CIS women's rugby Sunday roundup

Photo credit Richard Whittaker, Ottawa

No. 3 Laval 32, No. 8 McGill 8 Final   

No. 4 Lethbridge 53, Victoria 0  Final  

VICTORIA - The speedy No. 4 nationally ranked Lethbridge Pronghorns scored less than a minute into the game, setting the stage for a 53-0 victory over the host University of Victoria Vikes in Canada West women's rugby play on Sunday at Wallace Field.
 
Sophomore Kelsey Willoughby (Lethbridge, Alta.) was unstoppable, leading the Pronghorns with three tries for 15 points, while rookie scrum-half Sarah Gordon (Surrey, B.C.) had a try, two converts and a drop goal for 12 points. Senior fly-half Laura Murphy-Burke (Surrey, B.C.) added three converts for six points, and Juhee Thompson (Mountain View, Alta.), Cassandra Orr (Vulcan, Alta.), Kayla Moleschi (Williams Lake, B.C.) and Tiffany Wideen (Port Moody, B.C.) each scored one try for five points.
 
With the victory, Lethbridge improves to 2-0, while the Vikes fall to 0-2 in Canada West play.
 
UVic's head coach Bruce Howe said he was disappointed with the team's overall defensive effort.
 
"Our defence was suspect, we have to get better there," Howe said. "I think a lot of our defensive errors were made because we try to do too much, we lost position and form and we could not keep our shape and they have a really good back-line and they exploited us."
 
The Pronghorns scored less than a minute into the game when Moleschi dished to Orr who streaked in untouched, eluding a Vikes tackle, giving Lethbridge the 5-0 lead. Murphy-Burke's convert attempt bounced off the upright - one of two on the day that struck the iron with swirling winds making kicking a challenge.
 
Willoughby scored her first try of the day off a UVIc turnover, making one UVic defender miss with a tackle attempt and then splitting two others with a nice run about 65 yards for the score. Murphy-Burke's convert made it 12-0 midway through the first half.

Wideen scored on a run through the middle and Murphy-Burke again converted to stretch the lead to 19-0. Lethbridge made it 31-0 after another pair of scores from Willoughby - one a converted try and then an unconverted try before the end of the half. The Pronghorns led 31-0 at the break.
 
UVic played a strong start to the second half with improved tackling and tactical play, but in the second part of the period, following a missed penalty-goal attempt from Randi Hunter, the Pronghorns scored 22 more points on tries from Gordon, Moleschi and Thompson. Gordon converted two of them, including her own, and added a drop goal just seconds before the final whistle to make the final 53-0 for her Pronghorns squad.
 
Strong play late from two Vikes rookies - centre Alanna Cryer (Calgary) and scrum-half Ruth Dyck (Tatla Lake, B.C.) - inspired Howe.
 
"Our forwards were good and our new scrumhalf Ruth Dyck played very well," Howe said. "I was also quite pleased with our scrum play in scrummages."
 
UVic next plays on Sunday Oct. 2 when they host the Calgary Dinos at Wallace Field at 11:30 a.m.

Source: Victoria Sports Info

No. 5 Concordia 39, Ottawa 5  Final   

OTTAWA - With strong fan support, the Gee-Gees confidently took to the field for their home opener; unfortunately the party was spoiled, with Concordia stealing the spotlight with a 39-5 win.
 
The Gee-Gees struggled to get momentum going as the Stingers slowly, steadily, and tirelessly kept possession and the ball in Gee-Gees territory. Concordia was dominant in scrums, packs, steals and line-outs, and Gee-Gees turnovers did little to help the matter. The Stingers were up 22-0 at the half and ended the game with another 17 unanswered points.
 
The Gee-Gees began building momentum at the end of the first half, with a great run by third year centre/wing Natasha Watcham-Roy (Val-des-Monts, Qué.), one of many for her throughout the game. The second half opened with a powerful push by the garnet and grey to within 10 yards of the goal area. Though brought back, the Gee-Gees were persistent and third-year hooker Amy Lewis (Ottawa, Ont.) found the goal area to put the Gee-Gees on the board with a try.
 
Fourth-year captain Sarah Meng (Waterloo, Ont.) had another strong performance for the Gee-Gees in the fullback position. “We got into a rut and didn’t get out,” said Meng on the loss, “We need to transfer what we do in practice to the field, because there’s no question we have the skills to do it - we have a great team.”
 
 “They were playing like individuals and rugby has to be one of the most demanding team sports,” said head coach Suzanne Chaulk, “They were playing hard, but they’re not doing it together.”
 
“I think that today we played tentatively,” said Chaulk, “You have to play like you have nothing to lose, every game.”
 
The Gee-Gees line-up showcases a lot of rookie talent this season, though Meng was quick to clarify, “Because we have a lot of rookies in our line it shows how good they are.  The only difference I see is it’s a new team, not a young team. We just haven’t played together; we have to gel as a team.”
 
“I loved the home crowd,” said an enthusiastic Chaulk, “They were great!” The Gee-Gees will be back at home next Sunday, October 2, 2011 as they look to capture a win against Sherbrooke (1-2 RSEQ) at 3:30 p.m. at uOttawa’s Matt Anthony Field.

Source: Ottawa Sports Info

No. 7 Alberta 60, UBC 5  Final 

VANCOUVER – The no. 7 Alberta Pandas women's rugby team dominated the UBC Thunderbirds, winning 60-5 in the second Canada West regular season game for both schools.
 
 Erin Ryan (Kamloops, BC) scored UBC's first try of the year in the 72nd minute.  The Thunderbirds moved the ball out of a ruck with a couple of quick passes.  It went to Justine Jarvis (Saint John, NB) who then found Ryan with a pass.  Ryan ran down the left side for the score.
 
 But it was one of the few highlights for the home team on a windy, wet and grey afternoon at Wolfson Field.
 
 “There was general naivety in play,” said UBC head coach Lesley McKenzie.  “We weren't hard enough in the breakdown so we lost a lot balls that should have been ours.”
 
 The Pandas got off to a quick start as Karlee Carbert caught a pass on the right wing and blasted her way down the sideline for the opening try just three minutes into the match.
 
 UBC responded well, moving the ball down the field andkeeping Alberta away from the try line.
 
 But the Pandas' Jen Davies and Allison Fairbairn scored tries in the 20th and 27th minutes respectively, which seemed to seal the victory for the visitors, who would end the day with tentries in all.
 
 Hayley Sandboe recorded three of them, Fran Grabinsky had two, while Chelsie Guthrie and Alanna Fittes added the others.
 
 Teanna Chase converted three of those tries while Fittes kicked two.
 
 UBC's record drops to 0-2 after today's loss.  The Thunderbirds will host Calgary on Friday.
 
 Alberta is now 2-0.  The Pandas' next game is at Lethbridge on Oct. 2.

Source: UBC Sports Info