Photo obtained via Wilfrid Laurier University/Facebook
Following a historic undefeated run to the 59th Vanier Cup held in Kingston, Ont., at Richardson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks fell short at the finish line, losing 22-17 to Laval University’s Rouge et Or.
Despite the loss, the Golden Hawks are looking back on the football season as a success.
Golden Hawks starting quarterback (QB) Taylor Elgersma believes this year’s accomplishments began way before the first game of the season.
“I think this year was a culmination of all of our hard work over the last three years… getting the chance to hoist the Yates Cup, win the Uteck and then make a Vanier Cup has been pretty special,” Elgersma said.
Elgersma led the Golden Hawks to a 10-0 record in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) play this season, which was capped off by winning the 116th Yates Cup at University Stadium in Waterloo, Ont., on Saturday, Nov. 9, against the Western Mustangs 51-31.
This win clinched a spot in the Uteck Bowl, which is one of two national semi-finals, where the Golden Hawks beat Bishop’s University, out of Sherbrooke, Que., 48-24 on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Coulter Field in Lennoxville, Que,
In the national title game, the Golden Hawks came up short against Laval, who secured their 12th Vanier Cup, the most in history.
Elgersma said the days that followed the game were tough regardless of their successful season.
“It’s been a weird couple of days processing it all,” Elgersma said.
“There was a period of time where there was that kind of disappointment, letting that sink in and being upset about the loss, but you have to turn the page and you have to get back to work,” Elgersma said.
Following this year, Elgersma is looking at a potential push to the pros, sparking interest from NFL and CFL teams.
If he does take that step and forgo his final year of eligibility at the collegiate level, the Golden Hawks would look elsewhere for another QB.
Head Coach Michael Faulds is determined to keep the momentum rolling into next season whether he has Elgersma or not.
“There’s a lot of question marks with who is coming back next year, but that being said, the goals and aspirations never change,” Faulds said.
“We’ve now got a taste of winning some trophies and playing in the Vanier Cup, so that’s the standard we want to hold going forward. Yes, the team may look and play a bit different next year but championships are always the goal,” Faulds said.
This was Laurier’s sixth Vanier Cup appearance, moving their national title game record to 2-4 all time, while the Yates Cup win was the ninth in the team’s history.
Faulds believes this season will serve as a major stepping stone for the program’s future.
“This season has led to a lot more excitement and more people talking about Laurier football, with more top quality recruits reaching out to us as a result of that,” Faulds said.
Faulds is confident that the right culture is being built to become a powerhouse in collegiate football across Canada.
“There’s no secret top programs like Laval, Montreal, and Western get the top players, but other programs like us can succeed if we build our own empire. Having the template in place with a certain culture and work ethic are things you need to become one of those big programs nationwide,” Faulds said.
The Golden Hawks will head into the off-season where they will begin preparations to defend their Yates Cup title in the 2025 season.
