The Carleton Ravens women’s rugby team secured a playoff spot with a 17-12 win against the Université de Montréal Carabins on Saturday.
This was the team’s second time playing the Carabins after a 17-0 loss the first time they faced off on Sept. 11. That game, the season opener, was the only game Carleton has lost this season.
“It’s definitely a good win on the road against probably our toughest competition in the conference,” head coach David Luong said.
After struggling to gain ground in their last game against the Carabins, the Ravens started off significantly stronger in this game, leading 14-0 at halftime.
With the last game against the Carabins being the first in nearly two years, Luong said at the time that he felt nerves and excitement impacted Carleton’s play. This time, however, the Ravens were warmed up and ready to take on Montréal.
“It worked out more in our favour this time around,” Luong said. “Especially travelling, playing in front of [the Carabins’] home crowd, it’s a very intimate field. You could really hear the crowd and so the players were able to focus on the task at hand.”
With only a single game left for the team before the quarterfinals of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs, the Ravens are hoping to continue their current four-game winning streak.
The team has found success with quick passing, utilizing the outside of the pitch and fast decision making.
“We like to stick to our game plan and not worry too much about other teams because we know when we’re on point and we execute there’s really not much stopping us,” Luong said.
Riding high on their win streak and looking ahead to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for Oct. 23, Carleton will continue to fine-tune their approach leading up to the playoffs.
“We’re continually improving so that we can excel in the playoffs,” Luong said. “Everyone is very excited and the staff and I are extremely proud of these student-athletes who have been putting the time and dedication into the program over the last 18 months.”
The Ravens will wrap up their regular season this Saturday on the road against the Bishop’s University Gaiters.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
