Laval kicker does in Dinos in quarter-final
Calgary relegated to consolation round at women’s rugby national championship
W OLF V ILLE, N . S. The University of Calgary Dinos and the Laval Rouge et Or traded leads all afternoon, but it was the Rouge et Or who converted late and came away with a 28-22 victory in the first of four U Sports rugby quarter-final matches on Thursday at Raymond Field.
Véronique Gagné broke a 22-22 tie late in the second half with a pair of three-point penalty kicks to lead her team to victory.
The Dinos will now play on the consolation side of the bracket at the U Sports Women’s Rugby Championship and face the Queens Gaels for the second time in as many years. Laval advances to the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament and will take on St. Francis Xavier X-Women.
“It was a well-contested game — we knew it was going to be that way — there was some early jitters, but we were in control in the first half,” said Dinos head coach Simon Chi. “In the second half, it was a battle, and we made too many critical errors at the wrong time, and that is what it comes down to at the playoffs.”
Laval took the early advantage and cashed in as player-of-thegame Marie-Laura Choquette scored her first of three tries on the match, just 2:12 into it.
Gagne’s convert attempt failed, leaving the Rouge et Or with an early 5-0 lead.
Calgary came right back on the next possession, tying the score on a Taejah Thompson try at the 5:14 mark. Elysa Sandron’s successful conversion gave the Dinos their first lead at 7-5.
“They came hard. We wanted them to have the ball more. The pressure from their defence made it so we could not find them with open space enough,” Chi said when asked about the performances by Thompson and Sandron.
Undaunted, Laval regained possession and found the scoreboard again on a nice individual effort by Choquette. The conversion attempt failed, but Laval was back in the lead, 10-7 at 15:46.
Then it was Calgary’s turn to again grab the advantage. Sandron pushed a try across at 18:18, finishing off a frantic opening 20 minutes of play. Her conversion attempt failed, but the Dinos regained the lead, 12-10.
The teams went to their dressing rooms at halftime with the Dinos still holding a slim two-point lead.
Following the intermission, it was Calgary that came out strong, grabbing the early advantage and increasing its lead to seven points on a try credited to Erin Geddie just 1:24 into the second half.
Again, as was the story throughout a back-and-forth battle, Laval rebounded to even the score.
Eliane Cote scored a try at the 44:46 mark, and Gagne was good on the conversion to tie the score at 17.
The Rouge et Or continued to apply pressure and were rewarded when Choquette notched her third try of the match for a 22-17 Laval lead at the 50-minute mark.
The Dinos then mounted a drive of their own, tying the score on an Alyson MacDougall try at 60:47. Sandron’s attempt to give her team the lead was unsuccessful, leaving the score tied with time running down.
Laval moved the ball to within kicking range for Gagne, and the third-year performer made no mistake, splitting the uprights on a penalty kick to give Laval a lead it would not relinquish.
A little over four minutes later, Gagne added a second penalty kick to increase the lead to six.
“It is a new experience being on that side of the bracket,” Chi said. “It is going to come down to pride as individuals and athletes and representing the school. I am sure our team will respond.”
The Dinos play their next game Saturday when they battle Queen’s at 8:30 a.m.
SOCCER COACH HONOURED
After leading the Dinos to the best regular season in program history, Dinos women’s soccer head coach Troye Flannery was named Canada West Coach of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.
Flannery becomes the first Dinos coach since Robin Slot, in 2000, to earn the conference’s top coaching honour.
Other major award winners announced Thursday included MVP Seina Kashima (Trinity Western); rookie of the year Michell Jang (UBC); and student-athlete community service winner Lindsay Amatto (Lethbridge). The UBC Okanagan Heat earned the Canada West Fair Play Award.
Under the six-year tutelage of Flannery, the Dinos have become a relevant program in Canada West and on the national stage.
After missing the playoffs five of the last six years before he took over, Flannery ’s Dinos have qualified for the post-season in each of his six years, earning top spot in the Prairie Division in both 2016 and 2018.
This year’s edition of the Dinos set Canada West records with 13 wins and 11 shutouts on the season, allowing just five goals in 14 games.
It’s the second such honour this year for Flannery, who led his Calgary Foothills WFC team to the Western Conference championship and was named United Women’s Soccer coach of the year this summer.
“Troye’s leadership has taken the Dinos women’s soccer program to the next level,” said Dinos athletic director Jason Kerswill. “He surrounds himself with quality people, he truly cares about his players, and he is an outstanding technical coach who led his team to its bestever season in 2018. We congratulate him on this achievement and well-deserved recognition.”
The Dinos, riding a 14-game win streak, face the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday night in Langley, B.C., in the conference semifinal, with the winner advancing to the U Sports national championship next week in Ottawa.
It is going to come down to pride as individuals and athletes and representing the school. I am sure our team will respond.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The reigning Canada West champion Calgary Dinos (2-0) return to women’s volleyball action after a week off when they host the Regina Cougars (2-0) on Friday, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, at 4 p.m., in the Jack Simpson Gym.
“Every week there are adjustments to make,” said Dinos head coach Natalie Gurnsey. “But this season, our focus every day in practice, and every weekend we compete, we’re trying to reach our highest potential and be better than the last time we stepped on the court.”