Photo by Marc Lafleur
OTTAWA – Six members of the Carleton Ravens women’s rugby team have been named to RSEQ Second Team All-Stars.
After a 5-1 regular season which saw the Ravens reach the RSEQ Semi-Final for only the second time in their ten year history six Ravens have been recognized for their play. Ravens Lauryn Walker, Charlotte Elliot, Eryn Bonney-Brookman, Roberta Drummond, Katie Cox and Vanessa Chiappetta were all announced as RSEQ All-Stars on Wednesday.
Ottawa’s Lauryn Walker, displayed game-breaking abilities for the Ravens from the front row. The prop from Brampton, Ontario, displayed an uncanny knack for creating momentum shifts in games throughout the season. A talent that was on display when she scored the lone try in the Ravens’ quarter-final victory over the Concordia Stingers.
With their nominations, Charlotte Elliot and Roberta Drummond become only the third and fourth Ravens to ever be named to two All-Star teams, joining Maya Addai (2018, 2019) and Natasha Smith (2012, 2014) in the record books. Napanee’s Elliot returns to the All-Star team after previously being nominated as a First Team All-Star in 2018. The second row was an important part of the Ravens formation this year appearing in 5 regular-season games and both playoff games as the Ravens go to at the number 5 position.
Drummond, a co-captain from Belleville, Ontario, was also previously nominated in 2018 as a Second Team All-Star. An integral part of the Ravens core, Drummond appeared in all eight games for the Ravens, scoring one try, 15 conversions and two penalties for a career-high 41 points.
The third-year Eryn Bonney-Brookman joined Elliot in the Ravens second-row appearing in all eight of the team’s games while tieing her career-high by scoring two tries.
A second-year back, Katie Cox (Fall River, N.S.) led the Ravens backs as fly-half appearing in all eight games. The sure-handed Nova Scotian was a catalyst for the Ravens offence scoring three tries while also taking on a share of the kicking duties contributing eight conversions.
Being named Second Team All-Star caps off an impressive month for Rigaud’s Vanessa Chiappetta. Chiappetta’s strong play landed accolades throughout the season including RSEQ Athlete of the Week on September 27 and Athlete of the Month for October. The second-year Criminology and Criminal Justice major was third in RSEQ scoring with seven tries, three conversions and one penalty for a team-leading 44 points and three game MVP awards.
For Ravens’ coach David Luong, the record-setting number of student-athletes honoured is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the program. “We’re ecstatic to have 6 of the program’s athletes being recognized as part the league’s all star team this year. I know everyone in the program puts in a lot of time, dedication and hard work and I’m glad to see that we have seen success this year along with some individual recognition in the RSEQ.” Recognizing the team’s season is not yet over, Luong hopes this further validates the work the team has put in. “This affirms that the student-athletes have been trusting the process and we hope to see more of them continue to find success.”
