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CIS women's rugby Sunday playoff roundup: Pronghorns win Canada West title
Photo credit Rod Leland
Lethbridge 18, Alberta 5 Final
Canada West Final
LETHBRIDGE, AB - The final day of the 2010 Canada West women's rugby championships featured two contests between provincial rivals. The Bronze medal match had the UBC Thunderbirds take on the University of Victoria Vikes, while the Championship game showcased two long time Canada West and CIS powerhouses in the University of Alberta Pandas, and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Considering the time of year and location of the contest, the conditions couldn't have been better. Both games were contested on the new artificial turf field at the University of Lethbridge Community Stadium under calm cloudy skies. The lack of wind on the day – an unusual happenstance in Southern Alberta – made life for the place kickers far less complicated.
As has been the tradition in Canada West Women's Rugby history, the Championship game featured either one or both of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns and the University of Alberta Pandas. The Pronghorns were looking for their fifth consecutive Canada West title, while the Pandas were seeking to reclaim past glory, having won the previous seven.
The Pandas charged hard off the opening kickoff, spending most of the first six minutes of play in the offensive zone. The Pandas were clearly attempting to repeat their success in the first half of the previous meeting with the Pronghorns, where they held the lead going into halftime. However, the Horns pushed back, and spent much of the middle twenty minutes playing in the Pandas' end. Pronghorn captain and fifth year player Shannon Court punched the ball into the endzone to open the scoring, following a Pronghorn controlled ruck that pushed the ball deep into Pandas territory directly off a lineout. Court found herself setting up fellow fifth year Kendra Gavelin, who broke a Pandas tackle and had a clear path to the touch line for the second Pronghorns try of the game. In the 31st minute, Pandas centre Chelsea Guthrie slipped through the Pronghorns defense to get within 10 meters of the touch line, but the Pronghorns promptly drove the ball back out to mid field. The Pandas had a couple of great scoring opportunities in the last ten minutes of the half. With 5 minutes to play in the half, Pandas inside centre Erika Strande drove through the Pronghorns defense, breaking several tackles before being taken down ten meters from the touchline. The Pronghorns were penalized in the ruck and Alberta chose to take a penalty kick, but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The Pandas had another opportunity to get on the scoreboard, but winger Marlene Nedved was dragged down at the touchline just before the end of the half.
The sun broke through the clouds at kickoff of the second half, rewarding the 1000+ in attendance with a little warmth.
The play was largely stagnant for the first 20 minutes of the half, with the constantly attacking Pandas continually being driven back by the Pronghorns defense. The Pandas finally managed to break through the 22 meter line in the 23rd minute, when Nedved evaded 3 tackles get within 10 meters of the touch line. On the ensuing play, the Pandas stretched the ball wide, diluting the Horns defense. Karlee Carbert managed to stretch just far enough to touch the ball down in the endzone after being tackled by the Horns. The Horns took nearly twelve minutes to answer, where they pushed a maul nearly 15 meters to get the best look at the touch line they had seen in the half.
The Pandas took a penalty when the maul collapsed, and Laura Murphy-Burke took full opportunity of her penalty kick, putting the Horns up by 8 points. The Horns finished the game strong; in injury time, Court eluded a swarm of Panda defenders, turned the corner, and broke down the sideline, passing the ball off to Juhee Thompson, who held off the Pandas defense just long enough to touch the ball down and put the game out of reach.
"I am really proud of the effort the team put forward today. We fed off the excellent crowd and defended very well," said an ecstatic Head Coach Neil Langevin. "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."
With the victory, the Pronghorns have won an their fifth consecutive Canada West Championship. The Pronghorns will head to Trent University on November 4th to vie for their fourth straight CIS Championship.
Source: Lethbridge Sports Info
UBC 26, Victoria 10 Final
Canada West Bronze
Scoring
UBC tries: Radha Jain(2), Megan Hamm, Darcy Paterson
UBC converts:Paterson (3)
Victoria tries: Andrea Temple, Jesse Olynyk
LETHBRIDGE, AB - The first provincial rivalry of the day featured
the UBC Thunderbirds and the University of Victoria Vikes. Although
the Vikes dropped the contest by a score of 26-10, they could have
found themselves taking home bronze medals had the breaks gone
differently; The Vikes crossed the touch line no less than three
times in the contest, but failed to touch the ball down for
points.
As in the first half, the second half was played largely between
the 22 meters lines for the first fifteen minutes of play. The
Vikes were the first team to penetrate through the 22 meter line,
and Jesse Olynk promptly scored, bringing the Vikes to within eight
of UBC. The play was intense, but even for the next ten minutes,
with both teams having short breaks only to be taken down by the
opposing teams’ backs. Radha Jain was able to take advantage
of a couple of missed tackles to re-establish the
Thunderbirds’ lead at the 65 minute mark. UBC had an
opportunity to put the game out of reach in the 76th minute, but
were unable to capitalize on the penalty kick from ten meters
out.
