CIS women's rugby Sunday roundup: Horns win sixth straigh Canada Westt title, Dinos take bronze

Photo credit David Moll, Calgary

CALGARY – The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns won their sixth straight Canada West championship Sunday afternoon with a convincing 41-0 win over the Alberta Pandas at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.

In the early game, the host Dinos scored a try in the final minute to upend the Victoria Vikes 20-15 for their first-ever playoff victory in CIS competition.

CANADA WEST GOLD MEDAL GAME: Lethbridge 41 Alberta 0

The Lethbridge Pronghorns found the end zone just 40 seconds into the game and rode that momentum to a 41-0 win over the Alberta Pandas to win their sixth consecutive Canada West women’s rugby banner.

Canada West rookie of the year Kayla Moleschi broke through the Pandas’ defensive line right off the opening kickoff, racing to the goal line to give the Horns an early lead – and they never looked back.

The Horns maintained their pressure for most of the first half, earning a penalty goal try for Laura Murphy-Burke eight minutes in. She split the uprights to make it 10-0, part of an 11-point day for her kicking the ball that included four converts.

Tiffany Wideen scored a try just over the halfway mark of the first half, and Juhee Thompson notched a buzzer-beater for the Horns in the waning moments of the opening period to give Lethbridge a 20-0 lead at halftime.

Lethbridge would add three more converted tries in the second half. Moleschi added her second of the day, while Brandi Van Eeuwen and Genevieve Ahart added one each to make the final 41-0.

The Pandas did have several chances within 10 metres of the Lethbridge goal line, but the Horns defence stood up and turned over the ball each time to keep the Pandas out of the end zone.

Following the game, the Canada West all-stars and award winners were announced, with both Lethbridge and Alberta represented well. Lethbridge’s all-stars include Brandi Van Eeuwen (prop), Kelsey Willoughby and Juhee Thompson (back row), fly half Murphy-Burke, and Moleschi and Cassandra Orr (back three). Alberta was represented on the all-star team by hooker Carmen Hobbs, lock Louise ChaVerie, centre Chelsea Guthrie, and Alanna Fittes from the back three.

The Horns also took both major player awards in the 2011 season, with Moleschi taking home rookie-of-the-year honours while Willoughby was named the Canada West MVP.

Lethbridge qualifies for the CIS Women’s Rugby Championship hosted by Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. Nov. 3-6 as the lone Canada West representative.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Half
LETH – Kayla Moleschi try(Laura Murphy-Burke convert), 7-0 LETH
LETH – Laura Murphy-Burke penalty goal, 10-0 LETH
LETH –Tiffany Wideen try, 15-0 LETH
LETH – Juhee Thompson try, 20-0 LETH

2nd Half
LETH – Kayla Moleschi try (Laura Murphy-Burke convert), 27-0 LETH
LETH – Brandi Van Eeuwen try (Laura Murphy-Burke convert), 34-0 LETH
LETH – Genevieve Ahart try (Laura Murphy-Burke convert), 41-0 LETH

 
CANAD WEST BRONZE MEDAL GAME: Calgary 20 Victoria 15

There was high drama at McMahon Stadium as the University of Calgary Dinos won the first playoff game in program history with a 20-15 victory over the University of Victoria Vikes to capture the bronze medal.

After Randi Hunter gave the Vikes their first lead of the day at 15-13 midway through the second half, the Dinos began to press for the go-ahead score in a tightly played contest. With just two minutes remaining, the Dinos began a surge about 30 yards out and worked hard to push the ball downfield. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Anna Ahart finally scored the try for the Dinos, and Kate Scotland added a convert to make the final 20-15 – an impressive finish for a Dinos team that hadn’t won a game as they entered the 2011 season.

The teams traded tries in the first half, with Lizzie MacKinnon scoring about 15 minutes in to give the Dinos a 5-0 lead before Sarah Logan responded for Victoria to knot it up. The convert attempts on both sides for the first two scores pinged off the upright.

Katherine Procyshyn gave Calgary another lead at 10-0, but again the Vikes came back when Abby Goodwin tied it up at the half-hour mark. Calgary’s Scotland split the uprights on a penalty goal chance in the final minute of the first half to give Calgary a 13-10 halftime lead.

In the most evenly-played match of the entire weekend, the Dinos and Vikes went back and forth through the second half before Victoria was finally able to punch it in with 18 minutes remaining. But with the home crowd behind them, the Dinos were able to push downfield for the winning score.

Calgary’s Simon Chi was named the CIS coach of the year following the game after leading the Dinos to a 2-2 record in the regular season, a 1-1 playoff mark, and the bronze medal. Jovita Byzitter of the Dinos was also honoured as the Student-Athlete Community Service award winner.

Calgary’s all-stars were prop Samantha Crandell and centre Brynna Walker, while Victoria was represented on the conference all-star team by lock Abby Goodwin.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Half
CGY – Lizzie MacKinnon try, 5-0 CGY
UVIC – Sarah Logan try, 5-5
CGY – Katherine Procyshyn try, 10-5 CGY
UVIC – Abby Goodwin try, 10-10
CGY – Kate Scotland penalty goal, 13-10 CGY

2nd Half
UVIC – Randy Hunter try, 15-13 UVIC
CGY – Anna Ahart try (Kate Scotland Convert), 20-15 CGY