Week 1 Recap: The 2026 CUFLA Season is Underway

One week down, and the first storylines of the 2026 CUFLA season are already beginning to take shape.

McGill came out of opening weekend with two wins in the East, Trent survived a demanding three-game opening stretch with a winning record, and Ottawa made an impressive first statement. In the West, defending champion Guelph, 2025 finalist Nipissing and Western all opened with convincing victories, while McMaster split its first two games.

Nine games are in the books. Here is what happened across CUFLA in Week 1.

Trent 17, Carleton 8

The 2026 season began Wednesday night in Peterborough, where Trent jumped out early and built a commanding lead before defeating Carleton 17-8.

Nick Fournier scored five times for the Excalibur, while Jordan Dool recorded a hat trick and Reed Chamberlain and Dallyn Rai each scored twice. Trent scored 11 times in the opening half and carried a 15-2 advantage into the fourth quarter. Carleton showed some fight late, scoring six times in the final quarter, with Jenson White and Cooper Delorey each finishing with three goals.

It was the beginning of a difficult three-games-in-five-days stretch for Trent, but the Excalibur started it exactly the way they wanted.

McMaster 11, Laurier 7

McMaster opened the Western Conference schedule Friday night with an 11-7 home victory over Laurier at Alumni Field.

Caelan Mander was at the centre of the Marauders' offence, scoring four times and adding four assists, while Brennan Mee scored three goals and Preston Gear added two. McMaster entered the fourth quarter leading 7-4 and scored four more times to put the game away. Bradley Noble scored twice for Laurier in the loss.

The win gave McMaster an encouraging start after entering the season determined to climb back into the Western Conference playoff race.

McGill 14, Trent 12

One of the best games of opening weekend came Saturday afternoon at Molson Stadium.

McGill and Trent combined for 26 goals, with the Redbirds eventually holding on for a 14-12 victory. John Miraglia and Tyler Miocevich each scored four times for McGill, while Torsten Blodgett added three. McGill scored five times in the opening quarter and took a 9-8 advantage into halftime before protecting the lead over the final 30 minutes.

For Trent, Connor Curtis scored three times while Reed Chamberlain continued his productive opening week. The result gave McGill an important early victory over a Trent team that reached the Baggataway Cup a year ago.

Ottawa 14, Bishop's 6

Ottawa made an immediate statement in its season opener, going on the road to Lennoxville and leaving with a 14-6 victory over Bishop's.

The Gee-Gees spread the offence around and gradually took control after Bishop's kept things relatively close early. Ottawa scored four times in the second quarter and five more in the third to break the game open.

For Bishop's, Maxwell Chiarella scored twice while Gabe Young finished with a goal and two assists.

Ottawa now turns its attention toward its home opener against Carleton on Friday night. With the Baggataway Cup coming to Gee-Gees Field in November, Ottawa's attempt to build a championship-calibre season on home turf is already one of the stories worth watching in the East.

Western 13, Toronto 5

Western opened its season with a convincing road victory Saturday night, defeating Toronto 13-5 at Varsity Field.

The Mustangs held Toronto scoreless through the opening half and built enough separation to control the game the rest of the way. Toronto found its offence after halftime, scoring three times in the third quarter and twice in the fourth, but the early deficit proved too large.

Western doesn't have long to enjoy the win. The Mustangs travel to Hamilton Wednesday night for an early Western Conference test against McMaster.

Trent 16, Bishop's 3

If there were questions about how Trent would respond after Saturday's loss at McGill, the answer came quickly.

Playing its third game in five days, Trent rolled to a 16-3 victory over Bishop's on Sunday. Mason Tardiff scored five goals, Nick Fournier added four, and Dallyn Rai contributed a goal and five assists as the Excalibur completed their opening stretch with a 2-1 record.

That's a significant opening week for Trent. Three games, two of them on the road, in five days is a difficult way to begin any season. The Excalibur emerged with two wins and plenty of early production throughout the lineup.

McGill 17, Carleton 6

McGill completed a perfect opening weekend Sunday afternoon in Ottawa with a 17-6 victory over Carleton.

