After narrowly failing to reclaim their OUA title against the Guelph Gryphons, the Gaels shifted their focus to the National tournament, determined to end their season on a high note.
The Gaels travelled to the University of Prince Edward Island on Oct. 30 to compete in the U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship, defeating the Acadia Axewomen, Victoria Vikes, and Ottawa Gee-Gees to ultimately clinch the National Bronze.
In the first game of the tournament, the Gaels dominated the Axewomen with a commanding 68-0 shutout, advancing confidently to the semifinals to face the Victoria Vikes.
Meanwhile, their rivals, the Guelph Gryphons, stumbled in P.E.I. falling 19-12 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or also suffered an early exit at the hands of the Victoria Vikes. With the tournament’s two highest-ranked teams eliminated, the Gaels found themselves in a prime position to steal a national title, despite falling short of the provincial banner they’d claimed just a season earlier.
Unfortunately for the Gaels, the Vikes proved to be too much to handle, losing in a close-fought 17-14 contest.
Siobhan Sheerin, ArtSci ’25, delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice in the contest and proving to be the Gaels’ most dominant player. With Lizzie Gibson, ArtSci ’25, also converting on both her attempts, it was clear the Gaels stuck to their guns throughout the tournament, trusting it would get them far.
Following the Gee-Gees semifinal loss to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, the two Ontario universities found themselves facing off in the National bronze medal game. During this matchup, a variety of contributors led to the Gaels finally coming out on top of a competitive game, closing out their season with a 29-22 victory.
Contributions came from across the roster, with tries from Mika Matsukubo, HealthSci ’25, Rachel Cullum, ArtSci ’26, Elena Pinkerton, Kin ’25, and Gibson. With the game tied at 22-22 with less than four minutes remaining, Cullum sealed the game with a decisive try, securing the 29-22 victory for the Gaels—sending Queen’s home with hardware, and smiles on their faces.
For graduating players like Gibson, Izzy Page, ArtSci ’25, and Sheerin, who were also named U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship Tournament All-Stars, the match marked a fitting end to their careers in the tri-colour. The Gaels are in good hands though with youthful talent such as U SPORTS Rookie of the Year Kennedi Stevenson, ArtSci ’28, and Olympic medalist Chloe Daniels poised to step up and take charge for the Gaels going forward.
Tags
bronze, Chloe Daniels, Gaels, Kennedi Stevenson, Lizzie Gibson, Siobhan Sheerin, U Sports Championship, Women's rugby
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