After a dominant performance at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men’s Curling Championship at the Dixie Curling Centre in Mississauga, the Sault College Cougars men’s curling program punched their ticket to Regina on February 17th. With a composed and confident showing throughout the championship, the Cougars captured the gold medal and earned the right to represent both Sault College and the OCAA on the national stage at the 2026 CCAA Canadian Curling Championships ranked fourth among seven other men’s college curling programs across the country. The victory marked a significant milestone for the program, as it was the Cougars’ first OCAA men’s curling title since their back-to-back championships during the 2014–15 seasons.
The championship-winning lineup featured skip Evan Robert, lead Jake Clouthier, second Justin MacKay, and vice Benjamin Appleton, with Dan Lemieux guiding the team behind the bench as head coach. The group’s chemistry, shot-making, and strategic execution were evident throughout the tournament, allowing them to control games and rise to the occasion when it mattered most. As the Cougars just fell short at a chance to make the bronze medal game in Regina with a 6-4 loss versus the Gaillards du Cegep de l’Abitibi Temiscamingue. With these performances at the 2026, the team carries momentum, confidence, and pride as they prepare to compete against the top college curling programs from across Canada.
2026 CCAA Canadian Curling Championships Results
February 17 (3:00 p.m)
Sault College Cougars (6) vs (3) Concordia Thunder
February 18 (9:30 a.m)
Humber Hawks (6) vs (4) Sault College Cougars
February 18 (4:00 p.m)
Sault College Cougars (8) vs (4) SAIT Trojans
February 19 (9:30 a.m)
Sault College Cougars (6) vs (3) Mohawk Mountaineers
February 19 (4:00 p.m)
Sault College Cougars (6) vs (4) Assiniboine Cougars
February 20 (12:30 p.m)
Gaillards du Cegep de l’Abitibi Temiscamingue (9) vs (8) Sault College Cougars
February 20 (7:30 p.m)
NAIT Ooks (6) vs (5) Sault College Cougars
February 21 (9:00 a.m)
Humber Hawks (5) vs (8) Sault College Cougars
February 21 (1:00 p.m)
Gaillards du Cegep de l’Abitibi Temiscamingue (6) vs (4) Sault College Cougars
Sault College’s second Justin MacKay told Saultsports that “as a second, my role evolved throughout the championship mainly through shot making as games became more important and creating scoring chances got tougher. Playing against other top teams in Canada, it’s always a tough mental battle and physical grind to get through so many games.”
“Personally, I think that my hitting game really reflected a lot of my work so far this season. We’ve worked a lot this season on the importance of hitting with my stones, so being able to make those timely shots has been a game changer. Being able to execute takeouts consistently can relieve a huge amount of pressure on our team and turn an end in our favour. Being able to play in big games at a national championship and getting that experience as a team will be beneficial for us all going forward,” added MacKay.
MacKay also said “although we’re disappointed not to be returning with a medal, as a group we are very proud of all the work we did to get to this point and hope to come back stronger next year.”
Photo Credit: Sault College Athletics
