Hurricanes senior rugby girls punch ticket to OFSAA, despite loss
It was a day of mixed emotions for the Holy Cross Hurricanes senior girls rugby team.
The Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season in the COSSA AA final 12-7 to the Trenton Tigers at M.A. Sills Park in Belleville on Thursday.
The good news is the Hurricanes secured their first trip to OFSAA in Courtice in June with a 12-7 semi-final win over the two-time OFSAA champion and host COSSA Bayside.
Since Bayside won OFSAA last year COSSA is allowed two representatives at OFSAA and Holy Cross’ silver medal finish clinched a berth.
“Bayside has won OFSAA the last two years,” said Hurricanes coach Jake Fowler.
“They’re a tough team. We played that game at Bayside where there is a lot of tradition and history. We knew those girls would be coming to play and they did. That was really a tough game. There were lots of nerves in that first game with OFSAA in the back of their minds. I think it was a big relief.
“Trenton is a great team. These three teams have played each other a lot and it’s always a onetry game either way.”
Fowler said his team will go on a rugby tour of Scotland and England in April to prepare for OFSAA.
Hailey Rose and Robin Ellis scored tries and Kylie Fife added a convert to build a 12-0 lead against Bayside. Maddie Dimock scored a try converted by Fife tying Trenton 7-7 before a try late in the first half gave the Tigers a lead they held through a scoreless second half.
“We’re all happy and relieved to be going to OFSAA,” Fowler said.
“Obviously, we’d liked to have done a couple of things differently to be champions but hopefully we’ll play Trenton again in the OFSAA gold medal game.”
Trenton beat Adam Scott 36-5 in the other semi-final. Chantal Cnossen) scored the Lions try.
The COSSA senior AAA playoffs were played in Lindsay where the I.E. Weldon Wildcats beat the Thomas A. Stewart Griffins 35-0 in the final. TASSS won their semi-final 24-5 over St. Paul’s. Weldon beat Eastside 33-0.
The COSSA junior playoffs are on Friday in Belleville (AA) and Lindsay (AAA).
Boys Soccer
Belleville’s Nicholson captured the COSSA boys A junior and senior soccer championships at Kenner Collegiate on Thursday afternoon.
In junior, the host Kenner Rams fell 4-1 to St. Paul’s in semifinals. Osama Basharat scored for Kenner. Nicholson defeated St. Paul’s 4-1 in the final.
At senior, Nicholson beat St. Paul 4-0 in the final. Nicholson beat Port Hope 7-0 in semifinals and St. Paul’s beat Campbellford District 3-1. Dylan McMaster scored for Campbellford.