Lancers rugby set to contend for hardware
By Joe LaBine
Lance Writer
October 3, 2007
The Lancer rugby team is getting pumped up after their 11-point victory over long time rivals the Laurier Hawks last Saturday.
This is their second 11-point victory this year and as co-captain Graham Haigh put it, the team now, “controls their own destiny in making the playoffs.” The Lancers have picked up the slack after a shaky start this season with losses to McMaster and Western. Haigh thought that the team was going to be in trouble with several players moving on due to graduation, transfers, and injuries and also the resignation of their head coach right before the season started.
After a game like Saturday, it seems like the Windsor team will mean trouble for the competition. The players are picking up momentum and it showed in the game on Saturday. The game was fast paced and the team played well defensively.
The team is tight, which is impressive considering that most of the players are new. But the team’s hard hits kept Laurier frustrated in what started out as a very close game.
Windsor kept the Hawks “on their heals and second-guessing themselves because of expansive style,” remarked Andrew Ziricino co-captain for the Lancers. But despite his three tries and Steve Piatek’s 23 points which determined the Lancers 38-27 victory over the Hawks, the team is grateful for their coach, who they affectionately call Chevy.
After the game in an interview Ziricino told the Lance, “Chevy makes the team work together and holds them accountable for their actions.”
The Lancer rugby team believes that this is just the beginning and that more impressive play and strategy can be squeezed out of them.
The spread out style of play that they use now allows running plays and No. 10 Piatek’s ability to kick the ball to the other end of the field helps the defence out.
Kyle Robinson outside centre, and Hawk No. 21, became openly frustrated on the field and tried to start a fight with No. 14 Haigh after the Lancer defence dead-locked the Hawks and blocked scoring opportunities.
Laurier was baffled by some of the game and was not pleased with their own performance.
This crucial victory on Saturday had not only made it possible to grab a spot in the playoffs but the Lancers will also be able to compete for home-field advantage.
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