By Patrick Kennedy - KINGSTON, ONT. The loss to archrival St.FX in the recent AUS women's rugby final may have been a "bitter pill to swallow," noted Acadia's seasoned head coach Matt Durant, but make no mistake: the club's primary pre-season goal remains intact. Nothing's changed. No real damage was done outside of bruised pride. The team's focus remains steely-eyed and sharp, the weather-plagued 42-24 setback to X being merely a speed bump on the road to a season-long objective – a medal at nationals, a target that is still very much within the Axewomen's grasp.
"The seniors on this team came in just after we won our first conference title," Durant recalled, drifting back to the 2015 campaign. "So yes, the loss to X was disappointing from that perspective, because they wanted their own AUS championship. But hey, that goal has passed, and now we're looking to achieve our main goal.
"And I'll say this: I'd hate to be the team we play first, because we've got a bunch of hungry girls."
That team will be the defending national champion Laval Rouge et Or (7-0), which meets Acadia (6-1) in one of four quarterfinal matches that open the eight-team Nov. 10-14 U Sports championships hosted by Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Acadia's aspirations for a medal of any hue must begin with a victory in the opening test. "We want to win our first game and get on the championship side," noted Durant, who in a dozen seasons at the helm has guided six Acadia squads to the nationals. "We didn't do ourselves any favours by going in as the AUS second seed, but it is what it is. We'll be ready."
Ready in spades, confirmed Keisha Kane, Acadia's splendid eight-man and one of seven starting seniors who comprise this team's nucleus. "Sure, we made it a little harder by not winning that (AUS) banner, but we know that seeding at nationals means very little," added the 22-year-old Annapolis Valley product. "We proved that at the last two nationals."
Indeed, at the 2018 U Sports tournament in Wolfville, the eighth seed Axewomen came within an eyelash of upsetting defending champion and top-ranked Ottawa in the opening match. Only a game-tying try and ensuing convert in the final seconds allowed the Gee-Gees to escape with a slim two-point triumph. At the 2019 clambake, at halftime the Axewomen trailed eventual silver medalist Queen's by three points and held a one-point lead on St.FX before losing both matches decisively. Sandwiched between those two defeats, however, was a victory over the Calgary Dinos, Acadia's long awaited first-ever win on the national stage.
"Those games (in 2018 and 19) are reminders for the girls that we can compete against any school, regardless of its size or where it's ranked," Kane pointed out.
That latter statement is nothing to shrug off, especially considering some universities at this year's tournament sport student populations seven, eight, even 10 times greater than Acadia's enrollment (3,500). The Axewomen's role model should be The Little Engine That Could.
Acadia's strengths are its athleticism and quickness, particularly in the back row, attributes that were noticeably neutralized in the AUS final by slashing rain and swirling winds at Raymond Field.
"Ours is a high-tempo attack that can be incredibly explosive," lauded Durant, who along with Acadia senior Annie Kennedy, hails from Kingston. "Our front row is strong and agile, and we have lots of weapons in the backline; they're fast and skilled." The latter includes gritty flanker Laura Pfieiderer and Emilie Merilainen, the team's speed-laden leading scorer (11 tries). Both cracked the 2021 AUS all-star roster along with teammates Taryn McLachlan, Shea Hickey, and Grace Pinch.
Prop McLachlan called this season's team "100 percent the best" in her four years at Acadia. "It starts with great leadership from our co-captains, Keisha and Annie, and how they've kept the team focused. The biggest thing, though, is our belief in one another and how everyone is on the same page. In the past, we've had amazing individuals with tons of talent, but we weren't totally together as a team. This year we've connected."
That opinion is backed in a rare perspective from someone who's had a sideline view for virtually every Acadia game over the past eight seasons: school photographer and rugby fan Peter Oleskevich.
"Acadia's always had strong teams," Oleskevich remarked. "This year, however, there is something in their spirit and determination that makes them unique and very special. I've photographed some amazing players over the years, but this current mix of players, from rookies to graduating seniors, just seems to mesh and support each other. They have speed and explosiveness as well as tough grinders who just don't quit. I love the chemistry and spirit of this team."
Chemistry plus cohesiveness plus spirit plus toughness plus talent: A formula that Acadia hopes produces a top-three finish at nationals – the team's main goal from Day 1 of training camp.
Patrick Kennedy is a retired Whig-Standard reporter who lives in Kingston. He is the father of Acadia senior Annie Kennedy.