The semifinal round has become a staple for the Brock Badgers women's rugby team. 

Brock entered the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's rugby playoffs as the No. 6 seed and put the rest of the province on notice with a hard-fought 38-12 overtime victory over the No. 3 Western Mustangs in a quarterfinal matchup.

"It was another fantastic battle with a very competitive Western side, and I want to congratulate them on a strong season," said head coach Adrian Brown. "As a team, we showed our character and composure turning the momentum in the final quarter of the game and flying into overtime. I'm very proud of the effort from every athlete." 

Playing at Alumni Field in London, Ont., for the second time this year, Brock was unfazed by its regular season loss of 22-19 to Western and came out on top this time around as they earned their sixth consecutive OUA semifinal berth.

"Today was a massive character win for us," said captain Jordan Smith. "We battled through every moment, stayed composed and trusted our process until the very end. The energy we brought for each other showed in our electric overtime performance, and I couldn't be prouder of how this team showed up for one another."

Paige DeNeve led all scorers with 13 points from one try and four conversions. Other Badgers finding the try zone included Taylor Bulgin, Taylor Pate, Brooke Rempel, Mya Rickerby and Mia Vandenhoek. 

The first half saw both teams locked in a tight contest, with Badgers holding a slim 7-5 advantage off a try from Rempel and a successful conversion from DeNeve. 

Demonstrating resilience, Brock scored a key try from Vandenhoek and a conversion by DeNeve, while down 12-7 in the waning moments of the game. 

The overtime period saw the Badgers score tries in quick succession from Bulgin and DeNeve en route to 26 unanswered points. 

"This was a statement game that builds huge momentum heading into semifinals," Smith added. "We're fired up, confident and ready for a long playoff run."

Looking ahead, the Badgers are set for a OUA semifinal clash with the Guelph Gryphons for the fourth straight year. The 2025 edition of the matchup will take place on Friday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at Alumni Field in Guelph, Ont.