The women’s rugby team fought for the ball Oct. 24 against the Banish (Photo: Laura Palbom)
It was a hard-fought and ultimately disappointing battle for the Carleton women’s rugby team Oct. 24, as they had been undefeated going into the league championships game.
The Ravens played the Banish, a combination of two local teams, the Banshees and the Scottish, at the Twin Elm Rugby Park in South Nepean.
This was a team Carleton had met and beaten twice before in the regular fall season.
The game had a slow start, with both teams adjusting to the slippery environment. Although the Banish were playing with just 12 women on the pitch against Carleton’s 15, the teams were fairly evenly-matched with a halftime score of 0-0.
The Banish took immediate control in the second half with a try off of a break in the defensive line.
Carleton returned with equal furor, but was unable to make up the lost ground due to several penalties early in the second half.
Despite a number of promising advances in the last 20 minutes of the game, Carleton was unsuccessful in preventing two more tries for the Banish women. Carleton went down with a final score of 15-0 for the Banish.
“It was a hard-fought battle against a bigger and more physical team,” said head coach Greg Hedgecoe.
“We had a few too many unforced errors and a lack of discipline, which meant that we ended up playing a losing game.”
The game was the last official match of the season for Carleton with the exception of an exhibition game Oct. 31.
This year the women’s rugby team was primarily composed of first and second-year students, many with little experience playing at this high of a level of competition.
But despite their loss, Hedgecoe said he has confidence in the team’s bright future.
“With a couple more years of development and performance, I’m sure that when they peak in a year or two from now, they’ll be pretty impressive.”