Merritt Secondary School’s senior girls rugby team will look to make a few final adjustments as they prepare for the playoffs, with a berth in the B.C. high school rugby championships on the line.

After kicking off their season with a win on the road, the team played their second league game of the season on April 17 against Lillooet.

Despite having the home field advantage, a fast, hard hitting team from Lillooet gave the Panthers squad everything they could handle in the match, said Erica Martindale, who coaches the team alongside Nathan and Molly Bridgen.

“Although the final score finished 48-12 for Lillooet and we fell behind at the start of the first half, [we] were happy with how the team dug deep and came back with a hard push and put up a good fight against Lillooet,” said Martindale.

 

Merritt’s Janelle Gage (right) looks to prevent a try. (Cole Wagner/Herald).

The MSS team is a mix of experienced players and rookies — many of whom saw their first action on the field against Lillooet.

“Our veteran players should be commended for their steadfast support of new players,” said Martindale.

Many of those new players had a chance to sharpen their skills at the Legacy Performance Games RugbyFest, hosted in Kamloops on April 12 and 13.

The Merritt squad joined forces with a team from Castlegar to compete in RugbyFest, which is part of a larger mutli-sport festival in Kamloops.

“The scoreboard really wasn’t the focus for us this weekend, but rather seeing the girls hone their skills,” said Martindale. “Coaches Molly and Nathan Brigden and I were all happy with the outcome — greater team cohesion, refinement of individual player skills, defensive pressure, and a good strong push in the scrums.”

The combined team also served as a preview, as many of the girls from both teams will be traveling together as part of the “Mountain Maulers” touring team, which will set out on a trip to Spain in March 2020.

In the short term, the next week will prove to be pivotal to the Panthers’ hopes of qualifying for the provincial championships.

Two home games remain on the schedule for Merritt Secondary School. The Panthers will face off against NorKam on Wednesday, while Westsyde comes to town on Friday. Both games will take place at Voght field, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.