UNews - Surrey

Horns open CIS tourney with win

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:49:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns (1-0) opened their Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national championship tournament with a 35-0 win over the host Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Excalibur.

The Canada West champion Pronghorns jumped out to an early lead as they tallied three converted tries in the game's first 13 minutes.

"We got off to a great start today and did well for the first bit to control the game," said Horns head coach Neil Langevin. "Then we got bogged down in some handling errors and some ball control issues. All in all we did enough to move on and we are pretty well rested and fairly good on the injury front."

CIS All-Canadian Kelsey Willoughby (Lethbridge, Alta.) opened the scoring for Lethbridge with a try in the fifth minute. Pronghorn fly-half and Lakefield, Ont. native Sophie Butler added a try of her own three minutes later. Canada West Rookie of the Year Kayla Moleschi (Williams Lake, B.C.) capped off the first-half scoring for the Pronghorns with a 50-metre run in the 13th minute. Laura Murphy-Burke (Surrey, BC) was 3-for-3 on converts in the first half.

It was after the Moleschi try that the Excalibur dug in their heels and showed the grit, toughness and never-say-die attitude they have become known for.

"We saw what we were made of and went toe-to-toe with the Canada West champs," said Trent assistant coach Craig Harris. "Once we got the butterflies out we were right there against a talented team. We'll take a lot from it and carry that over to our game on Sunday."

After the first three quick Pronghorn scores, the Excalibur kept Lethbridge off the board for nearly 30 minutes until Moleschi added her second try of the contest 15 minutes into the second half.

Moleschi capped off the scoring with a 65th minute try. Sarah Gordon (Surrey, BC) kicked her second conversion of the half to make the final score 35-0.

Moleschi's three-try performance propelled her to player of the game honours for the Horns. Ashley Burton was named player of the game for the Excalibur.

Lethbridge will next take on St. Francis Xavier in the final Pool-A game for each team. The match-up will take place Saturday at 8:30 a.m. MDT. The game can be viewed at ssncanada.ca

"We look forward to tomorrow and the chance to play St. FX in what will amount to a semifinal game," concluded Langevin.

Horns rugby bolsters lineup

trevor.kenney — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:13:18 +0000

The five-time Canada West champion ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women' s rugby team has retooled for the 2011 Canada West season with the addition of six new recruits, five of which come to the 'Horns with national team experience.

Head Coach Neil Langevin welcomed Cassandra Orr, Bailey Campbell, Sarah Gordon, Ashley Delaney, Kayla Moleschi and Meghan Wellis to cmapus this week. Orr, Campbell, Gordon and Delaney all represented Canada this summer with the Under 20 squad coached by Langevin, while Moleschi has suited up with the Canada U20 and Senior Sevens side.

Orr comes to the Horns from the highly successful Vulcan Country Central High School squad that won the South Zone title and was a provincial finalist.

"Cassandra is the fittest rugby player in Canada and will benefit from a great work ethic," says Langevin. "Her determination and ability to score tries will be a benefit for the Horns."

Also a member of the Country Central High School team in Vulcan, Campbell, a fly half and centre, makes the trek down Highway 23 to Lethbridge.

"Bailey Campbell has been part of a great program in Vulcan under the coaching of John and Angie Seaman," says Langevin. "Her patience and defensive ability will be great building blocks as she develops at the university level."

Gordon, who can play both scrum half and fly half positions, comes to the 'Horns from Surrey, B.C. In addition to playing with the U20 Canadian team, Gordon has also suited up for the BC U18 squad.

"Sarah Gordon is a smart rugby player who is a student of the game," says Langevin. "With increasing physical capabilities she is sure to be an integral part of the Horns for the next five years."

Delaney also comes to the Horns with provincial team experience, having played with the Alberta U18 side this year. The Calgary native can play both at prop or lock.

"A highly recruited youngster, Ashley combines size and athleticism," says Langevin. "She will be counted upon to play in the tight five and to improve her physical presence on the field. As she does improve she will be a headache for other Canada West teams for a long time."

A member of the BC U23 team that captured the National Championship this summer, Moleschi joins the 'Horns program with an impressive resume. The fullback has seen time with both the U20 Canadian team and with the senior Sevens.

"Kayla has performed well for Canada U20 in the past and was an integral part of BC U23 program that won the National Championship this summer," says Langevin. "She is poised to move further up Rugby Canada's ladder and will be an exciting part of the Horns this year."

Another fullback, Wellis comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge via White Rock, B.C. While she is the lone recruit without national team experience, Wellis has been a member of the highly successful BC U18 team.

"Wellis has been part of successful high school and provincial programs," says Langevin. "Her stride and attacking capabilities are large and she couples this with fierce determination."

The 'Horns begin their quest for a sixth consecutive Canada West Championship Sept. 23 in Vancouver versus the UBC Thunderbirds. The 'Horns will host two home games this season, Oct. 2 versus the Alberta Pandas and Oct. 13 versus the Calgary Dinos.

Horns rugby to play major role on U20 team

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:51:07 +0000

Four ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby players have been named to Canada's U20 National Women's Team that will compete at the U20 Nations' Cup in July.

Jill Antkutowicz (second-year), Lindsay Duxbury (first-year), Juhee Thompson (first-year) and Tiffany Wideen (first-year) will all p[articipate in the Nations Cup, to be hosted by Santa Barbara, Cal. July 11 to 24. The event will feature matches versus the traditional participating nations of England and the United States, with the addition this year of a U20 squad from South Africa.

Horns head coach Neil Langevin is also the head coach of the U20 program and he said the selection process was very detailed.

"Our staff went coast to coast this spring looking for talent," says Langevin. "Clubs, schools and provincial programs all helped out by identifying and developing players to move to the international stage. With the 2016 Olympics a definite reality for some of these athletes, this group's development is an important part of the medal quest. "

He likes the makeup of the final squad.

"The 26 selected players are a diverse group from across the country and will be expected to perform well at this summer's Nation Cup," says Langevin.

In addition to the four current Horns on the national team roster, Langevin says another four players on the U20 squad are headed to the U of L this fall. Cassandra Orr (Vulcan, Alta.), Bailey Campbell (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Sarah Gordon (Surrey, B.C.) were all originally named to the squad and have verbally committed to the Horns. Ashley Delany was named to the non-travelling reserve side but has now been called up for the Nations Cup.

For more on the U20 team and the Horns, follow this link.

UNews - Surrey

Horns open CIS tourney with win

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