Queen's Field Hockey received some major conference recognition for the 2026 season Thursday, with the OUA announced goalkeeper Sarah Downes was named the OUA Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Year, and Downes and midfielder Kate Martin named OUA All-Stars.

"Winning OUA Goalkeeper of the Year for the first time is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the hard work and dedication Sarah has demonstrated throughout her time at Queen's," said Queen's Field Hockey's goalie coach, Liam Manning. "As our starting goalkeeper, she has been a consistent presence on the field and has played a crucial role in our team's growth this season. The effort she made to improve the small details in her game has been really impressive to watch and is reflected in this award. I'm incredibly proud to see her hard work recognized at this level."

Downes (Economics) played in 10 games for the Gaels and finished second in the OUA in saves with 33 on the season. Downes also had a .647 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average.

Martin (Life Science) started all 11 games for the Gaels this season, performing strongly from the midfield position.

"Kate Martin has made a significant impact on the field hockey team since she started playing for Queen's in 2024," said Queen's Field Hockey Head Coach Rachelle Seguin. "In her first year, she played forward; in second year, she transitioned to playing midfield. Kate has represented Canada on the International stage, playing for the U18 team and is now on the Junior National team (U21). Kate is a force on the field; she is extremely dedicated and passionate about the sport. In midfield, she is able to direct the play while being very strong on the ball and contributes to both offence and defence. She also plays a key role in both our defensive penalty and offensive penalty corner units."

Martin has continued to progress through Canada's national field hockey pathway, earning selections to several national development and competition teams. In 2023-24, she was selected to the training group and trained with the NextGen program before earning a spot on the U18 team in 2024, travelling internationally to compete in Scotland and Wales.

In 2025, Martin was selected to the Junior National Team (U21), competing at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay. She was also named an alternate player for the Junior World Cup in Chile. In 2026, Martin continued to build on her international experience, earning another alternate selection, this time for the Junior Pan American Championships.