EDMONTON – Trinity Western's women's rugby 7s team finished sixth overall in their first-ever tournament on the Canada West Rugby 7s Series. 

On Day 2 of the eight-team tournament in Edmonton, the Spartans beat Fraser Valley 28-19 in the consolation semifinal to earn the first women's 7s victory in school history. In the 5th-place match, the Spartans lost to Calgary 38-5.  

Playing the Cascades in the consolation semifinal, the Spartans and UFV trading tries through the first half and early on in the second half. Sammi Thiessen (Abbotsford, B.C.) scored twice in the first half before Michelle Veerman Quezada (White Rock, B.C.) tallied in the second half, with both using outside speed to find space. With Tausani Levale (Abbotsford, B.C.) converting each of TWU's first three tries, the Spartans went ahead midway through the second half, 21-19, with UFV having missed the conversion on their third try. Levale then scored herself, taking the ball from a penalty and using some fancy footwork to get past UFV's defence, before diving across to put the game out of reach.

Against the Dinos, the game ended with almost an identical score line as their matchup on Day 1 (36-7). Calgary was able to take advantage their speed on the edges to secure athe win, scoring six tries to TWU's one. Nicolett Duchesne (Surrey, B.C) scored TWU's lone try of the match.

TWU finished the tournament scoring six tries, with Thiessen and Veerman Quezada each scoring twice and Levale and Duchesne finding the try area once apiece.

QUOTABE
Julia Sugawara – TWU Head Coach 
"We improved and learned a lot over the course of this weekend's tournament. The team showed fantastic effort and incredible heart right to the final whistle. While we are happy with our performance in certain instances, we know there is more we can accomplish this season. We will be focusing on those areas over the next two weeks and we will be ready to put or efforts to the test again at the UBC stop."

Sammi Thiessen
"It felt good to win a game today and have the opportunity to score twice. The development of our team is really coming along and this is only the beginning. I'm looking forward to getting stronger individually and as a team."

Nicolett Duchesne
"It felt great to be part of a team that feels more like a family. It was a tough weekend overall, but we came together and supported one another right to the end."

UP NEXT
The Rugby 7s season will continue in two weeks, with the UBC Thunderbirds hosting the second tournament in Vancouver.

SPARTANS ROSTER 
Ashley Jacob – South Surrey, B.C. | (Earl Marriott)
Niki Duchesne – Surrey, B.C. | Bayside Sharks (Elgin Park)
Madison Fleischer – Bellevue, Wash. | (Richmond Christian) 
Tausani Levale – Abbotsford, B.C. | Canada 7s (Abbotsford)
Sammi Thiessen – Abbotsford, B.C. | Abbotsford RFC (Yale)
Laralee Gadsby – Kitchener, Ont. | Conestoga College (Huron Heights) 
Abby Johnson – Kamloops, B.C. | Columbia Bible College (Kamloops Christian)
Kate Fedoruk – Richmond, B.C. | Richmond RFC (R.A. McMath)
Jensen Schmidt – Nanaimo, B.C. | (Dover Bay) 
Issy Scholtens – Langley, B.C. | (Credo Christian)
Michelle Veerman Quezada – White Rock, B.C. | (Mission)
Sara Eskildsen – Mexico City, Mexico – Wallabies RFC Mexico (Avon View)

DAY 2 – TWU RESULTS
Consolation Semifinal 2: Trinity Western Spartans (28) vs Fraser Valley Cascades (19)
Scoring summary:
 
1    2    T
TWU:    14    14    28
UFV:    14    5    19
UFV try - #14 Kira Katan (#2 Mackenzie Fowler convert) 7-0 UFV
TWU try - #9 Samantha Thiessen (#5 Tausani Levale convert) 7-7
UFV try - #6 Melissa Jongedijk (#2 Mackenzie Fowler convert) 14-7 UFV
TWU try - #9 Samantha Thiessen (#5 Tausani Levale convert) 14-14
HALF
UFV try - #2 Mackenzie Fowler (convert missed) 19-14 UFV
TWU try - #11 Michelle Veerman Quezada (#5 Tausani Levale convert) 21-19 TWU
TWU try - #5 Tausani Levale (#5 Tausani Levale convert) 28-19 TWU

5th Place Game: Calgary Dinos (38) vs. Trinity Western Spartans (5) 
Scoring summary:
 
1    2    T
CGY:    17    21    38
TWU:    0    5    5 
CGY try - #9 Angie Olukunmi (#15 Berlyn Seselja convert) 7-0 CGY
CGY try - #1 Kasselle Menin (convert missed) 12-0 CGY
CGY try - #2 Emma Newton (convert missed) 17-0 CGY
HALF
CGY try - #11 Sofia Brussoni (#10 Patricia Lively convert) 24-0 CGY
TWU try - #3 Nicolett Duchesne (convert missed) 24-5 CGY
CGY try - #10 Patricia Lively (#10 Patricia Lively convert) 31-5 CGY
CGY try - #7 Tianna Janfield (#7 Tianna Janfield convert) 38-5 CGY

DAY 1 – TWU RESULTS
Game 4: Victoria Vikes (21) vs. Trinity Western Spartans (0)
Scoring summary:
 
1    2    T
VIC:    14    7    21
TWU:    0    0    0
VIC try - #12 Maddy Aberg - (#11 Nicola Smith convert) 7-0 VIC
VIC try - #13 Paige Farries - (#11 Nicola Smith convert) 14-0 VIC
HALF
VIC try - #6 Ashah Payson - (#5 Alexie Pusch convert) 21-0 VIC
 
Game 7: Calgary Dinos (36) vs Trinity Western Spartans (7)
Scoring summary:
 
1    2    T
CGY:    12    24    36
TWU:    0    7    7                       
CGY Try - #15 Berlyn Seselja (Convert Missed) 5-0 CGY
CGY Try - #14 Kate Knight (#10 Patricia Lively Convert) 12-0 CGY
HALF
CGY Try - #6 Alyson MacDougall (Convert Missed) 17-0 CGY
CGY Try - #7 Tianna Janfield (Convert Missed) 22-0 CGY
TWU Try - #11 Michelle Veerman Quezada (#5 Tausani Levale Convert) 22-7 CGY
CGY Try - #11 Sofia Brussoni (#2 Emma Newton Convert) 29-7 CGY
CGY Try - #6 Alyson MacDougall (#7 Tianna Janfield Convert) 36-7 CGY
 
Game 11: Alberta Pandas (31) vs Trinity Western Spartans (0)
Scoring summary:
 
1    2    T
TWU:    0    0    0
ALB:    17    14    31                       
ALB Try - #8 Courtney Holtkamp (Convert Missed) 5-0 ALB
ALB Try - #8 Courtney Holtkamp (#10 Lora Lee Convert) 12-0 ALB
ALB Try - #4 Heidi Farley (Convert Missed) 17-0 ALB
HALF
ALB Try - #11 Zoe Melnychuk (#15 Kate Manning Convert) 24-0 ALB
ALB Try - #12 Cassie Jorgenson (#15 Kate Manning Convert) 31-0 ALB

Tournament standings – Day 1
POOL A
TEAM    WINS    LOSSES    TIES    POINTS
VIC    3    0    0    12
ALB    2    1    0    8
CGY    1    2    0    4
TWU    0    3    0    0

POOL B 
TEAM    WINS    LOSSES    TIES    POINTS
UBC    3    0    0    12
LET    2    1    0    8
UFV    1    2    0    4
UBCO    0    3    0    0 
 
NOTE: Teams are awarded four points for a win, two points for a draw, and one point for a loss.

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.

-TW-