VICTORIA – Coming off a tournament championship at the University of Alberta, Jan. 22-23, the University of Victoria women's rugby team went 5-0 to capture the Victoria 7s championship title at Wallace Field, Feb. 12-13. UVic hosted the second stop of the Canada West Rugby 7s series.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Day 1
British Columbia 36, Victoria - Blue 7

• The Thunderbirds struck first, taking a 19-0 lead after the first half on three tries and two converts. Adding two tries to open the second half, UBC held a 29-0 advantage.
• Mikayla Brennan registered the first points for Victoria, touching the ball down for a try. Cassie Hull was successful on the convert attempt to make it 29-7, UBC.
• The 'Birds scored the final try and convert of the match, coming away with a 36-7 win.

Victoria – Yellow 41, Fraser Valley 0

• Maelle Reed put the Vikes on the board, scoring the hosts' first try of the tournament for the 5-0 Vikes lead.
• Making her varisty debut for the Vikes, Carissa Norsten scored back-to-back tries for the 15-0 UVic lead.
• The Vikes ended the half with a 22-0 lead after a try from Bethany Cudmore and successful convert by Kira Peary.
• Summer Blackmore opened the second-half scoring with a try, with Peary making her second convert of the morning for a 29-0 UVic lead.
• The fifth try-scorer of the match for the Vikes, Ella O'Regan put Victoria in front, 34-0, with a try.
• Peary finished the match by securing both the try and the convert, pushing the Vikes – Yellow squad to 1-0 on the tournament with a 41-0 win.

Alberta 43, Victoria - Blue 0

• The Pandas controlled the Victoria – Blue side's first match of the morning, coming away with a 43-0 win.

Victoria  - Yellow 26, Lethbridge 5

• Krista Scurfield found the scoresheet for the first time, touching the ball down for the game-opening try. Summer Blackmore was successful on the convert for an early, 7-0 UVic lead.
• Vikes captain Chanelle Edwards-Challenger added to the Vikes lead with a try, 12-0.
• Madison Jumeau closed the first half with a try, and a Blackmore convert made it 19-0 in favour of the Vikes.
• Notching the scoring brace, Scurfield recorded her second try of the match to open the second-half scoring. Alexie Pusch put the ball through the uprights for her first convert of the tournament and 26-0 Vikes lead.
• Lethbridge scored the final try of the match, but the Vikes came away with the 26-5 win to move to 2-0 in tournament play.

Trinity Western 17, Victoria – Blue 8

• Victoria opened the match scoring with a try from Chloe Hill-Huse for the 5-0 lead.
• Trinity Western took the lead at the half, 7-5, on a try and convert, and would open the second-half scoring with a try for a 12-5 lead.
• A penalty goal by the Vikes' Cali McKay pulled the home side within four, 12-8.
• The Spartans sealed the win with the final try of the game, 17-8.

Victoria - Yellow 29, Calgary 0

• Krista Scurfield was the main proprietor of the Vikes' offense in the first half, recording two tries. Sara Kaljuvee made the convert on the first try of the match, giving the Vikes a 12-0 lead.
• Maelle Reed scored her second try of the tournament to open the second half, giving the Vikes a 17-0 advantage.
• A Chanelle Edwards-Challenger try, with Kaljuvee convert, put the Vikes ahead, 24-0.
• Bethany Cudmore added one more try to secure the Vikes' third win of the day, 29-0.

 
Day 2
Calgary 7, Victoria - Blue 5

• A convert would be the difference-maker, as the Dinos scored a try and convert in the first half for a 7-0 lead.
• Courtney Gottselig would register a try for the Vikes in the second half, but UVic ultimately fell to the Dinos, 7-5.

Victoria – Yellow 17, Alberta 12

• Alberta would get on the board first, scoring the try and conversion for a 7-0 lead.
• Alexie Pusch would bring the Vikes back within two before half, 7-5, with her second try of the tournament.
• The Pandas would extend their lead to start the second half, going up by an additional try, 12-5.
• A Krista Scurfield try and Sara Kaljuvee convert tied the game, 12-12.
• Scurfield would find the end zone with no time left on the clock to send the Vikes to the gold medal match with a 17-12 win.

7th Place Match: Victoria - Blue 38, Fraser Valley 10

• The trio of Courtney Gottselig, Mikayla Brennan and Cali McKay would open the scoring for the Vikes, each registering a try in the first half.
• A successful convert by McKay gave the Vikes a 17-0 advantage at the half.
• Gottselig scored her second try of the game at the beginning of the second half, while Cassie Hull made her first-of-three converts for the 24-0 lead.
• Chloe Hill Huse and Estelle Wright added the final UVic tries of the match, and with two more converts from Hull, put UVic in front, 38-0.
• The Cascades would score the final two tries of the game, but the Victoria - Blue squad would come away with their first win of the tournament, 38-10.

Gold Medal Match: Victoria - Yellow 34, British Columbia 12

• A 19-point first half for the Vikes, Sara Kaljuvee, Larah Wright, and Krista Scurfield each touched the ball down for a try, while Summer Blackmore made two converts for the 19-0 lead.
• Kaljuvee recorded her second try of the match to open the second half, pushing the Vikes ahead, 24-0.
• Ending the shutout, the Thunderbirds scored the next 12 points, cutting UVic's lead to 24-12.
• Ending UBC's threat, Alexie Pusch and Kira Peary scored the final two tries of the match to secure a 5-0 weekend finish for the Vikes and the Victoria tournament crown.

 
WORTH NOTING

• After a 5-0 weekend, the Vikes' varsity squad improves to a perfect 11-0 on the season.
• UVic has now won back-to-back tournaments during the Canada West Rugby 7s season, and sits atop the standings with 24 points (12 points per tournament victory).
• As the hosts of the tournament, UVic had the opportunity to enter an additional team. The Vikes – Blue squad finished 1-5 on the weekend.
• Alberta's game-opening try, Feb. 13, marked the first time all season the Vikes have trailed in a 7s game at any point, and first time this season trailing at the half.
• Krista Scurfield led the Vikes – Yellow team with seven tries over five matches.  Seven Vikes finished with two tries, while 12 total members of the Vikes – Yellow team registered points over the tournament.
• For the blue side, Courtney Gottselig led the squad with three tries, all of which came in the final two Sunday matches. Mikayla Brennan and Chloe Hill-Huse added two tries each over the tournament.
• Two Vikes notched four successful converts over the tournament, with Summer Blackmore and Cassie Hull accomplishing the feat.

 
UP NEXT
The Vikes head to Vancouver, B.C. for the final Canada West Rugby 7s stop, hosted by the University of British Columbia, Feb. 25-26.