Newsome's big day powers Vikes to CW Final

EDMONTON – Surpassing her season point total in one game, third-year back row Olivia Newsome powered the top-seeded Victoria Vikes to a 67-0 win over the host Alberta Pandas in the Canada West Semifinal at Foote Field.

Newsome scored a pair of tries to go along with six made converts, leading the Vikes with 22 total points, surpassing the 15 she scored during conference play.

The win sends the Vikes to their fifth-straight Canada West Final, where they will meet the UBC Thunderbirds, who are looking for a sixth-straight conference banner. Victoria's last CW title came in 2015. The CW Final is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at Foote Field.

Alberta, meanwhile, will set their sights on Lethbridge in the CW Bronze Medal Game at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Victoria wasted no time setting the tone, striking just two minutes in when Newsome broke through for the opening try and added her own conversion for a 7–0 lead. The Vikes continued to build momentum, with Eden Kilgour finishing off a strong phase in the 10th minute and Newsome again converting to double the lead.

The scoring run continued as Carrisa Norsten crossed in the 19th minute before Shay Ogurek added another at 24 minutes, both tries converted by Newsome to make it 28–0. Norsten struck again in the 36th minute, extending the lead to 33–0 at halftime.

Victoria kept its foot on the gas in the second half. Chloe Hill-Huse scored in the 45th minute, followed by Ivy Poetker try at 56 minutes, with Newsome converting both to push the advantage to 47–0. Newsome added her second try in the 64th minute before Piper Walsh touched down three minutes later.

In the closing stages, ShonDreya Smardon capped the dominant performance with back-to-back tries in the 77th and 80th minutes, sealing the 67–0 result for the Vikes.

First Half

2' VIC – #14 Olivia Newsome try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 7-0 VIC
10' VIC – #11 Eden Kilgour try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 14-0 VIC
19' VIC – #15 Carrisa Norsten try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 21-0 VIC
24' VIC – #7 Shay Ogurek try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 28-0 VIC
36' VIC – #15 Carrisa Norsten try (convert missed) – 33-0 VIC

Second Half

45' VIC – #2 Chloe Hill-Huse try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 40-0 VIC
56' VIC – #6 Ivy Poetker try (#14 Olivia Newsome convert) – 47-0 VIC
64' VIC – #14 Olivia Newsome try (convert missed) – 52-0 VIC
67' VIC – #5 Piper Walsh try (convert missed) – 57-0 VIC
77' VIC – #25 ShonDreya Smardon try (convert missed) – 62-0 VIC
80' VIC – #25 ShonDreya Smardon try (convert missed) – 67-0 VIC