Nixon Field was packed on Oct. 25, with fans of both Queen’s and Guelph filling the stands and lining the sidelines to watch the two OUA juggernauts, the Gaels and Gryphons, face off in their historic rivalry for the OUA Gold.
The Gaels narrowly lost 24-26, with the Gryphons clinching the win through a conversion after time had expired in extra time.
Earlier in the season, the Gaels clawed their way back from a 24-0 deficit, shutting the Gryphons out in the second half and winning their regular season matchup 31-24.
In this championship rematch, the Gryphons got off to a hot start once again, scoring 12 straight points off two tries and a conversion within the first 15 minutes of the game.
Shortly after, first-team OUA all-star and long-time Gaels dependable offensive threat Siobhan Sheerin, ArtSci ’25, responded with a powerful try of her own, followed by a try from Lizzie Gibson, ArtSci ’25 who’s been a dependable scorer throughout her Gaels career.
Just before halftime, Sheerin and Gibson struck again, giving the Gaels a two-point lead and sending them into the most crucial second half of the season with a 14-12 advantage.
Once again taking the Gaels by surprise, the Gryphons regained the lead, with a try and conversion, putting the Gaels down 14-19.
Despite relentless offensive pressure from Queen’s, the Gryphons’ lead held firm until the 70th minute, when Maddy Donnelly, ArtSci ’25, powered her way through Guelph’s defenders to score a try. Gibson then added a conversion, extending her all-time points record and giving the Gaels a 21-19 lead.
Pushing their lead to a try-sized gap, Gibson showcased her clutch factor, knocking a penalty kick through the uprights for three more points. While the Gaels found themselves up 24-19 with time nearing expiration.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough as Guelph managed to tie the game with a late try, securing the OUA gold with a conversion after time had already expired.
Though the Gaels were unable to reclaim their OUA title, Head Coach of the Women’s Rugby team, Dan Valley, spoke about the team’s mindset heading into the U SPORTS National Championships.
“We emptied the tank and now we’ll take tonight to feel what we’ll feel and when we wake up tomorrow, our job is to prepare to win a national Championship,.” Valley said in an interview with The Journal. “We were pretty motivated coming into this game, and I don’t know that that’s changed at all. I think we’re going to do everything we can to go and complete the next job, right?”
The U SPORTS National Championship is already well underway, and the Gaels job, right?” The U SPORTS National Championship is already well underway, and the Gaels have already secured a semifinal berth after defeating the Acadia Axewomen in a 68-0 blowout. With the Gryphons eliminated by the sixth-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees and the eighth-seeded Victoria Vikes upsetting top-seeded Laval, the Gaels find themselves in an intriguing position.
The Gaels will play the Vikes in the semifinals on Nov. 1 in Charlottetown, PEI. If they advance to the finals, they’ll face either the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds or the Ottawa Gee-Gees for the U SPORTS title.
Tags
Gaels, Lizzie Gibson, OUA Finals, Women's rugby
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