Georgia puts OFSAA on their minds

   Late try by Georgia Schoonderwoer lifts Stratford St. Mike's over Parkside, 19-12,

   in WOSSAA AA girls' rugby final, to advance to the provincial championship

Thursday May 14, 2018

By Rob J. Ross 

ST. THOMAS - It's the Stratford St. Mike's Warriors moving on to OFSAA.

Georgia Schoonderwoerd pushed in for a try, converted by Cassandra Van Bakel, with five minutes remaining in the second half, to lift the Warriors over the Parkside Stampeders, 19-12, in the WOSSAA AA girls' rugby final, at Parkside CI.

While tied at 12 mid second half, Parkside had a golden opportunity to go ahead, but the St. Mike's defence stopped Stampeder Taylor Sydner metres short of the goal line.

"We relied on our conditioning today. Our girls were fresh and that’s how you can score late, when you’re fresh," St. Mike’s coach Kennedy Hall said. "We have an organized system, but we didn’t do it at all today. It was looked like a mess. I think we’re tired from Tuesday still."

Just 48 hours earlier, St. Mike’s dethroned Clinton St. Anne’s, the long time Huron-Perth champion. That emotional high may have thrown off their system off, but the Warriors rode the momentum in to the WOSSAA game.  

St. Mike's opened the scoring on a try by Megan Bailey, converted by Van Bakel, for a 7-0 lead.

Kristi Hunter put Parkside on the board, but the two-point convert attempt was missed.

 The Warriors moved ahead 12-5, with co-captain Ali McCann scoring a try, convert missed.

Parkside tied the game on a Maggie Gordon try, converted by Michelle Mills.

"Their rucking was so good. We couldn’t get in there and they got it off so quickly. It was hard for us to regain it after we lost it," Parkside co-captain Steph Boyko said. "We were playing super, super flat instead of using our speed to try to create depth. We were super packed together and the hits were huge and that made it a little bit slower.

"They (St. Mike’s) brought their game. They were much difference than they were at the tournament."

Just a week earlier, Parkside blanked St. Mike’s, 28-0, in the semifinals of a tournament at St. George’s Fields, but the Warriors weren’t showing their full hand. Due to absences, the Warriors only brought 18 players.

"We won our first two games and then Parkside kicked our butts that day," recalls Hall. "Parkside played awesome but we weren’t at full strength that day. Our younger girls, some of our grade nines, really stepped up that day but they just didn’t have enough gas."

Despite the loss, the Stampeders shouldn’t hang their heads.

"We have nothing to be mad about this season," Boyko said. "We won two tournaments and won TVRA."

OFSAA is June 4-6, in Stratford and that will have Hall’s wife smiling.

"It’s at home and that’s great," said Hall, away a lot coaching in recent weeks. "I have three children under the age of three at home. My wife is basically a superhero."