VANCOUVER – Trinity Western capped the Canada West 7s Series with a 1-1 record on the second day of the two-day tournament Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium. The Spartans opened the day with a 10-10 draw with Lethbridge before the Pronghorns got the best of TWU by a 47-0 count in the rematch later in the afternoon. 

The Spartans finished the tournament sixth overall, with TWU posting a 1-3-1 record, including a victory over Fraser Valley. 

TWU's Michelle Veerman (White Rock, B.C.) and Danika Dool (Chilliwack, B.C.) each scored tries for the Spartans on Saturday. 

The draw with Lethbridge marked TWU's first-ever tie against an Alberta-based side since the Spartans joined Canada West in 2020. Prior to Sunday, TWU had lost its first 14 conference matches against the likes of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge. 

The Spartans also finished sixth overall in the three-tournament series standings, having come in sixth place in each event. 

AS IT HAPPENED 
DAY 2 
Trinity Western 10 Lethbridge 10
The Spartans opened the scoring with a brilliant try from Veerman, who took off from a set piece on a 50-metre run down the left wing before dotting down. After the Pronghorns tied it 5-5, TWU took the lead in the second half when Dool broke free down the right wing for another long-distance Spartans effort. However, late in the second half, with TWU down to five players due to a pair of yellow cards that came in quick succession, Lethbridge equalized. A missed conversion attempt from the Pronghorns left the game tied. 

Lethbridge 47 Trinity Western 0
The second game of the day saw Lethbridge hold much of the possession while running in a decisive victory. The Spartans played a physical brand, with Issy Scholtens (Langley, B.C.) highlighting TWU's efforts in the contact area, but were ultimately held off the scoreboard. 

QUOTABLE
Andrew Evans – TWU Director of Rugby
"I really thought we were the better of the two teams in that first game. Our team played extremely well and we kept possession and we executed on our set-piece tries. Michelle had a beautiful try in that first half to get us going. The team was making tackles and securing the ball at the breakdown as well. That first game was really special. I think it was a full-squad effort.

"In the second game, we didn't have as much possession, which is often the difference in sevens. Whichever team capitalizes on the other team's mistakes, usually ends up on top and that's what happened. 

"We've had a tough season with injuries. A lot of our players at this tournament were playing in their first event of the year. It takes a number of tournaments and games to get your legs under you again, but I thought players like Danika and Niki (Duchesne, Surrey, B.C.) performed quite well in their returns to the pitch. I think our team can be quite proud of the work we put in and the performance they put in against really good teams. They're closing the gap and we're looking forward to next year."

Pose Seumanutafa – TWU Assistant Coach, 7s and Skills
"I thought as the tournament wore on, the team starting clicking. A lot of the players haven't competed a lot at this level, so it was a good experience for them. Now they know what it takes to compete at this level and that's going to help moving forward. 

"In our first game, we held onto the ball and if we keep the ball, it's hard for the other team to score, of course. But again, I think it's a good chance to learn how we have to perform to be consistent at this level. Going forward, it's now easy to talk about what we're doing and what we need to do to get to the next level."

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.

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