London, Ont. -- The Western Mustangs Women’s Rugby Team celebrated homecoming weekend with their first win of the season against the Laurier Golden Hawks by a score of 61-0 on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 1). The Mustangs came out strong and presented a united front. The outcome of the game was determined within the first twenty five minutes of play.  The first half saw tries by Rachael McMaster, Lori Josephson, Arielle Borrice, Becca Lefevre, Nicola Woelfle, and Allie Walker, with kicker Meaghann Buitinga slotting in 3 conversions and 1 penalty goal. The Mustangs led 39-nil at the half.

In the second half, the Mustangs did not let up and added an additional 22 points with tries by Lori Josephson (2 tries) and Jennifer Shotbolt, with Buitinga adding 2 conversions to the tally. The undisputed highlight of the game was the successful left-footed drop goal by Laurie Beiwald (3rd year, Economics) early in the second half.  Although more common in higher level play, drop goals are rare in women’s rugby, particularly in the OUA. Final score was Mustangs 61, Laurier nil.

“It felt good”, said Western Captain Rachael McMaster (4th year, Kinesiology). “After working so hard for five weeks, it all came together.  It was complete team work”.  The Mustangs look to maintain their intensity through training this week to prepare for their game at Waterloo this Friday Oct. 7 at 4 PM.  The outcome of the game will determine who Western will face in the OUA playoffs.  "We have been working very hard since the start of the season to establish a sound game plan. Although we have a very young team, we have lots of talent and it's exciting to see the team work together towards a common goal. Good things happen when you focus on the process, and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labour," commented Mustangs head coach Natascha Wesch.