PREVIEW: 2010 CIS women’s rugby championship: Pronghorns looking for 4-peat

OTTAWA (CIS) – Four usual suspects and a pair of newcomers will meet later this week in Peterborough, Ont., at the first-ever Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship hosted by Trent University.
 
The 2010 CIS women’s rugby tournament gets under way Thursday and culminates Sunday with the gold-medal final at 2 p.m. All nine games from the competition will be webcast by SSN Canada (available at www.cis-sic.ca or www.ssncanada.ca). 
 
The six-team tourney moves to a new format this year for the first time since women’s rugby was added to the CIS program in 1998. Instead of the top two finishers from each pool advancing to semi-finals following the preliminary round, the first-place squads from Pools A and B will move directly to the title match, while the second-place teams will battle for bronze.
 
Competing for the Monilex trophy in Peterborough will be the Canada West champion Lethbridge Pronghorns, AUS champion St. Francis Xavier X-Women, OUA champion Guelph Gryphons, Quebec champion Concordia Stingers, OUA finalist Queen’s Gaels, as well as the host Trent Excalibur.
 
Lethbridge is grouped in Pool A with Concordia and Queen’s for the round-robin portion of the championship, while StFX, Guelph and Trent make up Pool B. Opening day on Thursday will see the Pronghorns face the Gaels at 11 a.m. and the X-Women battle the Excalibur at 1 p.m.
 
Lethbridge, StFX, Guelph and Concordia are no strangers to the women’s rugby Nationals.
 
After knocking on the door with an appearance in the CIS final back in 2003 and a bronze medal in 2006, the Pronghorns have claimed the last three Monilex trophies, becoming only the second team in history to capture at least three straight CIS titles along with Alberta, which was crowned five consecutive times from 1999 to 2003.
 
The ‘Horns were once again dominant this season in Canada West posting a perfect 6-0 overall mark and outscoring their opponents 253-48 en route to their fifth straight conference banner. They were tested by Alberta in the Canada West final however before prevailing 18-5 in front of over 1,000 home fans. 
 
“I’m really proud of the effort the team put forward today. We fed off the excellent crowd and defended very well,” head coach Neil Langevin said following the gold-medal win. “Alberta is a well-coached team that did not quit and forced us to defend for long stretches.”
 
“There were a number of great performances by the team and we are proud to represent the tough Canada West conference at Nationals,” added the 2009 CIS coach of the year.
 
While Lethbridge has dominated out West of late, StFX has been the cream of the crop from the start in AUS women’s rugby. The X-Women captured their 13th conference title in as many years last Sunday with a 57-0 shutout of Acadia.
 
The 2010 AUS season might be the most impressive to date for the perennial Atlantic champions as they crushed their rivals by a total of 463-6 in seven overall contests.
 
The one team they really want to beat however is Lethbridge. After winning their lone CIS crown back in 2006 with a 10-5 gold-medal victory over Guelph, the X-Women returned to the national final each of the past two seasons only to fall to the Pronghorns on both occasions, by 29-15 in 2008 and 20-3 a year ago.
 
StFX and Lethbridge could once again meet in the Monilex trophy final on Sunday should the X-Women finish first in Pool B and the Pronghorns win Pool A.
 
In Ontario, Guelph crushed Queen’s 54-5 in the OUA final for its third straight conference title and its 11th in 15 years. The Gryphons beat their opponents by a combined 380-0 in five regular season matches and by a combined 171-12 in three playoff contests.
 
Guelph won the inaugural CIS championship back in 1998 and has since added a pair of silver medals and four bronze, including third-place finishes each of the past three campaigns.
 
In Quebec, Concordia edged archrival Laval 13-8 last Friday to advance to the CIS tourney for the second year in a row, the third time in four seasons and the fifth time overall.
 
“It was a great defensive battle with both teams knocking the stuffing out of each other,” Concordia head coach Graeme McGravie said after the RSEQ final. “It was a typical Concordia-Laval battle.”
 
Fourth-place CIS finishers in 2009 following a 15-10 bronze-medal loss to Guelph, the Stingers hope to become the first Quebec team in history to hoist the Monilex trophy. The 2000 McGill Martlets remain the lone RSEQ squad to reach the national final.
 
Queen’s and host Trent figure to be in tough this week against these experienced opponents, as the Gaels and Excalibur will both be making their first-ever appearances at the tournament.
 
Queen’s was enjoying a fine season before meeting Guelph in the OUA final. The Gaels were 7-0 overall going into the match.
 
Trent struggled this fall and finished OUA conference play with a draw and four losses in five contests. 
 
