LETHBRIDGE – After a regular season where the University of Lethbridge women’s rugby team didn’t win a single game, they find themselves in the most unlikely of positions – playing in the national championship tournament.
The Pronghorns stunned the top-ranked University of Calgary 35-25 in a Canada West semifinal, earning one of the conference’s two berths in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) tournament.
“It’s the miracle on turf,” said ‘Horns head coach Ric Suggitt.
“But, now let’s prove to people that we’re not lucky. Let’s prove to them that we’re always going to be a competitive team; we’re never going to give up.”
The ‘Horns lost the Canada West championship game 50-17 to the University of Victoria. However, even in that lop-sided contest, Suggitt saw signs of life from his squad.
“They play the way we like to play, they’re just a little bit better at it than us right now,” said Suggitt of the Vikes. “Yeah, we took one on the chin, but we scored one late in the game; we didn’t stop working.”
WATCH MORE: Ric Suggitt talks one-on-one with Matt Battochio
The ‘Horns head into nationals in Kingston, Ont. ranked seventh in the eight-team tournament. They play second-seeded McMaster University in a quarterfinal Thursday afternoon.
By playing a fast-paced style, the team hopes to catch others off guard.
“Part of it is that (our players) have started to believe in themselves,” said Suggitt. “They know what they’re capable of doing. And, also, no one expects us to win. So, sometimes a team comes in a little bit complacent.”
The Pronghorns are a long way removed from the years of winning three straight national championships from 2007-09. However, those years built up a big fan base – a secret weapon the ‘Horns will have on their side in Kingston.
“We’ve got lots of them who are going to go to nationals,” said Suggitt. “To have that support builds that faith, and that’s what we want.”
The ‘Horns and Marauders play Thursday at 1 p.m. The game can be streamed live and free online by clicking here.
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