October 28, 2022
Banner Season: Gaels take care of business on home turf to claim closely contested championship
Kingston, Ont. - The Queen's Gaels are OUA Champions. In a rematch of last year's OUA Women's Rugby Championship, the Gaels came out on top this time around, defeating the Guelph Gryphons 29-24 at Nixon Field Friday.
It was a close game through much of the first half before Queen's scored two tries just before half time to build a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Maggie Banks opened the scoring for Queen's with a try down the right side of the field, and after a successful convert from OUA Player of the Year Lizzie Gibson, the Gaels led 7-0 early.
Guelph stormed back and scored the next two tries, with Shoshauna Gauvin, converted by Kendra Cousineau, and Brianna Martey scoring six minutes apart, in the seventh and 14th minute to give the Gryphons a 12-7 lead.
The score remained the same until late in the half before Gaels tries by OUA Rookie of the Year Maddie Donnelly and Banks with her second of the game gave Queen's a 21-12 lead at half time. Gibson converted both tries.
Queen's and Guelph traded tries early in the second half, with Maddy Kushner scoring for the Gaels and Signe Caswell responding for the Gryphons to push the score to 26-17.
Gibson added a penalty convert late in the second half to give Queen's a 29-17 lead and the Gryphons would stage a late comeback, with Imogen Barnard finding the try zone and Cousineau converting to cut Queen's lead to 29-24.
The clock would run out shortly after as the Gaels captured their second OUA title in the last four years.
"We knew we needed to match them up front physically, and if we were able to do that, we knew we'd be able to eventually punch one through," said Queen's Head Coach Dan Valley after the game. "We did a really nice job of that."
"[We knew] this was going to be an 80-minute battle," said Banks after the game. "We faced them in the OUA Championship last year and didn't come out on top. We knew we didn't want to have that feeling again, that was our motivator. We knew we had to be the hardest working team and I think we were from minute 0 to minute 80 and we ended up on top because of it."
Banks led the Gaels in scoring with 10 points (two tries) while Gibson added nine points (three conversions, one penalty conversion). Gauvin, Martey, Caswell, and Barnard were tied for the lead in scoring with five points each.
Both teams now head to Victoria for the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, hosted by the University of Victoria from Nov. 2-6.
It was a close game through much of the first half before Queen's scored two tries just before half time to build a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Maggie Banks opened the scoring for Queen's with a try down the right side of the field, and after a successful convert from OUA Player of the Year Lizzie Gibson, the Gaels led 7-0 early.
Guelph stormed back and scored the next two tries, with Shoshauna Gauvin, converted by Kendra Cousineau, and Brianna Martey scoring six minutes apart, in the seventh and 14th minute to give the Gryphons a 12-7 lead.
The score remained the same until late in the half before Gaels tries by OUA Rookie of the Year Maddie Donnelly and Banks with her second of the game gave Queen's a 21-12 lead at half time. Gibson converted both tries.
Queen's and Guelph traded tries early in the second half, with Maddy Kushner scoring for the Gaels and Signe Caswell responding for the Gryphons to push the score to 26-17.
Gibson added a penalty convert late in the second half to give Queen's a 29-17 lead and the Gryphons would stage a late comeback, with Imogen Barnard finding the try zone and Cousineau converting to cut Queen's lead to 29-24.
The clock would run out shortly after as the Gaels captured their second OUA title in the last four years.
"We knew we needed to match them up front physically, and if we were able to do that, we knew we'd be able to eventually punch one through," said Queen's Head Coach Dan Valley after the game. "We did a really nice job of that."
"[We knew] this was going to be an 80-minute battle," said Banks after the game. "We faced them in the OUA Championship last year and didn't come out on top. We knew we didn't want to have that feeling again, that was our motivator. We knew we had to be the hardest working team and I think we were from minute 0 to minute 80 and we ended up on top because of it."
Banks led the Gaels in scoring with 10 points (two tries) while Gibson added nine points (three conversions, one penalty conversion). Gauvin, Martey, Caswell, and Barnard were tied for the lead in scoring with five points each.
Both teams now head to Victoria for the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship, hosted by the University of Victoria from Nov. 2-6.
