WATERLOO, Ont. - Saturday marked the start of the 2022 Golden Hawks women's rugby season, with a battle against local derby rival University of Waterloo.

Playing in the early afternoon heat, the Laurier came out firing with virtually a perfect start. Tiffany McDonald gathered the ball off the kickoff and got the squad going. The forwards dominated the contact area, and backs were able to spread the field and attack Waterloo at will. 

The 9-10 connection between Madison Keats and Jordan Robinson was clicking and, just over three minutes later, the Golden Hawks got their reward with Eden Lohr punching in a try with a hard crashing run up the middle. Jordan Robinson kicked the conversion and, just like that, the purple and gold were up 7-0.

Waterloo was not to be outdone - and they responded repeatedly. Laurier maintained its composure led by some big defense played by Kristen Dajka, shutting down their main offensive threat at 12. 

Forwards continued to push the contact pressure, with some big crushing runs by Janeen Burke and Jaylyn Kirwan. A few execution mistakes stopped the Hawks from extending their lead, allowing Waterloo to regain their composure.

Waterloo used their kick (and wind) to their advantage, pinning the Golden Hawks deep in their own end zone. Try-saving tackles were made multiple times by Lexi Hessels, stopping multiple player overlaps on the outside. The Laurier goal line defense was strong, but eventually Waterloo cracked the line to tie up the game. 

Back at it, the wind with a long kick pinned Laurier at their five for a defensive scrum. Despite a crushing hit by Tasha Cory on Waterloo's big 8-person, they eventually punched it in for another score, putting the Golden Hawks down 12-7. 

As the heat started to wear on Laurier, another defensive miscue saw the Warriors score an unconverted try as time expired at half, putting them up 17-7 going into the sheds.

Laurier dug deep and came out firing through the work and big carries of captain Paige Hallet. However, the heat was starting to get to be too much and it allowed the Warriors to continue to push deeper into Laurier's end, making tackle after tackle. 

The Warriors punched in another one, pushing the lead to 22-7. The constant contact started to see some injuries accumulate as Emma Glenn and Jordie DiBlasio came on to give Laurier some much needed defensive support. As the team's penalty count racked up, so did Waterloo's confidence - allowing them to put another three on the board with a penalty kick going 25-7.

With ten minutes left, the Golden Hawks showed their resilience and started returning the pressure to the fading Warriors. A long sustained period of play saw Lohr go in for her secnd of the day, closing the gap to 25-12. The final eight minutes of furious play saw a few opportunities go amiss. At the final whistle, the Warriors prevailed 25-12.

The forwards Player of the Match was Eden Lohr, leading not only on scoreboard, but with big defensive sticks.

Backs Player of the Match was Kristen Dajka for not only shutting down the line but distributing the ball effectively out wide.

The LunchBox Player of the Week was awarded to Emma Glenn for her hard work, dedication, and positivity throughout the entire week. 

Catch the Golden Hawks (0-1) in action for their home opener on Saturday September 10 against the Toronto Varsity Blues. Kick off is set for 1:00 pm at University Stadium.