2023 U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship: Vikes cause major upset down top seed Ottawa

November 2, 2023

A 14-point performance from Maggie MacKinnon helped the Victoria Vikes cause a major surprise at the first game of the 2023 U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship in Quebec City. The Vikes defeated the top seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees 30-17 in the event’s first quarterfinal on Wednesday afternoon.

In a very physical contest, UVic opened the scoring with a pair of penalty goals in the 17^th and 24^th minute off the foot of MacKinnnon. Maelle Reed scored the first try a minute later, after an impressive 50-yard run to put Victoria up 11-0. Later in the half, Justine Blatt-Janmaat added another try, with a conversion and a subsequent penalty goal from MacKinnon. At the end of the first half, Ottawa made a strong push to 20 yards from goal, but the Vikes defence was intractable and maintained their 23-0 first-half lead.

In the second half, Alysia Comtois put the RSEQ champions on the board in the 53^rd minute. But the comeback attempt was short-lived as Emily Findlay added a try for Victoria in the 67^th minute. The Gee-Gees scored a pair of tries when the game had already passed the 70-minute mark (games in this round are played to 70 minutes), as Comtois and Ngozi Mosindi both found the end zone.

MacKinnon earned player-of-the-game honours for the Vikes as she was perfect on all her kicks for goal. Comtois earned similar honours for Ottawa after her two tries.

Victoria will take on the winner of the Guelph-StFX quarterfinal on Friday at 5 p.m. Ottawa will take on the loser of that game in a consolation contest on Friday at 1 p.m.

SUMMARY

Victoria 30 Ottawa 17

First half