Posted: Oct 22, 2017
Arron Lai, Dinos Communications
CALGARY – Berlyn Seselja's try with no time left on the clock scored the game-winning points as the University of Calgary Dinos captured their second straight Canada West women's rugby title with a 26-21 win over the University of Victoria Vikes Sunday at McMahon Stadium.
The Dinos will join the host Pronghorns as Canada West's representatives at the U SPORTS national championship Nov. 2-5 at the University of Lethbridge.
After Victoria's Jenn Appleby scored a try in the 71st minute and Jess Nielsen booted the convert through, the Vikes had a 21-19 lead and looked to close out the final nine minutes. But with the wind at their backs, the Dinos pushed downfield and were awarded a scrum just metres from the try line as the clock ticked down its final seconds.
The first two Calgary attempts were stymied by the Victoria defence, but the Dinos were awarded a third scrum on a penalty call. With zeros on the clock, Temitope Ogunjimi made a powerful play with the ball to dive past the try line, but was stopped just short. Rookie scrum half Seselja was able to capitalize, driving the ball in for the championship-winning points.
"It was absolutely exciting," said Seselja. "It was the best feeling in the world, to have my teammates rush into me. The feeling of knowing that we are still playing rugby with each other is amazing."
Dinos head coach Simon Chi was pleased with his team's resiliency and grit.
"We worked hard," said Chi, who received his second straight conference coach-of-the-year honour. "Obviously, the end of the game was a bit tighter than we would have liked for a game. But it makes for exciting rugby. It was a high character win. The girls dug deep when they had to and did what they needed to win a championship, so I am very proud of that."
With wind gusts swirling around the stadium all afternoon, the Dinos headed into the breeze in the first half and dominated possession in the opening stages. Their pressure paid off in the 14th minute as fourth year fullback Elysa Sandron produced a fantastic run from the 22-metre line. Sandron cruised past multiple Vikes defenders to score the Dinos' first try of the game, then squeezed a very tough convert through the uprights into the wind to give Calgary a 7-0 lead.
The Vikes responded in the 31st minute, with great play by the Vikes forwards leading to a Renee Gonzalez try, and Nielsen's convert tied it up at 7-7.
The tie score didn't hold up long, as Temitope Ogunjimi powered across the try-line less than five minutes later and Sandron converted another tough kick to make it 14-7 Dinos heading into the half.
"If you had to write a script for how you want to play a first half, that was exactly it," said Chi.
Victoria tied it at 14-14 less than 10 minutes into the second half when Tiffany Picketts scored off a frantic ruck and Nielsen added another into-the-wind convert. Again, the Dinos stormed back to take the lead, this time when DaLeaka Menin put Calgary up 19-14. That led to Appleby's try in the 71st, then to the wild finish.
"I thought it was an excellent final and really showed the class and quality of the Canada West conference," said Victoria Head Coach Brittany Waters. "It was a back and forth game, and credit to Calgary for that last-minute try. I really think it could have gone either way today and both teams played very well."
Menin was named the Canada West MVP for the second straight year and will lead her squad into a second consecutive U SPORTS championship after the Dinos' bronze-medal finish in 2016.
"I think of it far more as a team achievement, because I could not be here without the girls on the team," said the fifth-year senior. "They have pushed me so hard. Just to be able to represent this, it is more of a win for the team that we were able to represent the Dinos in this way. I am just happy to win it for the team than anything else."
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Half
CGY – Elysa Sandron try, 14' (Elysa Sandron convert), 7-0 CGY
VIC – Renee Gonzalez try, 31' (Jess Neilson convert), 7-7
CGY – Temitope Ogunjimi try, 35' (Elsya Sandron convert), 14-7 CGY
2nd Half
VIC – Tiffany Picketts try, 48' (Jess Neilson convert), 14-14
CGY – DaLeaka Menin try, 60', 19-14 CGY
VIC – Jenn Appleby try, 71' (Jess Neilson convert), 21-19 VIC
CGY – Berlyn Seselja try, 80' (Elysa Sandron convert), 26-21 CG
The Dinos will join the host Pronghorns as Canada West's representatives at the U SPORTS national championship Nov. 2-5 at the University of Lethbridge.
