LONDON, Ont. – The storied rivalry between Queen's and Western added another chapter Saturday afternoon, with the Mustangs defeating the Gaels 27-20 at Alumni Field to claim their third consecutive OUA bronze medal.
 
"We just stuck to our game plan," said Dagmar Wallsten about the win. "We didn't play down to them, we didn't get flustered, we just sort of put our heads down and did what needed to be done. We knew their game, and we knew how to defend it. […] Queen's always has a phenomenal program, they work really hard. But Western's really been making a name for ourselves."
 
"We really stepped it up," said Olivia Murphy. "We worked really hard all week and this was the game we hoped to end up with at the end of the year. We worked really hard, bringing up our line speed, working on our line, and the forwards working on their scrum. I think everything just came together."
 
Western has met the Gaels in the OUA bronze medal game every year since 2013, and has fallen only once to date while outscoring their opponents 84-79.
 
Generating points for the Mustangs were Olivia Murphy, Kaitlin Eckert, and OUA All-Stars Nikki Case, Lexi Smith, and Paige Farries. Meanwhile, Lauren Murray was the top performer for the Gaels.
 
The first 40 minutes saw only three Mustangs find the in-goal area, with Case, Murphy, and Farries all recording a try in the first 40 minutes of the game.
 
Common among all three was the way the Mustangs found the in-goal area. Western has capitalized on speed and quick footwork to weave through opponents all season long, and today was no different with the first three tries each coming at the end of lengthy runs. Case's was the first of the afternoon, coming just ten minutes after kickoff. Murphy followed up just five minutes later with the second major of the day from the Mustangs, while Farries' came at the 35-minute mark.
 
Queen's wasn't able to break onto the board until the 20-minute mark, with Murray running the ball in after a scrum that positioned the Gaels just a few meters away. With one more try from Lauren Cranfield, the Gaels headed into the half trailing by a score of 17-10.
 
The second half saw harder tackles and fiercer scrums than the first, and an increased offensive presence from the Gaels. Kara Gani and Murray both scored tries in the final frame, with the Gaels narrowing the point deficit with less than ten minutes remaining.
 
"The first half we started really strong and finished really strong," said Mustangs head coach John Weller. "Second half, we started out strong and maybe had a bit of a dip and let Queen's back into the game."
 
Western's lead was a mere two points with six minutes and injury time remaining, and it wasn't until Murphy landed her second try of the game that the Mustangs locked up the game.
 
"I'm kind of notorious for knock-ons," laughed Murphy when asked about the play leading up to her try. "I've gotten a few cards for trying to do that, so it's really exciting that I was in the right place at the right time. I had my teammates up with me so I was confident."
 
The turnover and subsequent try from the Quispamsis, NB native secured the medal for the Mustangs, ending the game with a 27-20 victory.