The York University Lions women's rugby team finished their last home game of the regular season with a 41-7 defeat to the No. 3 nationally-ranked Queen's Gaels on Friday night (Oct. 2) at the York Rugby Field.
 
The first half saw a determined and energetic Lions' squad defending strong off of the kickoff. However, the defence couldn't hold the Gaels, as they were able to grab two tries and two conversions in first 18 minutes.
 
A few minutes later, however, the Lions were quick to respond with their first try of the game thanks to third-year 8-man Cheyenne Legerton (Brampton, Ont.) powering her way through the heart of Queens' defensive line and landing five points for the team in the 21^st minute.
 
First-year winger Mariah Fontana (Duncan, B.C.) also added a conversion to the scoreboard shortly after, blasting the ball between the posts and narrowing the score between the Gaels to 14-7.
 
However the Lions struggled to keep their momentum going into the second half against the nationally-ranked Gaels. Queens' Lauren McEwan (one try and three conversions), Emma Chown (three tries), Caitie Ryan (one try) and McKinley Hunt (one try) were able to grab points to finish the game despite the Lions' persistent attempts to minimize their opponents' chances.
 
The Lions are currently in second place in the OUA Russell Division standings with a 2-2 record on the year, while the Gaels remain undefeated and are in top spot.
 
In the next week the Lions will be gearing up for an away fixture against the McMaster Marauders on Friday (Oct. 9) at 7 pm. Fans won't want to miss it, as the winner of the match will likely move on to compete in the OUA playoffs starting on October 17^th.