On the heels of a 5-2 record, the Ravens women’s rugby team head to Université Laval to play its first playoff game for the first time in the program’s history on Oct. 20.
The team almost scored a spot in the playoffs last year but lost their chance to play due to a three-way tie in the rankings right before the playoffs.
This season served as a breakthrough for the team. Scrum half Robert Drummond said the team’s winning record and first playoff berth of the entire program’s history is a testament to the program’s growth.
“I came in at the same time as Pat, I remember he said I have three years to turn the program around. Now, three years later, here we are in the playoffs,” the Belleville, Ont. native said.
The Ravens travel to Quebec City, Qué., with high hopes of avenging its first regular season loss of the year. The Rouge et Or narrowly edged the Ravens in their regular season game 14-17 on Sept. 22.
Despite the tough loss, Ravens flanker Maddy Wood said she likes the match-up.
“I think we can win, for sure,” Wood said. “We pushed them in the last game, we have a great team spirit and we’re in great shape. We do a lot of conditioning which is important late in the season.”
The Ravens will need to prepare for a Laval attack, which scored the second most points in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). In their last game, the Rouge et Or scored both their tries off strong play up front.
“Don’t get me wrong—their backs can play rugby, but it’s their forwards that’s their real highlight.” Drummond said.
Strong head prop Sonia Hassan-Legault said the front eight for Laval—including veteran props Annnabelle Parent, Cloé Maranda and Laurie Houle—are talented players who can make an immediate impact at any time.
It would seem, then, winning up front is paramount.
“Yeah, I think overall they’re one of the strongest Scrums in the nation . . . But, last game, we saw those girls only have an impact if we let them run through us,” Hassan-Legault said on how her team plans to counter Laval’s front. “If we connect and commit and play hard defence, then we can drive them back.”
The game doesn’t come without its concerns for the Ravens. Late in the season, the team hit an injury bug—most notably, full-back and captain Ellen Spannagel, who sat out the second half of the McGill game and didn’t dress for the season finale after sustaining a knee injury.
Prior to the match-up, Spannagel said she plans to be in action for Sunday’s playoff semi-final despite the injury.
“It’s getting there,” she said.
The Ravens went undefeated with no points against them at home this season. Road play was shakier with two losses on the road and as their closest win came against the Montréal Carabins on Sept. 7.
Drummond said traveling isn’t the greatest.
“Five-hour bus ride the day before and going to their stadium, I think we’re definitely going to miss our home field advantage,” she added.
Although neither of the Ravens players has any playoff experience at the U SPORTS level, many players have been involved in big games outside of Carleton’s rugby program.
The team does, however, have large stage experience with Spannagel playing for U20 Team Canada in the past. Drummond won a national championship with team Ontario in 2016.
Despite their underdog status coming into the game, Drummond said much of that is irrelevant when considering her team’s motivation.
“Something [head coach] Pat talked about to us is you don’t let people take things from your family,” she said. “We are so much more than a team. We are a family and we’re not going to let [Laval] take this opportunity from us.”
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