PREVIEW: #5 Women’s set for RSEQ Championship game

Ottawa and Laval in the RSEQ Championship game has become a fall tradition.

The two Quebec conference rivals will meet for the fourth consecutive season in the title game, with fifth-ranked Ottawa aiming for a record-tying seventh straight championship.

The pivotal match takes place at Stade TELUS-UL in Quebec City on Friday, Nov. 5 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live for free on the Laval Rouge & Or Facebook page. 

The Gee-Gees will need to snap a two-game losing streak against the Rouge & Or, who defeated them twice during the regular season. Both matches were tightly contested – as has come to be expected when the rivals face off – with winning the game by a combined eight points.

"We've been building depth since our second loss to Laval," said Gee-Gees head coach Jen Boyd, whose program will be appearing at the U SPORTS National Championship for the seventh straight season. "You can't win at this level anymore with 15 players. The game has changed, everyone has depth and the game is growing at the U SPORTS level."

Ottawa qualified for the championship game by defeating the Montreal Carabins 37-7 at Matt Anthony Field on Oct. 29. The Gee-Gees trademark stingy defence was on full display, limiting the high-powered Carabins offence to a single score. 

Meredith Sirrs scored twice, while Taylor Donato, Alexandra Ondo, Claire Gallagher and Anna Dodge also got into the try zone.

Laval had no trouble in their semi-final match, topping Carleton 29-3. The Rouge & Or's Laura Guay stole the show, scoring three tries in the victory. Guay, Nele Pien and Marie Laura Choquette paced their squad offensively during the regular season, combining for 18 of the team's 32 tries. Laval spread the kicking duties among a couple of players this year, although the coaching staff seems to be partial to reigning First Team All-Star Audrey Champagne. 

Gallagher and Ondo were the offensive standouts for the Garnet and Grey this season. Gallagher's 64 points (three tries, 20 converts and three penalties) led the conference, while Ondo's nine tries were also the most in the RSEQ.

Both teams have already secured their spots at the 2021 U SPORTS National Championship, which takes place from Nov. 10-14 at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Laval are looking to repeat as National Champions, while uOttawa are searching for their second-ever title and first since 2017.