Massive win over Bishop’s has team picking up steam for run at national gold
In their last home game of the season, the nationally third-ranked Gee-Gees women’s rugby team absolutely obliterated last place Bishop’s University on-route to a 75–0 victory, closing the regular season with a 7–0 record.
The team has come a long way since their somewhat quiet 28–17 season opening win over Université de Montréal.
In September, Gee-Gees head coach Jen Boyd said that her team would be playing their best rugby come this time of year, and it seems she was right.
In a complete tour de force performance, the Gees ran all over Bishop’s, practically sealing their victory in a matter of minutes.
Throughout this season, the team has been able to settle in and establish their lineup. They have also had a chance to extend their bench and work in pieces of the team that would otherwise not be able to get as much playing time.
Second-year front line Alex Ellis scored two tries in the win, bringing her total to a team leading 11 this year.
Samantha Alli, Alexandra Liepmann, and Afton Maisonneuve also tallied two tries in the win. Two Gee-Gees shared place kicking duties, with Emma Sandstrom converting on three converts, and Emily Gray on two, going along with a try of her own.
“We have new systems put in place this year,” said Boyd. “We lost our entire back line, so we’ve really been rebuilding and we’re going in the right direction at the right time.”
Boyd lauds the play of her younger athletes, since they have an element of fearlessness that they need going into the playoffs. Some of the older players know how close they’ve been and the pain of loss, whereas natural confidence comes in youth.
Having had so much success in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), going undefeated for three straight seasons, the Gee-Gees coach still believes it’s the best conference in the nation.
“We play every week, more than any other league, the travel is minimal, and we get at least three really hard games,” says Boyd.
“You don’t get to see McMaster and Guelph, who I know are the two best teams in the country, but we worry about that when we play them. If we go, you gotta get through the two best teams to win the national championship.”
Entering the playoffs, the Gee-Gees will take on a Montreal Carabins team that they have not faced since week one.
The 3–3–1 Carabins will have to do everything in their power to slow the Gees down, who are entering the playoffs at freight train pace.
The RSEQ semifinals get underway at 4 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Matt Anthony Field. Tickets are available at tickets.geegees.ca.
