ALGONQUIN 35, HUMBER 21

ETOBICOKE, Ont. - Last season's co-champions in the Humber Hawks and the Algonquin Thunder squared off again in the OCAA women's rugby championship for an action-packed match that looked like it was either team's championship to win.

The Algonquin Thunder got on the board right off the hop with a try from centre Sophie Bulger to give the Thunder an early 5-0 lead. Humber didn't waste any time to get the try back. A huge run from lock Maire Balzan paved the way for flanker Charlie Mocon to push through and score Humber's first try. A good conversion kick from fullback Carley Uden made the score 7-5 for the Hawks.

Both teams mauled each other for the ball to get back on the scoreboard. Back Reasa Bowen-Charles found her opening and busted through Algonquin's wall and sprinted for the Hawks' second try. Uden booted another successful convert kick and the score was 14-5 for Humber.

Humber's line of defence gave 150 per cent on the field in making every Algonquin threat difficult and painful. Once Humber got the ball back, flanker Kelsey Bardy plowed through an unlucky Thunder defender in her path but was shortly taken down. Prop Kadina McKenzie gained some ground on the next play by managing to stay up in the middle of Algonquin's powerful defence.

The Thunder were not fazed by Humber's lead and Bulger came right back to close the lead with another try. Humber's lead was cut down to 14-10. The momentum was in Algonquin's favour after Bulger's drive and winger Chanelle Fortin walked in to the Hawks end zone and took a 15-14 lead.

Scrums were a violent sight on the Valley Field, period. The strongest defences from both divisions put up the hardest hits in the season and their offences were still good enough to cover a lot of ground. Winger Paul-Anndra McMorris was able to make two hard drives in a row and both times she cut through Thunder defenders like an NFL player. Her power pumped her teammates up and led to Bowen-Charles' second try of the match and another convert kick for Uden. At half-time the Hawks regained the lead by a score of 21-15.

Algonquin went on a tear in the second half. The Thunder had a breakaway drive but were stopped by McMorris as the last line of defence on the far side of the field. The Thunder never looked back and continued to push forward. Centre Morgan Houde-Pearce was 20 yards away from the end zone and used a great head fake to inch closer, but was still denied by the Hawks. The third time was a charm and prop Sarah Haynes just made it past the line and scored a try. The convert kick wasn't good, so Humber still had the lead but only by a score of 21-20 which didn't last long.

The threat was still on and Algonquin's fullback Courtney Mastine scored the next try and the Thunder took a 25-21 lead. Hawk inside Sheriffa Hammond responded with a long drive that got the Valley pumped up. McMorris took control of the rock and ran like a gazelle, changing direction and dodged the Thunder until just before the end zone. The Hawks were close but couldn't finish, yet they were still in the Thunder's red zone. Algonquin took control and kicked the ball out to end the threat.

Back at midfield the Hawks tried to get a play together. The Hawks persistence paid off and the Thunder made two passing errors that Humber jumped on. But, both sides just kept going back and forth and didn't move very far from midfield. Algonquin's lock Alexandria Ellis took off when she got the ball but as usual Humber's defence was ready. Hawk winger Sasha Bayley picked up the next Thunder runner and threw her down with sheer might. McKenzie was next in taking down another Algonquin runner and stopped her in her tracks.

The Thunder were awarded a penalty kick that Mastine kicked for an extra three points making the Thunder's lead 28-21. The Hawks were on the prowl to tie the game and flyhalf Hallima Barroo put up a great run to get Humber's energy back up. Barroo drew Thunder defenders on her to make some room for a pass. Algonquin's Fortin had been all over Humber passes throughout the game and picked off Barroo's pass and killed their momentum. Fortin's next pick-off led to an uncontested try and was the final blow of the match. The Thunder hit their first convert of the game and took a 35-21 lead. That's how the score would remain with the Algonquin Thunder crowned as two-time defending OCAA champions and delivering Humber's first loss in team history.

Reasa Bowen-Charles and Chanelle Fortin were chosen as the championship match players of the game. Bowen-Charles had two tries on the match and was stellar for the Hawks in making and executing plays. Fortin also scored two tries and had two pick-offs on defence to put the Hawks out of reach at the end of the second half.

Source: Humber College