LONDON, Ont. –  The women's rugby team won their final game of the 2019 season Friday afternoon 30-15 against the Laurier Goldenhawks. The win will land them in 9^th place for the 2019 OUA standings as well as mark their first win of the 2019 season.
 
Immediately following kick-off, the Purple and Gold bore down on the Mustangs. Regardless of the pressure, the Mustangs made use of their strong defense and kept their backline strong. Fullback Selena Hough put an end to an early try with what would be the first of many game-saving tackles, but it wasn't long after that the Goldenhawks found their way around and landed a try by 8-woman Shannon Bellamy. Fullback Liz Isbister followed up with the conversion, bringing the score to 7-0.
 
The Purple and White picked up the pace following Laurier's try and marched down the field with harder tackles and a stronger defensive line. Charlotte Finlay received the ball off a quick pass and led a run that ended in the try zone, putting the Mustangs on the scoreboard and shrinking the gap. Their pace was met, but regardless of how close the Goldenhawks got to the try zone, the Mustangs persisted and fought off their efforts. Their unbreakable line forced the Purple and Gold to go for a penalty goal, allowing Liz Isbister to put another three points on the board before the Mustangs retaliated with a last-minute try from prop Meg Gregoris, bringing an end to the first half with a score of 10-10.
 
The second half kicked off with even more intensity than the first. A powerful run from wing Deb Kamba left her within the 22 with enough space to practically hand 8-woman Brooke Newsome the ball. While the convert was unsuccessful, the try still allowed the Mustangs to take the lead for the first time in the 2019 season. Flanker Kyla Manske followed up shortly thereafter with her first try of the season, bringing the Purple and White up to 20-10.

When asked what changed in those last forty minutes, Head Coach Katie Baer answered, "Coming into the second half, the girls just decided they wanted to play. Not only did they play their system, but they played with the heart and hunger that we all know they have." While Laurier managed an additional try with 20 minutes left in the game, they saw no more of Western's half within the last 15 minutes of play. Flanker Jade Farhat of the Purple and White crossed the try-line twice more and triumphantly brought the match to its final 30-15.
 
After demonstrating their immense improvement in defensive strategy, along with harder tackles and improved communication, the women closed their final game of the season a stronger team than when they first began. "It's not so much about the score, but what they put on the field today," said Baer. "It's awesome to end our season on that note, but it's even more awesome to start our off-season and continue our building with that positivity."