LETHBRIDGE – With a familiar face returning to lead the program on a full time basis the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's rugby team is set to kick-off a new season this weekend in Edmonton versus rival Alberta Pandas in Edmonton.
 
The Pronghorns and Pandas will hit the field Sunday at 3:00 pm.
 
Sunday's game will mark the first of a two game series with the Alberta Pandas for the second installment of the Suggitt Memorial Cup in memory of former coach Ric Suggitt who passed away in the summer of 2017. With the addition of two more conference games for all Canada West Rugby, the Suggitt Cup will now feature a home-and-home series between the Pronghorns and Pandas.
 
The Pronghorns won the inaugural Suggitt Cup last season, beating the Pandas 32-17 in Lethbridge.
 
Neil Langevin, the original architect of the women's rugby program was named the full time head coach this past spring. Langevin led the program to six straight Canada West and three straight CIS Championships as a part-time coach.
 
Following a 2-2 Canada West season and the hosting of the U SPORTS Championships, the Pronghorns return a strong core and look to continue moving forward as a program.
 
Sydney De La Mare, Keegan Brantner, Abby Duguid are going to be keys in the Pronghorns front line. De La Mare was a consistent offensive threat and has improved her physical impact. She will help with a strong core of returning forwards who will need to lead the way if the Pronghorns are to improve on last year's third place conference finish. 
 
Brantner and Duguid had strong summers representing Canada with the U20 team at the Tri-Nations Cup.
 
In addition to De La Mare and Branter, Sara Cline, Charlie Mitchell and Caitlin Sears teamed up to help the Prairie WolfPack win the U20 National Championship in Saskatoon earlier this summer.
 
Last season, the Pandas failed to win a conference game for the first time in the programs history but a sense of optimism still surrounds the Pandas for this season. 2017 Canada West Rookie of the Year Courtney Holtkamp and fellow all-star Ali Wicklum return to lead the team, former Canada West Player of the Year Alanna Fittes returns for her fifth-year after not playing since 2014.
 
Fittes was named the 2014 Canada West Player of the Year and was a three-time conference all-star from 2011 to 2014.
 
The Pronghorns will head out on the road again next weekend, traveling to the West Coast to take on the UBC Thunderbirds and Victoria Vikes.
 
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