CALGARY – The No. 10 University of Calgary Dinos avenged their loss against the No. 6 Alberta Pandas in last year's CanadaWest finals with a strong 34-19 win.
In a high intensity game, both teams were evenly matched from the moment they set foot on grass. In the first half, both teams struck against each other with full strength in scrums and rucks. The Dinos battled through the Alberta players, moved up the ball with confidence, and took strong hits.
The Dinos were able to edge the Pandas to score a try in the first half by DaLeaka Menin, former CIS Rookie of the Year, with a conversion by Elysa Sandron, former Canada West Rookie of the Year.
The Pandas responded by turning up the pressure and spending possession after possession in the Dinos end for long stretches of time. The Dinos were struggling to hold on against the higher seeded Pandas when they scored a try before the end of the half.
In the second, the Dinos stepped onto the field reinvigorated and reenergized. In a well-played sequence after the Dinos ran up the sidelines and got tackled out, the Dinos won the ball on an Alberta lineout. After the ball got into the hands of captain Natasha Loucks, the Dinos scored a try and shifted the momentum of the game in their favour. What followed soon after was another try by Kelcey Leavitt.
The Bears were able to respond with some scoring but could not stop the surge by the Dinos as Natasha Loucks scored her second try followed by Isla Shill and Elysa Sandron. The Dinos concluded the game with a solid win against their provincial rival and begin their season undefeated.
"It was just another game that we prepared for," said Dinos head coach Simon Chi. "There's always a little bit more [pressure] just because of that Calgary-Edmonton rivalry but at the end of the day it's just another game. As history goes, we'll probably see them again and we will prepare the same way for that game as well."
As for his expectations for the team this season, Chi said "there's a lot of potential there and there's no saying how far they can go but it's completely up to them and how hard they want to work."
The Dinos will take on the UBC Thunderbirds and Victoria Vikes next weekend on their west coast road trip.
