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Daniella Michaud
Gar FitzGerald
Daniella Michaud of the Brock Badgers attempts to allude the Guelph defence during a road match on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Women's Rugby Stephen Leithwood

Brock women's rugby gains invaluable experience against No. 6 Guelph

It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, but rather it's the size of the fight in the dog.
 
That was the attitude the Brock women's rugby team carried through training last week and into its match against one of the top-ranked teams in the country, the No. 6 Guelph Gryphons, on Saturday, Oct. 2.
 
"The team today went in with the mindset of playing with a big heart," said Loramhel Mateo, one of a handful of senior players on this young, upcoming team. "We never focus on what's going on the scoreboard, but rather the process of our smaller goals that will get us to our larger goals."
 
Guelph won 38-7, yet Brock gained invaluable experience. It was the second consecutive loss after Brock fell to No. 2 Queen's on Sept. 25.
 
"Playing the top two teams in our division right upfront of our schedule is going to be good for us moving forward," head coach Mark Smerdon said following the Queen's match. "It's going to help our players learn what we're doing wrong pretty quickly and what we need to work on."
 
Against Guelph, the Badgers would not be denied their first try of the season as Lane Hessels brought Brock within five points when she found the end zone in the 32nd minute.
 
Daniella Michaud recorded the convert.
 
The Badgers named first-year player Chihinga Palata their Player of the Match.
 
"Chi led by example in contact, but also with solid decision making," Smerdon said. "She was undoubtedly our Player of the Match."
 
The Badgers (0-2) look ahead to their next game versus McMaster (0-1) at Alumni Field on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m.
 
No matter the outcome, it's not lost on the Badgers how fortunate they are to be back on the field playing the sport they love.
 
"As student-athletes, having the opportunity to play again is an indescribable feeling, especially being hungry for it for almost two years," Mateo said. "The fact that we get to play, not have to play, keeps us focused on our process. The ladies have been buzzing for this season to happen and working so hard through the highs and lows."
 
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