M-RUGBY ROUNDUP: Queen's locks up #1 seed with 69-5 win over Waterloo
Friday, October 24
Laurier 0 @ Guelph 93
Guelph, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphon Men's Rugby team rounded out their regular season with a dominant 93-0 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Friday night at Varsity Field. The Gryphons end the season with a 7-1 record while Laurier falls to 3-5.
The Gryphons have been a dominant scoring team all season with 320 points in a total of seven games heading into their match-up with the Golden Hawks. The Golden Hawks had trouble from the early minutes of the game holding back the powerful Gryphon backs. Quick and accurate passes had the Gryphons pulling ahead with a big 19-0 lead only ten minutes into the first half. The Gryphon forwards would end up pushing the Laurier scrum over the goal line in the first half for another seven points, after the conversion from the Gryphon's top scorer Joe Newman (Waterdown, Ont.). After an impressive offensive first half, the Gryphons would lead 55-0 heading into the break.
Laurier would look to line outs in the second half to help them gain field position and forward momentum, but would struggle keeping possession of the ball with bad passes plaguing the backs. The Golden Hawks would finally keep possession of the ball and put together solid passes, winning rucks against the Gryphons. Laurier would make it 20 yards out from the goal line before being forced out of bounds. Laurier would win the line out, but a knock on would force them into a scrum against Guelph. The Gryphons would win the scrum and effectively end Laurier's best scoring opportunity of the game.
Jeremy Wright (Fenelon Falls, Ont.) would lead the team in scoring with three tries for 15 points. Newman would also grab 15 points with one try and five conversions, earning himself 78 points in total on the season.
Jeffrey Hogle (Mississauga, Ont.) would have an impressive second half for the Gryphons totaling four conversions for eight points and a huge 50-yard run for a try adding 13 points to the total.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
Saturday, October 25
Waterloo 5 @ Queens 69
KINGSTON (October 25, 2014) – The Gaels defeated the Waterloo Warriors 69-5 this Saturday in their final regular season game. With this win, the Gaels end their season in first place with a 7-1 record giving them a bye into the OUA semifinals next Saturday. The Warriors end their season with a 1-7 ranking in the OUA.
The Warriors were on their heels early in the game as the Gaels pushed through their defensive line. Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga) slipped through to put the first try on the board, grabbing the Gaels the early lead which they never relinquished. A minute later Marc Van der wall (Victoria) put down a try of his own, with a successful conversion by Adam McQueen (Canmore, Alta). Keeping up their momentum, the Gaels pushed a ruck try through the Warriors defence with Ciaran McSwiggan (Toronto) putting down the third try of the game.
The Warriors struggled to hold off the advances, but Queen's continuously found seams in the Warriors defence with tries flooding the board from first year rookie Marc Levin (Vancouver) and three more from Lloyd who led the Gaels at halftime with his four tries. Going into the second half, the Gaels were leading the Warriors 43-0.
Joseph Yelle (Brantford, Ont.) put down a try immediately in the second half followed by McQueen who pulled away from the pack to put down a try and score a conversion. The Gaels dominated the pitch with great lateral action getting Teddy Taggart (Ottawa) in position to put down a try of his own, increasing the Gaels lead to 64-0.
The Gaels momentum slowed as the Warriors gained their greatest advance in the Queen's end and breaking the Gaels shutout as Kyle Kraemer scored the first try for Waterloo. The Gaels were quick to respond with McQueen putting down his second try of the game to top off the match with a lead of 69-5 over the Warriors. McQueen led the Gaels with 24 points, putting down two tries and scoring seven conversions.
With a first place ranking in the OUA season, the Gaels have a bye to the semifinal game scheduled for next Saturday, November 1. Their opponents are to be determined in Wednesday's quarter-final game.
Source: Queen's Gaels
Brock 87 @ Toronto 3
TORONTO, Ont. - The Brock University men's rugby team (5-2-1 OUA) ended the regular season with an 87-3 victory over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. With the victory, the Badgers will host a playoff game this week.
Brock senior Connor Fitzsimmons surpassed the 200 point mark of his OUA regular season career, after leading the Badgers offense with a season high 32-point performance adding two trys and 11 converts. He finishes the season with a single season best 93 points which ranks among OUA leaders.
Wade Little, Mackenzie Redgate and Paul-Henri van Thiel all contributed with two trys each. Karl Mueller, Sepehr Shabahang, Jackson Amos and Mitchell Langhorn rounded out the scoring with one try each.
Source: Brock Badgers
Western 15 @ McMaster 13
HAMILTON, Ont. – The Mustangs men's rugby team rounded off their season with a win on Saturday afternoon as they defeated the McMaster Marauders 15-13 in their final regular season game at Back 10 Field.
The win lifts the Mustangs over the Marauders in the OUA standings as they finish the regular season 5-2-1 and are currently tied with the Brock Badgers for third place. McMaster drops to fifth place with a 5-3-0 record on the season.
With playoff positions on the line, both teams came out unwilling to make it easy for their opponent, resulting in a close game up until the final whistle. But it would be the Mustangs who would come out on top, edging out the Marauders by a slim two point difference.
Eric Selvaggi and James Ojo led the play for the purple and white with one try a piece. Mike Turnbull was able to follow up with one out of two conversions while adding a penalty goal to solidify the Mustangs lead.
Jamie Leveridge was the only Marauder to make it onto the score sheet as he scored McMaster's lone try. Leveridge paired his try with a conversion and a penalty kick but it wouldn't be enough to get past the Mustangs.
Western has appeared in eight OUA finals in the last nine years, winning two championships (2011, 2007). The Mustangs head into playoff action next week as they host their first playoff game on Wednesday night at Alumni Field. Game time is to be announced.
Source: Western Mustangs
