Mann-taining excellence in ACAA Rugby

Can the Women continue their legacy in 2013?

The hard work of the Mount Allison Women’s Rugby team in the previous seasons has struck fear into the eyes of their opponents. Visitors to the Park Street field now approach with caution before matches. The women have been to the championship game the last three seasons, and last season were the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) champions. The Mounties won the championship game in dramatic fashion with a successful penalty kick by Sydney Mann in the dying minutes of overtime to push Mt. A into the history books forever.

After a hard fought 2012 season, the Mounties will have to commit to their athletic pursuits just the same as they did last year. Will last season’s success translate into another successful season? No matter what sport or league, repeating as champions is always a tall task. The Mounties will get their competition’s best efforts week in and week out. Earning the right to say, “we beat the defending champions” is an achievement, regardless of the game.

Mann expects that the Dalhousie Agricultural Rams (DAL AC) will pose as a significant opponent for the upcoming season. “DAL AC will also be looking to beat us since they lost the finals to us by only three points in overtime last year.” The third-year starter was the one who sealed the fate of the Rams last season, and will be up to the challenge again in 2013. 

The team has already started strong this season, opening up the campaign with two wins. They won a thriller against DAL AC 17-15, and allowed the University of King’s College not one score in a 55-0 rout on September 21. 

Mann, now in her third year at Mt. A, will be focused on trying to get new players to step up and fill the gaps left by graduating players from last year’s championship club. “I think the hardest for us as a team will be to replace some of the excellent starters who graduated [last year]. However, last season we got a lot of new players who have really improved and will be looking to get onto the starting lineup for this year,” she said. Mann highlighted the point of losing graduating players like Bethany Toczko, who was the 2012 ACAA Player of the Year. The team will have to unite under new leadership to repeat as league champions.

From here on out, the regular season only requires the Mounties to play two more games. The women will have to be on top of their games if they hope to defeat DAL AC in the playoffs, and claim their second consecutive ACAA trophy. The Mounties will welcome the Rams on October 5. Game time will be 2:00 pm.

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