The Trent Excalibur men's lacrosse team opened their 2025/26 Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) season in front of over 1400 spectators on Wednesday evening at Justin Chiu Stadium, securing an 11-8 win over the Queen's Gaels in the league's 40th anniversary season. 

Coming into the matchup, Queen's held the number four spot in the preseason power rankings while Trent sat just behind at number five, setting the stage for an exciting clash between two top programs. 

The Gaels opened strong with two early goals, but rookie attacker Reed Chamberlain (#3, Peterborough) wasted no time making his presence known. He netted back-to-back tallies, one unassisted and another set up by Keegan Detweiler (#21, Fergus), to tie the game 2–2 at the end of the first quarter. 

Chamberlain carried that momentum into the second, completing his first career hat trick as an Excalibur with another unassisted strike. Veteran Jack MacAlpine (#27, Oakville) followed with a solo effort, before Chamberlain scored again to give Trent a 5–2 halftime lead. 

Queen's came back in the third quarter with three straight goals, but the Excalibur answered with a balanced attack. Curtis Conley (#17, Ottawa) buried one, rookie Nick Fournier (#24, Ottawa) converted on a feed from Adam Hawrelak (#23, Peterborough), and Chamberlain added his fifth of the night. Queen's responded, but Trent regained control when Fournier scored what proved to be the game-winner, assisted by Chamberlain. 

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle. The Gaels capitalized on a power play, but Hawrelak answered with a short-handed tally. After Queen's pulled closer with another goal, Fournier put the game out of reach with his third of the night, securing his first career hat trick in an Excalibur jersey. 

In net, goalie Callan Baker (#1, Peterborough) was outstanding, playing the full 60 minutes and making crucial stops to preserve the win. For his performance, Baker was named Player of the Game, presented by Game Day Sponsor Peterborough Glass and Window. 

The Excalibur start their 2025/26 campaign 1–0, with their rookies making an immediate impact alongside key veteran contributions. 

Trent will be back in action at Justin Chiu Stadium on Sunday, September 7 at 1:00 p.m., when they host McGill University, ranked number one in the CUFLA Preseason Power Rankings.