LCI varsity girls looking for more this season

By Lethbridge Herald on April 19, 2024.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The LCI senior varsity girls rugby team is going into a new season with high expectations.

“We felt like we didn’t quite get the results we were looking for at provincials last year and we didn’t have a huge turnover of players,” said head coach Sam Wright.

“So we knew that we have the pieces there and so as long as we can execute the game plan, then it should be really high goals for us.”

LCI’s ultimate goal is winning the provincial banner after winning the consolation side a year ago.

“Like that’s been our No. 1 goal since day one and we got to do it one game at a time,” said Wright.

The Clippers have a strong core of Grade 11 players.

“Madi Kutsch was the league MVP last year, and our team MVP last year and she’s looking not too bad already to start this season. She’s got 12 tries in two games, so it’s kind of wild,” said Wright.

“We’ve got a very strong leadership group and some Grade 12s that are just like dialed in and have been playing since Grade 9 and really leading the team.”

Wright emphasized that while they have all-stars that can do it on their own, you won’t be able get far on just them.

“In rugby you can’t get by that far with just a couple all-stars,” said Wright.

“I think that stood out, especially in our game yesterday(a 20-5 win over Raymond on Thursday) that we had 15 people on the field that were working together, working as a team and we wouldn’t have won that game if one of those 15 people wasn’t doing their job.”

Wright is always getting asked by the girls to be pushed to the next level.

“Like things that you don’t necessarily expect to be able to implement, they’re asking for, and they want those things and they want to be challenged,” said Wright.

“So I don’t see much standing in their way if they keep doing what they’re doing.”

Nevaeh Loose is one of the captains and saw the team being good in prepping for this season.

“I think we want it more based on our provincials last year,” said Loose.

“I think that we know that  if we won that first game, then we could have went a lot farther. I think everyone kind of has the right mindset this year. They’re pretty into it.”