VICTORIA – Playing the first of two games this week on the west coast, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's rugby team did not get the trip off to a positive start, suffering a tough 53-5 loss to the Victoria Vikes.
 
The loss drops the Pronghorns record to 1-3-0 with two games remaining in the Canada West 15s season. For the Vikes, the win is a second consecutive win after dropping the season opener to the UBC Thunderbirds and improves their record to 2-1-0.
 
Only nine minutes into the contest, the Vikes opened the scoring on a Kira Peary penalty goal.
 
Continuing on the offensive, Victoria scored consecutive tries before time expired on the first half. Carissa Norsten, sister of former Pronghorn Christina Norsten (2019-20), scored in the 11^th minute, with Peary converting the try to increase the lead to 10-0. Chloe Hill Huse scored an unconverted try in the 31^st minute to give the Vikes a 15-0 lead at the half.
 
Out of the break, the Vikes poured on the pressure and scored four tries in a 20-minute span. Peary started the run in the 43^rd minute and then Emerald Maze and Marina Skakun got into the action with two converted tries. Lucie Romeo closed out the run with a converted try in the 56^th minute.
 
Third-year prop Tess Domes broke the goose egg for the Pronghorns in the 60^th minute with a unconverted try.
 
Brittany Gardiner and Kaleigh Bellows rounded out the scoring for Victoria with a try each in the final five minutes of the second half. Alexie Pusch converted the Gardiner try.
 
The Pronghorns will have the next two days off before facing the two-time defending Canada West Champion UBC Thunderbirds on Sunday in Vancouver. Kick off is slated from 1:00 PM PST, catch all the action on www.canadawest.tv.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
LET      0          5          5
VIC       15        38        53
 

First Half9' VIC - Kira Peary PG - 3-0 VIC
11' VIC - Carissa Norsten try (Kira Peary convert) - 10-0 VIC
31' VIC – Chloe Hill Huse try (convert missed) - 15-0 VIC
 

Second Half43' VIC - Kira Peary try (convert missed) - 20-0 VIC
47' VIC - Emerald Maze (Kira Peary convert) - 27-0 VIC
56' VIC - Marina Skakun try (Kira Peary convert) 34-0 VIC
60' VIC - Lucie Romeo try (Alexie Pusch convert) 41-0 VIC
70' LET – Tess Domes try (convert missed) - 41-5 VIC
75' VIC - Brittany Gardiner try (Alexie Pusch convert) 48-5 VIC
78' VIC - Kaleigh Bellows try (convert missed) 53-5 VIC