ONTARIO TAKES 2012 NWL CHAMPIONSHIP as reported by Rugby Canada

From Rugby Canada:

Sunday marked the final day for the 2012 National Women’s League tounament. The pressure was on all four teams as Alberta and Quebec started things off for the day as they faced off at 10amEST for the consolation game, then the championship game took place at 1 :30pmEST between BC and Ontario to cap off the day.

250 people gathered Sunday morning at PEPS Stadium on the Universite Laval campus in Quebec City for the consolation game, that pitted the 2011 NWL champion Alberta team against the squad from Quebec.

Quebec jumped out to an early lead as they opened the scoring on a Magali Harvey penalty kick just under six minutes into the match.

The Quebec squad continued scoring, with Latoya Blackwood scoring the game’s first try, but Alberta quickly responded, getting onto the scoreboard with a penalty kick of their own from Brittany Orr.

The team from Quebec played an excellent defensive game during the first half, but just before half time Alberta’s Kayla Mack managed to touch down across the goal line and sent the game into the half tied at 8-8.

Early in the second half, Alberta’s Amanda Thornborough broke through Québec’s defence allowing Alberta to take their first lead of the game, and Brittany Orr followed up with the successful conversion as well as a penalty kick just over ten minutes later.

Quebec responded, with a long pass sequence that ended with a try by Brianna Miller, converted by Magali Harvey.

Maria Jaworski, who had scored six tries going into the match, scored her 7th of the tournament, when she touched down with 12 minutes to go, giving Alberta a 23-15 lead.

Tensions were running high on the field as both teams knew that victory was within reach. Elissa Alaire from Quebec answered back with a late game try, converted by Magali Harvey. The late game try put the Quebec squad within reach but it was just not enough to regain the lead from Alberta. Despite numerous attempts to score from Quebec, Alberta would walk away with the consolation championship at the 2012 NWL tournament by a final score of 23-22.

Ricky Coombe, out of breath said: “I feel relieved, very happy. Everybody knows how tough games are and Quebec, playing province in there home, they really stepped up. It was a good game.”

ALBERTA
Allen, Gillian (Saskatoon Kirin)
Bowd, Ali (Red Deer Titans)
Chavarie, Louise (Edmonton Clanswomen)
Crandell, Samantha (Calgary Hornets)
Emery, Desiree (Calgary Hornets)
Fairbairn, Allison (Strathcona Druids)
Fittes, Alanna (Edmonton Lep-Tigers)
Grabinsky, Francine (Edmonton Lep-Tigers)
Hendricks, Alex (Lethbridge RFC)
Hiller, Tessa (Edmonton Clanswomen)
Hobbs, Carmen (Strathcona Druids)
Houle, Michelle (Edmonton Lep-Tigers)
Jaworski, Maria (Calgary Hornets)
Letal, Andrea (Calgary Hornets)
Mack, Kayla (Saskatoon Kirin)
Majeau, Elizabeth (Edmonton Clanswomen)(
McGregor, Ellen (Calgary Hornets)
Nedved, Marlene (Strathcona Druids)
Orr, Brittany (Lethbridge RFC)
Sargent, Kristy (Edmonton Lep-Tigers)
Tate, Victoria (Edmonton Clanswomen)
Thornborough, Amanda (Calgary Hornets)
Tremere, Michelle (Calgary Hornets)
Whyte, Lauren (Saskatoon Kirin)

QUEBEC
Alaire, Elissa (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC)
Beattie-Dagenais, Noala (Ormstown Saracencs RFC)
Benzakein, Erin (Montreal Irish RFC)
Bernard, Dominique (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Bernier, Stephanie (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Blackwood, Latoya (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC)
Boudreau-Turpim, Sarah (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Bienstock, Susy (Town of Mount-Royal RFC)
Chabot-Bergeron, Anne (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Coates, LeeAnna (Club de rugby Abenakis de Sherbrooke)
Cueillierrier, Samantha (Town of Mount-Royal RFC)
Ewing, Samantha (Brome Lake Ducks)
Farella, Bianca (Town of Mount-Royal RFC)
Gauthier, Lisa (Ottawa Irish RFC)
Gauvin, Marie-Eve (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Harvey, Magali (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Huntley, Jennifer (Ottawa Banshees RFC)
Keller, Kathleen (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Maccoarmack, Allison (Hull Volants)
Magwood, Susan (Montreal Irish RFC)
Marcotte, Audrey (St-Lambert Locks RFC)
Miller, Brianna (St-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC)
Paquin, Karen (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Pineault-Reid, Marie Pier (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Vallieres-Villenevue, Charlotte (Rugby Club de Quebec)
Watcham-Roy, Natasha (Hull Vollants)
Zussman, Julianne (Town of Mount-Royal RFC)

MATCH SHEET
5:55 Qc penalty by #15. Magali Harvey
11:45 Qc try by #6. Latoya Blackwood
16:20 Alberta penalty by #21. Brittany Orr
28:00 Québec yellow car for #13 Lisa Gauthier
32:00 Alberta try by #23. Kayla Mack
41:00 Alberta try by #20. Amanda Thornborough
42:00 Québec yellow card for #13 Lisa Gauthier
51:30 Québec yellow card for #3 Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid
52:30 Alberta penalty by #21. Brittany Orr
55:00 Alberta yellow card for #23. Kayla Mack
60:00 Qc try by by #10. Brianna Miller
60:00 Qc convert by by #15. Magali Harvey
68:00 Alberta try by #4. Maria Jaworski (c.)
71:00 Alberta yellow card for 319. Victoria Tate
75:00 Qc try by by #22. Elissa Alaire
76:00 Qc convert by #15. Magali Harvey

With both Ontario and BC gaining a birth into Sunday’s championship game with wins on Friday, the fans knew that both teams would bring their best on Sunday.

