RUGBY 7'S BEGINS '18 CAMPAIGN ON SATURDAY AT SHERIDAN

The Storyline
The Humber women's rugby sevens team will begin its third season of OCAA action this Saturday at the Sheridan Tournament. Game one is set to begin at 10 a.m.

About Humber
Women's rugby sevens officially joined the OCAA in 2016 and since its inception, the Hawks have been the premier team in the league. In two seasons, Humber has captured an OCAA title and silver medal, with an all-time record of 33-3 (.917).

The OCAA Season
Humber's league play is completed over four tournaments, with 14 matches played during the regular season. This year, the Hawks will compete in the ultra-competitive OCAA west division with Sheridan, Seneca, and Conestoga.

The Tournament
Humber will open the '18 campaign against the host Sheridan Bruins, who finished last season with a 4-11-1 record. In their last meeting, Humber scored a season-high 47 points in a shutout victory.

Game two has been circled on Humber's calendar since the release of the 2018 schedule. At noon, Humber and Seneca will compete in a rematch of last year's OCAA title game, where the Stung shutout the Hawks, capturing the championship with a 15-0 victory. It was Humber's only loss last season.

The final game of the day will see Humber play Conestoga at 2 p.m. Humber finished 2-0 last season against the 2016 OCAA silver medal winners, outscoring the Condors 78-5 in those two meetings.

Veteran Presence
Humber returns 11 student-athletes from last year's roster and is poised to make another deep run into the OCAA postseason. The Hawks return four of their top-seven career points leaders, including Christina Branch (first), Daniella Grant (second), Cheyenne De Luca (third), and Tatiana Fitzgerald (seventh).

New Faces
Five student-athletes will be making their OCAA debut this season:

Sarah Bothen
Alicia Hayes
Justiana Mulder
Essence Palmer-McCarthy
Melanie Raymond

OCAA All-Timers
Branch, Grant, and De Luca enter the season top-four on the OCAA's all-time career scoring list.

Branching Out
Humber superstar Christina Branch had a dominant 2017 campaign, setting an OCAA record with 180 points. Branch also set the OCAA single-season record for converts in a season with 40.

On Oct. 21, 2017, Branch set an OCAA single-game record with 27 points and six converts.

At the Helm
Head coach Dale Essue returns for his sixth season with Humber, owning a 54-6 (.900) record since 2013. Coach Essue has played an instrumental role in Humber's transition from rugby 15's to 7's.

What's Next?
Humber will return to the field on Sept. 29 at Conestoga in Cambridge and will do battle once again with its OCAA west division foes.