After Victoria's Jenn Appleby scored a try in the 71st minute and Jess Nielsen booted the convert through, the Vikes had a 21-19 lead and looked to close out the final nine minutes. But with the wind at their backs, the Dinos pushed downfield and were awarded a scrum just metres from the try line as the clock ticked down its final seconds.
The first two Calgary attempts were stymied by the Victoria defence, but the Dinos were awarded a third scrum on a penalty call. With zeros on the clock, Temitope Ogunjimi made a powerful play with the ball to dive past the try line, but was stopped just short. Rookie scrum half Seselja was able to capitalize, driving the ball in for the championship-winning points.
"It was absolutely exciting," said Seselja. "It was the best feeling in the world, to have my teammates rush into me. The feeling of knowing that we are still playing rugby with each other is amazing."
Dinos head coach Simon Chi was pleased with his team's resiliency and grit.
"We worked hard," said Chi, who received his second straight conference coach-of-the-year honour. "Obviously, the end of the game was a bit tighter than we would have liked for a game. But it makes for exciting rugby. It was a high character win. The girls dug deep when they had to and did what they needed to win a championship, so I am very proud of that."
With wind gusts swirling around the stadium all afternoon, the Dinos headed into the breeze in the first half and dominated possession in the opening stages. Their pressure paid off in the 14th minute as fourth year fullback Elysa Sandron produced a fantastic run from the 22-metre line. Sandron cruised past multiple Vikes defenders to score the Dinos' first try of the game, then squeezed a very tough convert through the uprights into the wind to give Calgary a 7-0 lead.
The Vikes responded in the 31st minute, with great play by the Vikes forwards leading to a Renee Gonzalez try, and Nielsen's convert tied it up at 7-7.
The tie score didn't hold up long, as Temitope Ogunjimi powered across the try-line less than five minutes later and Sandron converted another tough kick to make it 14-7 Dinos heading into the half.
"If you had to write a script for how you want to play a first half, that was exactly it," said Chi.
Victoria tied it at 14-14 less than 10 minutes into the second half when Tiffany Picketts scored off a frantic ruck and Nielsen added another into-the-wind convert. Again, the Dinos stormed back to take the lead, this time when DaLeaka Menin put Calgary up 19-14. That led to Appleby's try in the 71st, then to the wild finish.
"I thought it was an excellent final and really showed the class and quality of the Canada West conference," said Victoria Head Coach Brittany Waters. "It was a back and forth game, and credit to Calgary for that last-minute try. I really think it could have gone either way today and both teams played very well."
Menin was named the Canada West MVP for the second straight year and will lead her squad into a second consecutive U SPORTS championship after the Dinos' bronze-medal finish in 2016.
"I think of it far more as a team achievement, because I could not be here without the girls on the team," said the fifth-year senior. "They have pushed me so hard. Just to be able to represent this, it is more of a win for the team that we were able to represent the Dinos in this way. I am just happy to win it for the team than anything else."
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Half
CGY – Elysa Sandron try, 14' (Elysa Sandron convert), 7-0 CGY
VIC – Renee Gonzalez try, 31' (Jess Neilson convert), 7-7
CGY – Temitope Ogunjimi try, 35' (Elsya Sandron convert), 14-7 CGY
2nd Half
VIC – Tiffany Picketts try, 48' (Jess Neilson convert), 14-14
CGY – DaLeaka Menin try, 60', 19-14 CGY
VIC – Jenn Appleby try, 71' (Jess Neilson convert), 21-19 VIC
CGY – Berlyn Seselja try, 80' (Elysa Sandron convert), 26-21 CG