The St. Thomas University Tommies beat the University of New Brunswick Reds (Fredericton) 29-12 at Scotiabank Field Oct. 2.
“I think the girls played hard,” said head coach Meghan MacAfee. “They girls were stuck at 12-12 for a while but stuck it out in the end for a win.”
It was a cold and cloudy Friday evening on STU turf as fans bundled-up in blankets to watch their beloved Tommies play.
The Tommies started the game with a short kickoff that was quickly retrieved by a Tommie, leading to a scrum.
At 3:15 into the game, the Tommies scored a try and completed a conversion.
After kickoff, a scrum ensued ending in Tommies possession, but after a faulty pass the ball landed in Reds possession.
Another scrum ensued and the Tommies pushed the entire UNB team back five yards then kicked the ball, retrieved it, and ran for 10 yards.
The Tommies kicked a perfect spiral landing into the hands of the Reds on the 40-yard line. The Reds ran it into the goal for a try and completed a conversion tying the game 7-7.
The kickoff was caught by STU who ran for 20 yards with ease, then passed it to another Tommie who ran for another 10.
At 26:00 the Reds ran for 50 yards making it five yards short of the goal line.
During that play a Tommie was injured on the field. After a few minutes lying on her back she marched off the field with her coaches as players and fans clapped.
At the five-yard line, the Reds tried to push the Tommies into the goal line during a scrum and almost made it in, but STU gained possession of the ball in the end zone then kicked it out and into the hands of the Reds.
At 38:00 in the game, the Tommies ran for a try but the conversion was kicked wide by two feet.
The second half started with an offside kick by the Tommies making the score 12-7 for STU.
The Reds bounced back with a try at 42:40 in the game but missed the conversion far to the right tying the score 12-12.
Reds kicked off, yelling and stumbling for the ball but landed in Tommies possession who ran 20 yards.
STU scored a third try a few minutes later bringing it 17-12 but the conversion kick was wide to the right.
The intensity of the plays increased after STU’s last goal. Then the Tommies broke loose from a scrum and ran 17 yards, kicking the ball 35 yards to the Reds who were tackled out of bounds.
The Tommies scored another try and completed a conversion bringing it 24-12. Shortly after they ran 40 yards, scoring a try but kicked wide on the conversion at 73:00 bringing the score to 29:12.
At 77:00 the ball was run into the Tommies end zone by the Reds five yard short of the goal. The ball remained around the five yard zone as multiple scrums ensued but the Reds couldn’t push the ball in for the goal ending the game 29:12 for the Tommies.
Player of the game was Tommies Bailey Andrews who said it was a good game. “We had a lot of musters, but we did well on them.”
STU woman’s rugby team are first in their league standings at 4-0. UNB and Mount Alison is 2-2, Dalhousie AC is 1-2, and University of Kings College is 0-3.