Concordia 33, Ottawa 5 Final
RSEQ Semifinal 1
MONTREAL - Despite a solid effort, top-seeded Concordia proved to be too much for the Gee-Gees in their RSEQ semi-final match. After losing 33-5, the women's rugby season is over for the garnet and grey.
Head coach Suzanne Chaulk made no excuses, and credited Concordia as being a very strong team. Nevertheless, her team fought hard, but needed to be perfect if they were going to upset Concordia.
"We worked very hard, but there were just a few little things of execution that we just could just not put together, and it made the difference. But the try we scored was beautiful. If we could of got quality ball to our back line, it would have been a thing of beauty. But we struggled, their forwards beat us up a bit," explained Chaulk.
Chaulk praised the efforts of second-year flanker Allison McCormack, Orangeville, Ont., fourth-year flanker Jenny-Lynn Crawford, Kitchener, Ont., second-year wing Nicole Deacon, Barrie, Ont., and second-year prop Leandra Carino, Toronto, Ont.; who all "kept the team up, and in it" said Chaulk.
Source: Ottawa Sports Info
Laval 36, McGill 18 Final
RSEQ Semifinal 2
Université Laval, le 24 octobre 2010 – L'équipe féminine de rugby du Rouge et Or s'est qualifiée pour la finale québécoise universitaire pour une cinquième année consécutive dimanche après-midi, en disposant des Martlets de l'Université McGill par la marque de 36-18 sur le terrain synthétique du pavillon Louis-Jacques-Casault. Et pour la cinquième saison de suite, ce sont avec les Stingers de Concordia que les Lavalloises batailleront pour l'obtention de la bannière provinciale.
Bien que satisfait du résultat, l'entraîneur du Rouge et Or Bille McNeil n'était pas complètement heureux du duel que venaient de livrer ses athlètes. « Nous sommes capables du meilleur comme du pire. Nous sommes difficiles à arrêter quand on commence à bien enchaîner entre nos avants et nos arrières. Mais en même temps, on fait des bêtises », a révélé le pilote lavallois.
Ces bêtises, McNeil les attribue au manque de discipline, à certaines lacunes en possession du ballon, de même qu'à un refus de prendre le contact de la part de ses joueuses. « On devra travailler tout ça à l'entraînement », a-t-il déclaré.
L'entraîneur était particulièrement furieux en fin de première demie, alors que le Rouge et Or a fait preuve d'indiscipline à plusieurs reprises. « À la pause de la mi-temps, je les ai enguirlandées. On jouait bien, mais on prenait trop de pénalités. Je pensais être obligé de sortir les joueuses fautives du terrain, mais on a eu quatre pénalités de suite, alors je ne savais plus quoi faire! », a exprimé McNeil.
« Ça va nous coûter cher contre Concordia. Jackie Tittley (la botteuse des Stingers), elle n'attend que ça. Ça fait souvent la différence lors des matchs contre elles. Elles ont très peu d'occasions, mais elles concrétisent, alors que nous, nous en avons beaucoup, mais nous ne capitalisons pas », a-t-il repris.
Début explosif
Les Lavalloises n'ont laissé aucune chance à leurs adversaires du jour, prenant les devants 15-0 dans les 30 premières minutes de jeu grâce à deux essais de MacKenzie Stairs, dont l'un a été converti, ainsi qu'un botté de pénalité réalisé par Claudiane Renaud.
McGill s'est inscrit à la marque tard en fin de première demie en vertu d'une pénalité bonne pour trois points, mais les Lavalloises ont vite répliqué avec un peu plus de quatre minutes à jouer. Karen Paquin a écrasé le ballon dans la zone payante sur une poussée orchestrée par Charlotte Vallières-Villeneuve. Sur la séquence, Paquin a toutefois hérité d'un carton jaune pour conduite antisportive, ce qui a provoqué l'ire de McNeil. Le pointage était alors de 22 à 3 pour les locales, l'arbitre sifflant la fin des 40 premières minutes quelques instants plus tard.
Au retour de la pause, après un essai inscrit par les Martlets, le Rouge et Or a de nouveau sonné la charge. Audrey Towner et Karen Paquin ont chacune ajouté cinq points au tableau, et après les convertis de Renaud, la marque était de 36-8 pour Laval. McGill a bien tenté de revenir dans la partie, mais c'était trop peu, trop tard, le Rouge et Or fermant la porte aux dernières attaques des Montréalaises.
La finale provinciale se jouera à Concordia, les Stingers ayant triomphé des Gee-Gees d'Ottawa 33 à 5. La date et l'heure restent à confirmer.
Source: Laval Sport Info
