It is rare to find a team as talented as the Varsity Blues women’s lacrosse team. A shot at this weekend’s OUA championship final was the reward for a group of women who have dedicated themselves to capturing provincial glory.
The Blues were a perfect 11-0 going into this weekend’s OUA semi-final, which showcased the province’s best lacrosse teams. The 2002 OUA championships were held on Nov. 9 and 10 at Varsity Field at U of T. Competing for the title this year were the Western Mustangs, Guelph Gryphons, Laurier Golden Hawks and the host Blues.
“The depth of our bench definitely helped us to an unbeaten season,” said attacker Angela Marrocco. “There are no weak links; we always have 12 players out there who are very capable of success.”
The Blues faced the strong Guelph Gryphons in their semi-final match on Saturday afternoon. U of T defeated the Gryphons 9-6 when the teams last met on October 6, so there was a lot of optimism among players, coaches, and fans.
Discipline was the biggest strength for the armed warriors who represented U of T against the Gryphons. The team played an excellent defensive game, with timely saves provided by goalie Monica Garandos, who was brilliant when called to her battle station. The Blues offence chipped in with nine goals and the ladies got past Guelph with a 9-5 victory.
“Defence and goaltending, those were the highlights for our team today,” said head coach Todd Pepper after the game. “Of course you have to score goals to win, but defence is what brings you to big games.”
Marrocco was very clear on what she believed her team had to do to be successful in the championship game: “The team is very hopeful we can come out with another performance like today’s. It doesn’t really matter who we play tomorrow, the other opponents are all very strong.” With that it was off to Sunday’s final.
U of T started off strong once again, despite the heavy rain that drenched Varsity Field. The Blues held a slim 3-2 advantage at the break, before potting six straight goals to open the second half and cruise to victory. They captured their second straight OUA women’s lacrosse championship with a 9-4 victory over the Western Mustangs and also accomplished a very impressive achievement: an undefeated season (13-0).
The Blues were spurred by Beth Pilkington’s hat trick, while Kristina Koroloff also contributed with a pair. Monica Granados, the OUA’s goaltender of the year, earned the win for the Varsity Blues.
