At the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club in Sudbury on March 10th and 11th, the St. Mary’s Knights girls curling team competed in the 2026 Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (NOSSA) Championships against some of the top high school programs across Northern Ontario.
Joining the Knights at the championship were teams representing the Korah Colts, Espanola Spartans, Manitoulin Mustangs, Marymount Regals, Franco-Cité Patriotes, and the Mattawa Voyageurs, creating a competitive field of Northern Ontario high school curling programs.
During the round robin portion of the tournament, the Knights finished with a solid 2–1 record. St. Mary’s opened the event with a strong 9–5 victory over the Manitoulin Mustangs before continuing their momentum with a commanding 9–1 win against the Franco-Cité Patriotes. Their final round robin match saw the Knights fall 8–3 to the Marymount Regals, placing them in the playoff round.

In the semi-final matchup, St. Mary’s battled the College Notre-Dame Alouettes in a tightly contested game. Despite a determined effort, the Knights were edged out by an 9-8 score, resulting in a third-place finish at the NOSSA Championship.

However, the Knights’ season did not end there. With the College Notre-Dame Alouettes unable to attend the 2026 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Curling Championship, the St. Mary’s girls curling team has been awarded the opportunity to represent Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario at the provincial championship.

The 2026 OFSAA Curling Championship will take place from March 25th to 28th at the Port Arthur Curling Centre in Thunder Bay, where the Knights will compete against top high school teams from across Ontario.

St Mary’s Knights coach Amy di Nardo told Saultsports that “the girls wanted to share the motto that carried them through NOSSA: ‘It takes four people to make a shot.’ They are overwhelmed with emotion after their results, and they truly believe their success comes from their positivity, their teamwork, and the way they support each other no matter the outcome.”

“As their coach, I am incredibly proud of how they played at NOSSA. Coaches and teams at NOSSA have told me and the SMC girls how much they enjoy playing against them because of their kindness and sportsmanship. That’s who they are – they embody teamwork, kindness, and resilience.,” added Amy di Nardo.

With their third-place finish and the opportunity now in front of them, the St. Mary’s Knights girls curling program will proudly represent Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario on the provincial stage later this month at OFSAA in Thunder Bay.