The first few minutes of the first half proved to be a pretty tight defensive game, with both teams keeping each other off of the board for the first ten minutes.

Ontario, however, would break free just after the ten minute mark and not only opened the scoring but took a solid lead with Cheryl Phillips starting things off with a penalty kick, and Brooke Hilditch scoring a try, with a successful convert kicked by Cheryl Phillips.

Megan Gibbs would cap off the run for Ontario, scoring another try just after the 25 minute mark of the first half.

BC would not be shut out during the first half, as Hillary Leith answered with a try of her own as both teams went into half time, Ontario leading 15-5.

The second half would open with Cheryl Phillips, who had had a solid tournament for the Ontario squad becoming a real offensive force, kicking back to back penalty kicks to extend Ontario’s leads by a score 21-5.

BC would mount a comeback with 20 minutes to go in the match, Julia Sugawara not only scoring the try but also booting the successful conversion to push the score to 21-12, Ontario.

Ontario’s Lori Josephson would put the game out of reach for the BC squad as she crossed the goal line with less than 10 minutes to go in the game, making it what would be the final score of 26-12 for the eventual 2012 NWL Champion Ontario side.

Meaghan Howat, winner of Collette McCauley Award, recognizing a female rugby player who gives back to the sport of rugby in the true spirit of the game, said “It’s a huge honor to be back playing for Ontario after last year to get the win this year, it’s just a amazing accomplishment.”

ONTARIO
Anderson, Lynzi (Aurora Barbarians)
Bartley, Asya (Barrhaven RFC)
Beaton, Caitlin (Highland RFC)
Belchos, Emily (Markham Irish)
Belchos, Jessica (Markham Irish)
Benn, Brittany (Highland RFC)
Beukeboom, Tyson (Aurora Barbarians)
Brule, Jennifer (Jen) (Kingston Panthers)
Chekay, Bethany (Markham Irish)
Chen, Louise (Toronto Scottish)
Dubisette-Borrice, Arielle (Toronto Scottish)
Gabriel, Carolynna (Toronto Scottish)
Gibbs, Megan (Markham Irish)
Greenshields, Julia (Sarnia RFC)
Hilditch, Brooke (Toronto Yeolions)
Howat, Meaghan (Markham Irish)
Josephson, Lori (Aurora Barbarians)
Kaljuvee, Sara (Toronto Scottish)
Kassil, Brittany (Highland RFC)
Kirby, Mary Jane (Highland RFC)
Landry, Ghislaine (Toronto Scottish)
Lang, Rosie (Toronto Scottish)
Linthwaite, Morganne (Highland RFC)
Lowry, Megan (Highland RFC)
McNally, Caitlin (Katie) (Highland RFC)
Murphy, Jacey (Aurora Barbarians)
Pegg, Claragh (Aurora Barbarians)
Phillips, Cheryl (Toronto Scottish)
Russell, Kelly (Toronto Nomads)
Russell, Laura (Toronto Nomads)

British Columbia
Barieau, Jocelyn (Burnaby)
Burnham, Christina (Burnaby)
Byers, Sarah (United)
Campbell, Amanda (Velox)
Donaldson, Kim (Burnaby)
Donaldson, Marlene (Velox)
Dovanne, Jess (Velox)
Gordon, Sarah (U of L)
Jacobsen, Corinne (Burnaby)
Kahin, Sagal (UBC/Lomas)
Kane, Shannon (Velox)
Kola, Jozie (United)
Leith, Hilary (Capilano)
Luca, Devon (Burnaby)
McEwan, Carolyn (UBC)
Noger, Alicia (Abbotsford)
Olynyk, Jess (Velox)
Pahlavanlu, Paniz (United)
Robb, Samantha (Velox)
Schnoor, Stevie (United)
Sugawara, Julia (United)
Tam, Natalie (Velox)
Waters, Brittany (Loma)
Young, Emily (Burnaby)

Match Sheet
11 :20 Ont. penalty by #15. Cheryl Phillips
15 :45 Ont. try by #10. Brooke Hilditch
16 :30 Ont. convert by #15. Cheryl Phillips
25 :15 ONT try by #7. Megan Gibbs
30 :47 BC try by #5. Hillary Leith
46 :15 Ont. Penalty by #15. Cheryl Phillips
57 :30 Ont. Penalty by #15. Cheryl Phillips
60 :00 BC try by #10. Julia Sugawara
60 :51 BC convert by #10. Julia Sugawara
71 :00 Ont. try by #11. Lori Josephson

With the tournament now complete, Rugby Canada would like to congratulate all the players and staff that participated in the event. Rugby Canada would also like to thank the province of Quebec, host of this tournament, Universite Laval, Rugby Quebec, all of the volunteers and all of the fans who came out to support the athletes..

For all the latest scores and updates check out http://www.nwlrugby.com or go to http://www.rugbycanada.ca.

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