UNews - Nicole Ronsky

Outstanding season earns Ronsky a spot on Maple Leaf roster

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 17:53:33 +0000

Following a season in which she was named a second team All-Canadian, a Canada West All-Star and a CIS Championship tournament all-star, fourth-year wing Nicole Ronsky of the Pronghorns women's rugby team has been named to Canada's Maple Leaf roster for the opening round of the 2015-16 HSBC Women's Sevens Series to be held in Dubai Dec. 3-4.

The Maple Leafs, a developmental team, will play in the International Invitational portion of the Dubai tournament and will face South Africa, the Belgium Rugby 7s and Tabusoro Angels during day one of the tournament.

Nicole Ronsky, here in action against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, will play with the national developmental team at the 2015-16 HSBC Women's Sevens Series to be held in Dubai, Dec. 3-4.

"It is an outstanding opportunity for Nicole and I think that it is great for Canada West and CIS to have our athletes make that next step and get an opportunity to represent Canada," says first-year Pronghorns head coach Ric Suggitt. "Our team getting into the playoffs was a bit of a surprise to most people, but what was no surprise was Nicole's ability to perform in high pressure situations."

Ronsky, who turned heads two weeks ago with her performance at the CIS Championships in Kingston, will make her first appearance with the national sevens program and will head to Victoria on November 24 to prepare with the team for the Dubai tournament.

"I am overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude for this amazing opportunity," says Ronsky. "It wouldn't have been possible without my amazing coaches, teammates and administrators and the continuous support from my incredible family. It's so good to be a U of L Pronghorn."

This season, Ronsky was named a Canada West All-Star for the third year in a row and finished tied for the team lead in tries.

At the Canada West final four, Ronsky scored twice in the Horns' semifinal win over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, which secured a berth in the CIS Championships. She scored another try in the Horns' loss to the Victoria Vikes in the Canada West Championship game.

At the CIS Championships in Kingston, the Calgary, Alta. product led the Horns in tries, scoring three times in three games. She scored twice in the team's final game, a loss to the Vikes in the fifth-place consolation contest.

"Not only does Nicole have the ability to break it open and race to the goal line, she is also a fierce tackler," says Suggitt. "I think it was her tackling count that caught the eye of National Team Coach John Tait."

Former Pronghorns Ashley Steacy (nee Patzer) and Kayla Moleschi are also members of the Canadian National Sevens program, which has already qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Steacy will miss the Dubai tournament due to a knee injury.

Women's rugby 7s earn silver at Rugby Canada tourney

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:53:57 +0000

In their first appearance at the event, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s rugby team earned a silver medal at the fourth annual university sevens tournament hosted by Rugby Canada in Victoria, BC.

The Horns women’s rugby team took 12 players to participate in the event, choosing from the 2013 Pronghorn team that finished third in Canada West and was led by head coach JJ Ondrus.

After losing their opening game 17-12 to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph, the Pronghorns beat McMaster 17-15 and the UBC Thunderbirds 7-5 in round robin play, earning a fourth seed heading into the medal round.

In the quarter-finals, led by two tries from Nicole Ronsky, the Horns defeated the Western Mustangs 17-5. They then faced a familiar foe, the Victoria Vikes in the semifinals, winning a close-fought game, 7-5, on a Tiffany Wideen try and Sarah Gordon conversion.

Running out of steam in the finals, the Horns were defeated 24-7 by McMaster.

“The girls are excited for fall after this success. We trained hard in the off season for this,” says head coach JJ Ondrus. “We're hoping to play more sevens in the future. After our first game (loss vs Guelph) we continued to build confidence, but ran out of steam in the final. I’m proud of the way the girls played, never giving up and scoring on the final play of the game.”

Ronsky led the Horns in scoring in the tournament, counting four tries, while Kara Loewen and Frederique Tremblay each scored two tries.

Horns women's rugby third in Canada West

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 15:29:48 +0000

For the second consecutive year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team has had to settle for a third place finish at the Canada West Championships, downing the UBC Thunderbirds 33-22 on Sunday afternoon.

Kara Loewen recorded two tries, while Tiffany Wideen, Sam Wright and Nicole Ronsky each added singles for the Pronghorns. Wideen also converted four of the five Pronghorn tries. Gillian Boag, Gabrielle Hindley, Catherine Ohler and Mackenzie Lee responded with tries for the T-Birds. Ohler was also credited with a convert.

Looking to rebound from a disappointing 29-18 loss to the Calgary Dinos in the second semifinal Friday afternoon, the Pronghorns stormed out of the gate, pushing the Thunderbirds deep into their own end. After the T-Birds held a ball up in the end zone once, the Horns kept the pressure on and were finally rewarded with a try less than five minutes in. Sam Wright touched the ball down and Wideen made the convert.

With the ball bouncing down the field, Kara Loewen snatched the ball in full flight, broke a T-Birds tackle and raced for the 'Horns second try. Second-year winger Nicole Ronsky scored the Horns' third try of the half, racing 45 yards past all T-Birds defenders. Wideen hit for her third convert.

UBC stormed back with 12 unanswered points to make the score close. A string of solid passes across the field sprung Mackenize Lee, who touched the ball down for the T-Birds' first score. Ohler then hit the convert.

Before the half was out, fourth-year scrum half Gabrielle Hindly scored an unconverted try to cut the Horns' lead to 21-12 at the half.

The U of L continued its strong play in the second half with Wideen scoring her own converted try, while Loewen recorded her second of the day a short time later, outracing T-Birds defenders after the ball was kicked into the end zone.

Not going down without a fight, UBC stormed back with two tries of their own to account for the final score.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas later won the championship game over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos to advance to the CIS National Women's Rugby Championships later this month in Quebec.

UNews - Nicole Ronsky

Outstanding season earns Ronsky a spot on Maple Leaf roster

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