The 麻豆社国产Axemen didn鈥檛 win the BC Rugby playoff final, but they refused to end the season quietly, playing an intense game that even required paramedics to intervene.
鈥淭he game was a really, really hard game where the Axemen defended most of the time,鈥� said Robin Wentzel, team manager. 鈥淲e had to stop the game for one of our players to come get taken by the ambulance.鈥�
That player, Kendall Sparrow, has undergone surgery for a broken foot. Wentzel says Sparrow appears to be on his way to recovery.
Sparrow鈥檚 injury was not the only one incurred during the game. Paul deGroot is on the mend for a separated tibia at the ankle, and Gethin Roberts is recovering from a blown knee.
The Capilano 4 team beat the Axemen by 12-5, which is a loss by one converted try. Max Sheppard was the 麻豆社国产forward who scored the team鈥檚 only goal.
Lead by team captain Travis Frank Welsh, the Axemen went into the match playing shorthanded due to injuries that sidelined several of their forwards.
As a result, said Wentzel, the team was forced to play a defensive game, with Zac Cundell providing a particularly strong performance as a back, a position played behind the forward that requires good defending, passing and kicking abilities.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 able to field a good forward pack in the finals because of injuries,鈥� said Wentzel. 鈥淲e lost a lot of possessions due to that.鈥�
The game, which took place on May 6, marked the first time the 麻豆社国产team made it to a BC Rugby final in 20 years. Previously, they had made it to the match as an old version of the group, before they became the Axemen.
It was a feat that didn鈥檛 go unnoticed among the players.
鈥淲e felt like winners regardless of the loss,鈥� said Wentzel. 鈥淲e still feel exceptionally proud.鈥�
Part of the success may be a result of changes the team has undergone. The group has had something of a makeover in the past year, he said.
Blake Mahovic joined up with Phillip Maas in the past year, reinvigorating the coaching staff.
Combined with support from club president Al Mac, both trainers started a new focus on player-centred coaching, which created better chemistry between players and translated into better performances, Wentzel said.
Furthermore, several new players helped breathe new life into the team, he added.
The Axemen play in the Mens Division 3B of BC Rugby, which focuses a little more on the sport as a social 鈥� as opposed to competitive 鈥� activity. But judging by the literal broken bones of the past match, it hasn鈥檛 diminished the intensity of the team鈥檚 games.
The group would also like to thank its sponsors and the 麻豆社国产community for a great season, Wentzel said.
鈥淲e love to play the game,鈥� he added.
***Please note this is an updated version of the story. A previous version incorrectly stated Killian Breen was the player who scored the only try for the Axemen. In fact, it was听Max Sheppard. The previous version also incorrectly stated that Killian Breen played a particularly strong game as a back. In fact, it was Zac Cundell.
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