Stingers 29, Ravens 3: Concordia conquers Carleton in final regular season contest
The team honoured its senior players with a decisive win
The Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team ended its regular season with a 29-3 win against the Carleton Ravens on Oct. 5.
The team hosted the contest at Concordia Stadium, celebrating seniors night to honour the following players leaving the program after this year: captain and prop Fallon Coulouris, second row Nicole Amaral, prop Steve Kalaydjian, forward Lily Hutchison, fullback Madeleine McTavish, hooker Hannah Booler, centre Kelsey Sylvester and flanker Roxanne Galarneau.
“I feel like, how much this team has grown and how much we’ve been able to change the culture, how much I love playing with these incredible [people] is just amazing,” Coulouris said. “This is the third senior’s night I’ve been a part of because I just can’t leave. Now I have to and it’s bittersweet, but it’s time to move on.”
In the first half, Concordia got right to work. The Stingers demonstrated solid pace, moving the ball steadily into enemy territory. Kalaydjian capped off the series past the 10-minute mark, punching in the game-opening try. With a successful convert by McTavish, Concordia gained an early 7-0 lead.
After a deep kick and a steal by Hutchison, the Stingers scored again, this time at the hands of Coulouris in the 15th minute. The forward play was exemplary, as Coulouris and Catherine-Ann Blenkhorn ate up yardage with two strong runs in the 30th minute before Kalaydjian scored their second try of the half.
The Ravens broke the shutout in the 33rd minute with outside centre Zoey Nield converting a successful 30-plus yard penalty kick. Concordia held onto the lead heading into halftime 17-3.
The solid play by the forwards throughout the season was not absent in Saturday’s game. The defensive line stayed stout and landed big tackles, multiple pick-and-go sequences frequently marched the Stingers deep into Carleton’s end, and it all came to fruition in the second half in the 55th minute. With many forwards knocking on the door of the in-goal area, it was Booler who finally squeezed through an opening and tallied the fourth try for Concordia, making it a 22-3 game.
With less than 20 minutes remaining, the Ravens foiled the Stingers on the try line. It’s rare to see a ball held up in the try zone more than once in a game, but Carleton was able to impede Concordia’s efforts three times. During the 62nd minute, Carleton held up the ball in successive attempts by Concordia. It took two minutes of goal line play before lock Penelope Henderson found turf. McTavish nailed her second kick of the match and Concordia ended with a 29-3 victory.
“We have a really young team. A lot of rookies playing, and because of that, our seniors have carried us this season,” said Stingers head coach Craig Beemer. “I think you saw tonight, we relied on them heavily. We’re a lot more direct and a lot more north.”
“I think that tonight is a very special night for all the seniors here, [it being] the last home game and that added to the fire,” Amaral said, coming off a 100 per cent tackle percentage a week prior. “You look to your right, you look to your left and you have your teammates that you’ve known forever and it helps you tackle.”
Concordia moves on to the semi-final round against the Université Laval Rouge et Or. The game is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, and will be hosted by Laval at Telus Stadium in Quebec City.
