BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Following an impressive 81-5 road win over the Loyalist Lancers on Wednesday night, the Durham College men's rugby team concluded their first OCAA regular season in 22 years in first place in the OCAA east region.
The statement victory lifts the Lords record to 5-1, finishing just ahead of the second place St. Lawrence Vikings at 4-2. The first place result could prove vital for the Lords playoff run as they have earned a bye through the first round of the OCAA postseason.
In the Wednesday night contest the Lords exploded out of the gate, jumping out to a 53-5 halftime lead. After the break, the onslaught continued as Durham shutout Loyalist in the second half, pushing through the cold weather for another 28 points.
Daniel Cooper (Uxbridge, Ont.) was once again a force inside for the Lords, leading the team with three tries on the evening, lifting his season total to 12. Nine other Lords found the try zone:
Isaiah Mottley (Oshawa, Ont.) scored a pair, while
Devon Parson (Caesarea, Ont.),
Liam King (Brooklin, Ont.),
Malcolm Hooper,
John Stewart (Whitby, Ont.),
Taylor Dallas (Port Perry, Ont.),
Alex Bews (Whitby, Ont.),
Robert Eliadis (Uxbridge, Ont.), and
Eddie Oliveira (Recife, Brazil) all scored individual markers. Oliveira added five conversions, while
Ty Jacob (Oshawa, Ont.) kicked three to round out the Lords scoring.
Durham has earned a place in the OCAA semifinal round and will welcome a challenger to Thompson Rugby Park as the top seeded team in the eastern region. The Lords OCAA playoff date is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3.
Overall Record: 5-1 (W-L)
Conference Record: 5-1
Next match: Saturday, Nov. 3 • Thompson Rugby Park (OCAA semifinal - opponent TBD)
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