The Carson Graham girls rugby team is flying high.

The Eagles took the provincial gold medal on Saturday, edging out the top-ranked Cowichan Thunderbirds by a score of 8-7 in the B.C. senior girls AAA rugby championship game. The win adds to the team's impressive record of six provincial titles in seven seasons.

Up against the No. 1 team in the province, the North Vancouver team used strong defence and teamwork to keep the Thunderbirds at bay. Under the leadership of team captains Nevene Hammoud and Madison Tardif, the team fought hard for the gold medal at South Surrey Athletic Park.

"All season the coaching staff had a game plan to play tough defence and our girls executed the game plan perfectly," Eagles head coach Brad Baker said. "We knew it was going to be tough but they couldn't break through our defence."

"The girls had a lot of heart to play a lot of good defence," he added.

Baker commended Grade 9 second-row forward Karyn Nelson for her strong presence on the field throughout the final game.

"She played a great defensive game," he said. "For a Grade 9 girl in with the big girls, she battled hard and did all the basics right. She's a great player."

Saturday's gold medal win comes after a challenging rebuilding season for the Carson Graham team. Last year, the girls faced Port Moody in the provincial finals and won 46-0. Losing 12 senior players this year, the younger team was up against a number of strong AAA teams. But the girls came out strong during the season and entered the provincial tournament ranked second.

Bringing several years of experience to the pitch, coaches Baker and Rick Pimlott helped the girls develop as a team and win their fifth consecutive provincial title this year. Baker also noted the team's strong athleticism as a major factor in their success.

"The one thing that was good for us was that we had multi-sport athletes on the field, he said. "This is a great example of athleticism amongst these girls."

With only four Grade 12 players in the starting lineup, the Eagles began their quest to gold last Wednesday with a resounding 65-0 win over the Maple Ridge Ramblers. They went on to trounce Queen Elizabeth by a score of 85-0. They then ended Abbotsford's golden aspirations with a 45-0 win in the semifinal match.

"It was up in the air because nobody thought we were gonna win it," prop and team captain Nevene Hammoud said. "But something clicked in the girls' heads, they realized it was game time."

Graduating this year, Saturday's win against Cowichan marked Hammoud's fifth provincial gold with the Carson Graham team.

"It's a great way to go," she said. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."