Gee-Gees hit playoff form, dismantle Carleton and Sherbrooke
As playoffs begin looming on the horizon for the Gee-Gees women’s rugby team, they are hitting postseason form at the perfect time.
With two games in four days, the Gees’ stamina was put to the test against Carleton and Sherbrooke. Ultimately, the team came away with two massive wins, a 48–7 romping of the Ravens on Sept. 28 and a similarly powerful 48–12 blowout of the Vert & Or on Oct. 2.
In the matchup with the Ravens, the Gee-Gees established their dominance early on, jumping out to a 14–0 lead within minutes of the opening whistle.
Led by fifth-year prop Simone Savary, the Gees methodically powered through the Ravens, leaving their defence scrambling.
Savary and fellow front line star Alex Ellis both rolled over the much weaker Ravens at ease throughout the game. Their effort resulted in the pair scoring 20 combined points in the win.
In many ways, the Gee-Gees went as far as Savary and Ellis took them. The two, along with the tenacity of third-year flanker Emily Babcock, are clear linchpins on this year’s team.
Another key to success for the team this season has been fourth-year centre Emma Sandstrom’s place kicking, who is clearly taking after how graduated star Irene Patrinos handled kicking duties in previous years.
The team’s veteran leadership has been key to the Gees’ success this year, since providing younger players with role models and mentors is essential to fostering a winning program.
“Our fourth and fifth-year girls have been tremendous,” said Gee-Gees head coach Jen Boyd. “Especially because we have a lot of new players that are having key roles on the pitch … the experience they have, you just can’t match that with anything else.”
The Gee-Gees were lead by some of the younger team members in the road blowout of Sherbrooke, spearheaded by Ellis’ 10-point effort.
Ellis, being one of the cornerstones of the team’s future, was supported by a solid performance from fellow second-year front row Emily Gray, who added eight points of her own.
In a purposeful effort to keep the ball inside more often, the Gees have not relied as heavily on wingers scoring tries this season.
A player like Savary has directly benefited from the switch in attacks, something that has bolstered her numbers in her final year in garnet and grey.
“You just want to stick to basics, do footwork and you’ll break through,” said Savary. “It’s really successful for me because I only have to think about going forward. If I show that in the game, all of the other girls can do it too.”
The Gee-Gees are well on their path to another Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec championship, and their focus can soon shift to chasing a national title in Victoria, B.C. in November.
The team’s final regular season home game against the 0–5 Bishop’s Gaiters is on Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. at Matt Anthony Field.
