The Carleton Ravens women’s rugby team followed up its 68-5 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters in the season opener with another dominant win this past Sunday.
The Ravens prevailed 50-5 against the McGill Martlets at Raven Road Field on Sept. 11 to claim a victory in their home opener. The victory was historic for Carleton, as it marked their first win against McGill in the history of the program.
Mel Judges, a starting back row, acknowledged the importance of the win after the game.
“A win over McGill is a pretty big deal, first time in history,” she said. “So it feels amazing to be part of a team to be able to make history at Carleton.”
Carleton dominated play right from kick, spending the vast majority of the first half on McGill’s side of the pitch.
Maria Godfrey, the starting hooker, opened the scoring for the Ravens on a pick and go at the Martlets’ goal line.
Bailey Dean successfully converted the kick for the home side to take an early 7-0 lead. For the day, Dean finished 5-8 on conversions and added a try late in the game.
After the game, head coach Patrick Thompson said Godfrey’s performance matched expectations, after she finished the game with three tries.
“[Godfrey] is a competitor through and through and we expect a lot from her and she knows that,” Thompson said. “She will be right in there with hands on the ball, and we want her hands on the ball when we get close to the goal line.”
Thompson added the team has been working towards playing for the full 80 minutes to ensure a strong showing.
“We know how important getting a good start is for the rest of the match, they came out ready, they came out prepared,” he said. “So we know the start is all up to our preparation, so we executed right off the bat and took it from there.”
McGill was hemmed in deep early on, with scrum half Davie Beaudin diving across the line for a score, followed shortly by a long scoring run from standoff Jessica Joubarne to tack onto the Ravens’ lead.
Once the game reached halftime, the Ravens’ lead had grown to 29-0.
The lone try for McGill came late in the game, after the Ravens had taken their second yellow card and were down to 14 players.
First year lock Anastasia Bourka added a try, and Olivia Merritt intercepted a McGill pass in the closing minutes to give the Ravens a 50-5 win.
Through two games this season, the Ravens have improved their performance both offensively and defensively. They’ve scored 118 points in two games, while only allowing 10 points.
Thompson said the hot start will not lead to changes in preparations for next week.
“We just got to keep the focus and keep maintaining what we are doing on a day in and a day out basis, keep our fate in our own hands.”
