Kingston, ON – The Western Mustangs' women's rugby team fell by a 135-0 margin to the mighty Queen's Gaels Monday afternoon on Nixon field.
 
In the OUA season opener, the Mustangs struggled to fend off the 2018 OUA championship contender. With the loss, the Mustangs will move to a 0-1 start on their season as they look towards their next match against Brock University.
 
With an exhibition win already under their belt, today's win will gain the Gael's 3 points in the OUA standings, as well as put them above the Trent Excalibur as the leading team in points-for in both the SHIELS and RUSSELL divisions.
 
The Gaels climbed today's scoreboard steadily as they maintained ownership of the ball and frequently broke the Mustangs' defensive line. With a high percentage of rucks won and quick, short passes, the Gaels demonstrated a familiar chemistry amongst one another that often resulted in tries and successful converts.  
 
In spite of the poor translation of the day's efforts, the Mustangs did not leave the pitch without their highlights. First-year Selena Hough proved to be a strong player in her role as fullback, remaining consistent throughout the game with hard tackles.
 
With no exhibition game to begin their season, today's game was the Mustangs first opportunity to test out both their new additions to the team as well as their new head coach, Katherine Baer. A former 'Stangs rugby alumni herself, Baer looks forward to coaching an excellence season for her girls both on and off the field. When asked about the game's end result, Baer commented, "It was a great learning experience for us. We saw promise in the game today, and we're excited to get back to practice and prepare for next week."
 
The Mustangs will return to the pitch next Sunday, September 8,^, where they will face-off against the Brock Badgers in their first home game of the season. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 P.M. EST on Mustang Field.