Hawks suffer third straight loss

“We rolled over.”

The way co-head coach Amy Bambury explained the play of her women’s rugby team Saturday evening was simply expressed in three words.

They just let the visiting York Lions in.

The Wilfrid Laurier University women’s rugby team suffered their third straight loss of the season by a score of 55-0 to the hands of the Lions Saturday afternoon at University Stadium.

With only three games left in their season, the Hawks will have to find something to push them toward a winning curve.

“We’ve got to run it,” Bambury said. “We’re excited and happy with the first half [of the game], but we need to make some big changes to turn the scoreboard around and get some wins.”

Saturday’s game wasn’t entirely dominated by the visitors. The first half, the Hawks held York to only 15 points.

But the strength and toughness of the Lions was too much for Laurier, as they got dominated in the scrums and could not find a way past York’s backs.

“Way too soft,” Bambury said. “We gave them the game.”

Laurier sits with only a 27-player roster, with the majority in first or second year. The young team has tried to improve upon an 0-6 season from last year.

But in Laurier’s first three games, they have been held to only two tries, both scored in their first match with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sept. 5.

The Ontario University Athletics (OUA) defending champions, the Guelph Gryphons, then defeated the  Golden Hawks 91-0 on Sept. 9 before Laurier hosted the Lions at University Stadium Saturday, and were again held scoreless.

Finishing their season at the beginning of October, the Hawks will look to improve on subtle tactics in order to secure a win.

Bambury believes the main focus is playing a full 80-minute game, and representing the Laurier team.

“We’ve got to put on the jersey and play with some sort of purpose instead of just being out there on the field,” she said.

In terms of injuries, Bambury assured the Hawks are healthy. “We’re good that way,” she confirmed.

The Gryphons sit at the top of the OUA, allowing only eight points against them in three games.

Laurier remains stuck at the bottom of the division, sitting winless along with the Brock Badgers, who they will face on Oct. 5.

On Saturday, the Hawks will face the third-place Western Mustangs, before heading up University Avenue to play the second-place Waterloo Warriors on Sunday. Their Oct. 5 match-up with Brock at University Stadium will close out the regular season for the purple and gold.