For the second consecutive year, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team has had to settle for a third place finish at the Canada West Championships, downing the UBC Thunderbirds 33-22 on Sunday afternoon.

Kara Loewen recorded two tries, while Tiffany Wideen, Sam Wright and Nicole Ronsky each added singles for the Pronghorns. Wideen also converted four of the five Pronghorn tries. Gillian Boag, Gabrielle Hindley, Catherine Ohler and Mackenzie Lee responded with tries for the T-Birds. Ohler was also credited with a convert.

Looking to rebound from a disappointing 29-18 loss to the Calgary Dinos in the second semifinal Friday afternoon, the Pronghorns stormed out of the gate, pushing the Thunderbirds deep into their own end. After the T-Birds held a ball up in the end zone once, the Horns kept the pressure on and were finally rewarded with a try less than five minutes in. Sam Wright touched the ball down and Wideen made the convert.

With the ball bouncing down the field, Kara Loewen snatched the ball in full flight, broke a T-Birds tackle and raced for the 'Horns second try. Second-year winger Nicole Ronsky scored the Horns' third try of the half, racing 45 yards past all T-Birds defenders. Wideen hit for her third convert.

UBC stormed back with 12 unanswered points to make the score close. A string of solid passes across the field sprung Mackenize Lee, who touched the ball down for the T-Birds' first score. Ohler then hit the convert.

Before the half was out, fourth-year scrum half Gabrielle Hindly scored an unconverted try to cut the Horns' lead to 21-12 at the half.

The U of L continued its strong play in the second half with Wideen scoring her own converted try, while Loewen recorded her second of the day a short time later, outracing T-Birds defenders after the ball was kicked into the end zone.

Not going down without a fight, UBC stormed back with two tries of their own to account for the final score.

University of Alberta Pandas later won the championship game over the University of Calgary Dinos to advance to the CIS National Women's Rugby Championships later this month in Quebec.