'We just have to be as close to perfect as we can be'
By: Dwayne Tingley
Sam Lake often refers to tradition when she proudly discusses the history of women's rugby at St. Francis Xavier University.
The fifth-year prop from Windsor, N.S. calls winning "part of the culture" of being part of the X-Women roster.
"I think it starts on the first day of training camp and it continues all season long," said Lake, who led the AUS women's rugby conference in scoring with 55 points in five games.
"As a team, we are aware of how much success there has been in the past and we just want to keep that tradition alive," she added. "I think it helps us bond as a team and it makes us an even stronger team."
The X-Women, who have won three of the last four AUS championships and are the defending U SPORTS national champions, will bring that winning tradition to the conference final, when they host the Acadia Axewomen on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. in Antigonish, N.S.
The X-Women posted a 6-0 record during the regular season and earned a bye directly to the conference final. The Axewomen finished with a 4-2 record and defeated the UPEI Panthers (2-4) in the semifinal in Wolfville, N.S.
"Our team plays with a lot of pride and we play hard every time we are on the field," said Lake, an education student. "It's the pride we have as a team that brings us closer together. I never think of us as a team. More than anything, we are a family and we all care for each other."
The X-Women have won 20 AUS championships in 21 years, including three of the last four. The Axewomen defeated the X-Women in the conference final in 2015.
"We have been to this party before," said Axewomen head coach Matthew Durant. "The defending national champions are always a daunting prospect in a conference final, but we've beaten them before in this situation and beaten them soundly.
"We won't be intimidated by the matchup," he continued. "We just have to be as close to perfect as we can be and be the harder working team all game."
Lake said the X-Women, who outscored opponents 363-43 during the regular season, will not take the Axewomen lightly.
"We will never change our style," she said. "We play the same way every game."
The Axewomen fell 38-14 and 57-12 in regular season losses to the X-Women. In total, the Axewomen outscored their opponents 251-119.
"We expect it will be another contrast of playing styles with our fast, exciting and dynamic attack against their more methodical, forward-driven pick-and-go approach," Durant said.
"I expect us to play well defensively and make them earn any points they get, and I expect us to test them defensively in the open field with our attack. It is set to be another fantastic matchup."
The U SPORTS national championship tournament is scheduled for Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at the University of Ottawa.