QUEBEC CITY, Que. - Wednesday evening in Quebec City the Guelph Gryphons women's rugby team put on an impressive performance in their 2023 U SPORTS women's rugby championship tournament debut, defeating the AUS Champion StFX X-Women 29-14 to advance to the national semifinals. Third-year flanker
Kennedy Feasby led the way for the Gryphons, scoring a pair of tires and setting up the game-sealing score with a long run to help the Gryphons to a strong quarterfinal victory.
Feasby scored her first of the match just minutes in after an impressive opening possession saw the Gryphons advance the ball quickly down the pitch.
Less than 10 minutes later the Gryphons were back knocking on the door with third-year prop
Brianna Martey driving it across the goal line for the second score of the game.
Grace Jacklyn oversaw kicking duties in the match, splitting the uprights on two occasions including Martey's first-half score. The Gryphons continued their impressive first half by finding the try zone for a third time after U of G captain and OUA All-Star,
Natalie Armatage gained the edge off a broken tackle and dove in for the try.
Despite a late first-half score from the X-Women the Gryphons came out of the break adding to their point total, with Feasby once again finding the try zone. It was a spectacular run for the 2023 OUA First Team All-Star who broke multiple tackles en-route to her second score of the match. Feasby was named the University of Guelph 'Player of the Game' after the final whistle sounded along with StFX's Katie Murphy. With time running down it was third-year centre Madyln Ryan finding the try zone for the team's fifth score to solidify the Gryphon win.
The Gryphons will now take Thursday off before facing off against the Canada West runner-ups and 8th-seeded Victoria Vikes on Friday in one of two national semifinal games. The Vikes advanced to the semifinal after defeating the No. 1-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees in their quarterfinal match Wednesday afternoon.
GRYPHONS 29 | X-WOMEN 14