The Redbirds wasted little time taking control, scoring seven times in the first quarter. Zack Page scored twice during that opening burst, while Torsten Blodgett was involved throughout the early attack. McGill continued to build on the advantage and moved to 2-0 after beating Trent and Carleton on consecutive days.

Carleton falls to 0-2 after facing Trent and McGill to begin the year, but the Ravens will have an immediate opportunity to change the conversation when they visit Ottawa on Friday night.

Nipissing 19, Toronto 4

The 2025 Baggataway Cup finalists didn't take long to remind the Western Conference that they intend to be in the championship conversation again.

Nipissing opened its season with a 19-4 victory over Toronto on Sunday. Zach Tarr scored five of Nipissing's first nine goals and finished as one of the game's dominant offensive performers, while Jack Quinn was repeatedly involved in the Lakers attack. Nipissing scored eight times in the second quarter and carried the momentum through the second half.

Toronto drops to 0-2 after drawing Western and Nipissing on consecutive days to begin its schedule.

The Lakers now get the game everyone circled when the schedule was released.

Defending champion Guelph visits North Bay Friday night in a rematch of the 2025 Baggataway Cup Final. Nipissing handed Guelph its only regular-season loss last year before the Gryphons got their revenge with the championship on the line.

Guelph 13, McMaster 3

The champions are back.

Guelph began its Baggataway Cup defence Sunday with a 13-3 win over McMaster. Brandon Orr scored three times, while John Logue, Carter Mackay and Sam Savery each scored twice as the Gryphons produced a balanced offensive performance.

McMaster falls to 1-1 after its opening victory over Laurier, while Guelph immediately turns toward one of the biggest early-season games on the CUFLA schedule.

Friday night: Guelph at Nipissing. Championship rematch. North Bay.

That one shouldn't require much promotion.

The Early Conference Picture

It is far too early to draw conclusions from the standings, but there are already some interesting developments.

McGill's 2-0 start gives the Redbirds the early advantage in the East, while Trent sits at 2-1 after playing more games than anyone else. Ottawa is 1-0 following its impressive opener at Bishop's. Carleton and Bishop's are still searching for their first victories, while Queen's has yet to begin its season.

In the West, Guelph, Nipissing and Western all emerged from Week 1 at 1-0. McMaster is 1-1, while Laurier is 0-1 and Toronto is 0-2. Brock and Laurentian have yet to play.

There are also some early names emerging in the scoring race. Trent's Nick Fournier scored nine goals over three games, while teammate Mason Tardiff had a five-goal performance Sunday against Bishop's. McMaster's Caelan Mander opened his season with four goals and four assists against Laurier, and Nipissing's Zach Tarr announced himself with a huge opening game against Toronto.

Those numbers will become much more meaningful as every team gets deeper into its schedule, but the race for the CUFLA scoring title is officially underway.

Coming Up Next

Week 2 doesn't give anyone much time to settle in.

McMaster hosts Western Wednesday night in a matchup of teams that both looked impressive at points during opening week. Friday brings two games with immediate intrigue: Carleton visits Ottawa in the East, while Guelph travels north to face Nipissing in a rematch of last year's Baggataway Cup Final.

Saturday brings three more games. Queen's finally joins the Eastern Conference race with a difficult season opener at McGill. Brock begins its season against McMaster, while Laurentian opens on the road against Western.

Sunday, Bishop's gets the first opportunity to welcome Queen's to CUFLA action, Trent hosts Ottawa in another potentially important Eastern Conference game, and Guelph heads to Brock.

That means that by the end of next weekend, all 14 CUFLA teams will have played.

Week 1 gave us the first answers. McGill looks ready to defend its place among the East's top teams. Trent has already shown it can handle adversity and a demanding schedule. Ottawa made a strong first impression. Guelph looks every bit like a defending champion, while Nipissing appears eager for another shot at the Cup.

But it's September. Nobody wins the Baggataway Cup in September. And after nine games, the road to Ottawa is officially underway.