TEAM PROFILES
 
Pool A
 
Lethbridge Pronghorns (Canada West champions)
 
Head Coach: Neil Langevin (11th season)
Regular season record: 4-0
Regular season standing: 1st Canada West
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: Canada West champions
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): No. 1
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): No. 1 (all 8 polls)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 8
Conference award winners: Kelsey Willoughby (MVP)
Conference all-stars: Brandi Van Eeuwen, Shannon Court, Kelsey Willoughby, Laura Murphy-Burke, Brittany Orr
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 6th 
CIS championship all-time record: 15-5 (.750)
CIS championship best result: 3-time champions (2009, 2008, 2007)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (champions)
CIS championship sequence: 5th straight appearance (6th in 7 years)
 
Concordia Stingers (RSEQ champions)
 
Head Coach: Graeme McGravie (6th season)
Regular season record: 6-0
Regular season standing: 1st RSEQ
Playoff record: 2-0
Playoff finish: RSEQ champions
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): No. 4
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): No. 4 (all 8 polls)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 8
Conference award winners: Jackie Tittley (MVP), Graeme McGravie (coach of the year)
Conference all-stars: Claire Hortop, Sarah Nesbitt, Hughanna Gaw, Patricia Lapierre, Jackie Tittley
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 5th 
CIS championship all-time record: 3-11 (.214)
CIS championship best result: 4th (2009, 1998)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (4th)
CIS championship sequence: 2nd straight appearance (3rd in 4 years)
 
Queen’s Gaels (OUA finalists)
 
Head Coach: Beth Barz (6th season)
Regular season record: 5-0
Regular season standing: 1st OUA Russell Division
Playoff record: 2-1
Playoff finish: OUA finalists
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): No. 6
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): No. 6 (1 week: final poll)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 8
Conference award winners (Russell Division): None
Conference all-stars (Russell Division): Ash Ward, Jocelyn Poirier, Susan Heald, Andrea Wadsworth, Karlye Wong
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 1st  
CIS championship all-time record: 0-0
CIS championship best result: 1st appearance in 2010
CIS championship last appearance: 1st appearance in 2010
CIS championship sequence: 1st appearance in 2010
 
Pool B
 
St. Francis Xavier X-Women (AUS champions)
 
Head Coach: Mike Cavanagh (12th season)
Regular season record: 6-0
Regular season standing: 1st AUS
Playoff record: 1-0
Playoff finish: AUS champions
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): No. 3
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): No. 3 (all 8 polls)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 8
Conference award winners: Tyson Beukeboom (MVP), Magali Harvey (rookie of the year), Jamee George (Community Service Award)
Conference all-stars: Asya Bartley, Tyson Beukeboom, Julie Emmerson, Jamee George, Magali Harvey, Jessica Jacobs, Beth McNeill
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 13th 
CIS championship all-time record: 15-25-3 (.384)
CIS championship best result: 1-time champions (2006)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (finalist)
CIS championship sequence: 13th appearance in 13 years
 
Guelph Gryphons (OUA champions)
 
Head Coach: Colette McAuley (4th season)
Regular season record: 5-0
Regular season standing: 1st OUA Shiels Division
Playoff record: 3-0
Playoff finish: OUA champions
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): No. 2
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): No. 2 (all 8 polls)
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 8
Conference award winners (Shiels Division): Jacey Murphy (MVP), Dominique Monaghan (rookie of the year)
Conference all-stars (Shiels Division): Brittney Benn, Jacey Murphy, Caitlin Beaton, Jane Kirby, Stephanie deVries
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 11th 
CIS championship all-time record: 19-19-2 (.500)
CIS championship best result: 1-time champions (1998)
CIS championship last appearance: 2009 (bronze)
CIS championship sequence: 6th straight appearance
 
Trent Excalibur (championship hosts)
 
Head Coach: Nancy Marcotte
Regular season record: 0-4-1
Regular season standing: 5th OUA Russell Division
Playoff record: Did not qualify
Playoff finish: Did not qualify
Final Top 10 ranking (Oct. 26): Unranked
Best Top 10 ranking (8 weeks): Unranked all season
Number of weeks in Top 10 (8 weeks): 0
Conference award winners (Russell Division): None
Conference all-stars (Russell Division): Whitney Black
CIS championship appearances (including 2010): 1st  
CIS championship all-time record: 0-0
CIS championship best result: 1st appearance in 2010
CIS championship last appearance: 1st appearance in 2010
CIS championship sequence: 1st appearance in 2010
 
MONILEX TROPHY CHAMPIONS (Inaugural championship held in 1998)
 
2009 Lethbridge
2008 Lethbridge
2007 Lethbridge
2006 StFX
2005 Western Ontario
2004 Western Ontario
2003 Alberta
2002 Alberta
2001 Alberta
2000 Alberta
1999 Alberta
1998 Guelph
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
 
Wednesday, Nov. 3
18:00 All-Canadian Awards Banquet (Great Hall, Champlain College, Trent University) 
 
Thursday, Nov. 4
11:00 Round-Robin Pool A: Lethbridge vs. Queen’s (SSN Canada webcast)
13:00 Round-Robin Pool B: StFX vs. Trent (SSN Canada webcast)
 
Friday, Nov. 5
11:00 Round-Robin Pool A: Loser Pool A #1 vs. Concordia (SSN Canada webcast)
13:00 Round-Robin Pool B: Loser Pool B #1 vs. Guelph (SSN Canada webcast)
 
Saturday, Nov. 6
11:00 Round-Robin Pool A: Winner Pool A #1 vs. Concordia (SSN Canada webcast)
13:00 Round-Robin Pool B: Winner Pool B #1 vs. Guelph (SSN Canada webcast)
 
Sunday, Nov. 7
10:00 5th place: Third place Pool A vs. third place Pool B (SSN Canada webcast)
12:00 Bronze medal: Second place Pool A vs. second place Pool B (SSN Canada webcast)
14:00 Championship final: First place Pool A vs. first place Pool B (SSN Canada webcast)
 
 
-CIS-