undefeated Ottawa Valley Thunder strung together six consecutive wins to capture the U15 BB division gold with a pair of tournament-ending, one-goal decisions – 1-0 over the Nepean Wildcats in the semifinals and 2-1 over Lucan Irish in the final.

The Thunder also was the bronze medallist in the U11 B class with a 4-0 win over the Smiths Falls Cubs. After four straight wins, Ottawa Valley lost to Walkerton Capitals 4-1 in the semifinals.

The Wildcats emerged with one silver and a pair of bronze medals for their efforts. In the U13AA final, Nepean was shaded 2-1 by the Glengarry Highlanders. The Wildcats reached the final with a 1-0 win over the Scarborough Sharks.

After a 2-1 loss to Durham West Lightning in the U15AA semifinals, the Wildcats played another one-goal game to claim the bronze medal with a 1-0 decision over the Waterloo Ravens.

The Wildcats’ U18 B team also was familiar with one-goal contests as it lost 3-2 to Glengarry Highlanders in the semifinals, but rebounded to seize the bronze, after a 1-0 victory over the Lucan Irish.

East Ottawa Stars turned in a double silver-medal performance in the U13 division.

In the tournament for AA-class teams, the Stars were defeated 3-0 by the Belleville Bearcats in the final, after edging Oakville Hornets 1-0 in the semifinals. The Stars won five of six games overall.

East Ottawa was outscored 7-2 by the Chatham Kent Cruise in the C final. The Stars reached their division final with a 1-0 victory over the Lambeth Lancers.

Kanata Rangers took the bronze medal in the U18 BB tournament with a 3-1 win over the Oshawa Lady Generals. The Rangers missed their final, after a 2-1 loss to the Woodstock Wildcats.

In the eight-team senior BB competition, the Ottawa Roadrunners posted a record of three wins and one tie and earned the bronze medal. The Roadrunners defeated Brampton Cougars 2-1, tied Barrie Sharks 1-1, beat Woodstock Wildcats 4-1 and downed GTA United 2-1.

The OWHA age-group championships attracted 17,700 participants and 707 teams playing in seven age divisions with 30 categories. There were 258 on-ice officials for 1,253 games on 59 ice surfaces at 16 arenas.

MYERS PLACES 5TH AT ONTARIO U13AAA, U18AAA BOYS’ HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Eighth-ranked Ottawa Myers Automotive finished fifth with a 2-4 record at the Ontario U13AAA boys’ hockey championship.

Myers, which won its first two games, missed the semifinals by one placing. Preston Ostapk led Myers’ scoring in the six-game championship with five goals and three assists, while Drew Howell had three goals and two assists.

Quinte Red Devils upset the undefeated (7-0) and top-ranked Toronto Marlboros 2-1 in the final. Max Norton scored the game-winning goal on a powerplay and assisted on Jensen Campbell’s opening goal.

At the Ontario U15AAA boys’ hockey championship tournament, the Ottawa Jr. 67s placed sixth with a 1-4 record. Tristan Lafoley recorded two goals and four assists, and Caleb Lang had two goals and two assists.

Myers also participated at the recent Ontario U18AAA boys’ hockey championship and was fifth overall with one win and three losses.

Presley Kelly-Wright registered eight points for Myers on two goals and six assists, while Jack Malandra counted four goals and three assists and Drew Sloan had the reverse with three goals and four assists.

END NOTES

· Canada shut out Australia 24-0 in the opening women’s rugby 15s game at the Pacific Four Series. Gatineau’s Pamphinette Buisa of the Ottawa Irish scored Canada’s second try, which was converted by University of Ottawa Gee-Gees grad Claire Gallagher. Canada is scheduled to face defending champion New Zealand on Friday at the CKPC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Canada was the 2024 Series champion.

· Ottawa’s Annabelle Chukwu scored two goals to help ninth-ranked Canada blank 66th-ranked Zambia 4-0 in the opening game of a four-team FIFA Series friendly tournament in Brazil. Nichelle Prince also scored two goals for Canada, which will play No. 19 South Korea on Tuesday and No. 8 Brazil on Saturday.