The Algonquin Wolves men's rugby team were looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs as they took on the St. Lawrence Surge in a pivotal match.
The Wolves came out strong, opening the scoring with a moment of brilliance from Luke Flores, who kicked the ball ahead to himself and finished the play with a try and successful conversion for an early 7–0 lead. The Surge responded quickly to even the score at 7–7, but Algonquin regained control before halftime. Tanner Watson and Aton Biakabutuka each crossed the try line to give the Wolves a commanding 21–7 advantage heading into the break.
St. Lawrence showed resilience in the second half, cutting the lead to 21–14 early on. The Wolves answered back when Hussien Al Trejawi broke through the Surge defense for a long solo run and try, extending the lead to 28–14. However, momentum shifted late in the game. After St. Lawrence narrowed the gap to 28–21, the Wolves were dealt a blow when Flores was forced to leave following a heavy collision, and Biakabutuka received a yellow card. The Surge capitalized on the opportunity, scoring four consecutive tries to complete the comeback and seal a 38–28 victory.
With the loss, the Wolves drop to 1–3 on the season but remain in the playoff hunt. Algonquin will look to rebound on Sunday, October 19, when they host the Georgian Grizzlies, before closing out the regular season on the road against the Seneca Sting on Saturday, October 25 in Toronto. The Wolves currently sit in seventh place, with the top six teams advancing to the OCAA playoffs.