This weekend, the Gaels rose to the top and left Guelph in the dust.
The Queen’s women’s rugby team made a statement at Nixon Field on Sept. 13, dismantling the defending OUA champion Guelph Gryphons by a score of 54-31. Tries came from all corners of the field, with seven different Gaels crossing the line. Lizzie Gibson, M.PL. ’26, slotted seven of eight conversions with pinpoint accuracy, keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Queen’s grabbed control early. Just ten minutes in, Stephanie Douglas, ArtSci ’28, broke the deadlock, with Maxie Grant, ArtSci ’26, and Tattyannah Jackson, ArtSci ’26, crossing for tries soon after.
The Gryphons finally crossed for their first try at the 33-minute mark, but Queen’s answered almost immediately. Mika Matsukubo, HealthSci ’26, and Kyleigh Chandran, Kin ’27, added quick scores, sending the Gaels into halftime with a commanding 33-7 lead.
Guelph sparked early in the second half, closing in with a penalty kick and two converted tries. For a brief stretch, the Gryphons threatened a comeback, trimming the gap to 40-24.
That hope was short-lived. Chandran added her second try, then Jiggy Schonfeld, Kin ’27, stole the show with a solo burst through the Gryphons that had the home crowd on its feet.
Madison Donnelly, ArtSci ’26, capped the scoring, finishing an afternoon in which the Gaels’ simply dominated the defending champions. Guelph added a late try, but only trimmed Queen’s commanding lead to 23.
With the win, Queen’s improves to 3-0, solidifying their status as the team to beat in the OUA. The Gaels are chasing a sixth consecutive undefeated campaign, and did so by comfortably toppling U Sports’ top-ranked women’s rugby team.
Last year, the Gaels fell 24-19 to Guelph on a last-second try. With key players back, they’re off to reclaim OUA gold. Queen’s entered the matchup ranked second in Canada—but with the win over Guelph, they’ve claimed the country’s top university spot.
The Gaels will turn their attention to the road, where they’ll face the 12th-ranked Brock Badgers on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. ET.
Tags
Guelph Gryphons, Nixon Field, rugby, Women's rugby
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