Photo: Elizabeth Bain •
The U24 Midwest Thunderbirds tested themselves on U.S. soil, heading to the Can-Am tournament in the Saranac Lake/Lake Placid region. The trip east proved a fruitful one, and the college-aged all-stars went 4-0 en route to the women’s club title.
Coach Jeff Noe was impressed with how well the players shared the ball in the opening game against Morris, sending seven players across for tries in the 41-0 win. Betty Nguyen (Chicago North Shore) got the scoring rolling, followed by Marcaya Bailous (Notre Dame College), captain Patsy Ford (Glendale), Lachen Esters (Winona), Liz Bain (St. Cloud State), MaryKate McNulty (Denison) and Averie Mitchell-Brown (Univ. Minnesota). Hannah Tennant (Davenport) added three conversions.
Saturday’s second pool game provided more pushback, as the Thunderbirds lined up against defending Can-Am champion New York. Wisconsin’s Ashley Shaw gave the U24s a quick 5-0 lead, but New York evened up before the break, 5-all into halftime.
“We had issues in the first half with penalties and aligning our game with the referee,” Noe recounted. “After halftime we were able to make adjustments and limit the amount of scoring opportunities New York would see. Several tries were held up, Marcaya one of the main stalwarts keeping the ball from dotting down.”
Megan Ahnen (Michigan Tech), a speedy, powerful prop, broke away from her own 22 for the go-ahead try, and Tennant converted for the 12-5 lead that held through regulation. The victory placed the Midwest into the championship bracket, where it faced Beantown after an hour’s rest.
“Beantown was a patient and solid side,” the coach commended the DI club. “Their defense stayed organized and left little space to exploit. They also seemed to take notice of the difficulty New York had in touching the ball down and readily took the opportunity for points when inside the 22.”
With fewer than five minutes left in the match, Beantown led 9-0 on three penalties. Esters dove over the line as time ticked away, and Tennant’s conversion closed the gap quickly, 9-7. Beantown managed the clock well, but the Midwest was able to retain possession off the restart and quickly move the ball wide to the speedy Mariah Young (Des Moines). She found a seam, evaded the fullback and sprinted 60 meters for the game-winner. Tennant’s conversion afforded the 14-9 victory and berth to the final.
“Due to the size of the tournament, we knew nothing of the Olde Girl side on the opposite bracket,” Noe previewed the Sunday final. “A mostly 35+ team against a U24 side, we knew they would have tons of experience we would have to try and make up for.”
The Thunderbirds brought the hunger, and after a few minutes of solid defense, produced a turnover that resulted in big gains along the sideline. Hannah Long (Notre Dame College) finished off the drive with a nice try, and then minutes later scored her second. Young and Bailous got their second tries of the tournament, as well, and with Tennant’s conversion, the Midwest led 22-0 at the half. The score held throughout the remainder of the match, and the all-stars claimed their trophy.
“Defensively the Midwest side only allowed the one try through the four matches,” Noe recapped. “On offense, they shared the ball with 15 tries scored by 11 different players. With only two days and three practices before the weekend, it was amazing to see them come together so quickly as a team and play unselfishly throughout the weekend.”
Among the many standout performances on the weekend, Noe singled out Ford as MVP. The tournament capped the captain’s fifth and final year in the Thunderbird system, U19s through U24s, and she’s an emblem of the all-star program.
Click here for the tournament preview.
MIDWEST U24 THUNDERBIRDS • Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Megan Ahnen – Michigan Tech (Minn.)
Marcaya Bailous – Notre Dame College (Ohio)
Elizabeth Bain – St. Cloud State (Minn.)
Lachen Esters – Winona State University (Minn.)
Patsy Ford – Glendale (Colo.)
Sarah Giachetti – Kent (Ohio)
Hannah Long – Notre Dame College (Ohio)
Lauren McCormack – Wisconsin Women (Wisc.)
MaryKate McNulty – Denison University (Ohio)
Averie Mitchell-Brown – UM Twin Cities (Minn.)
Stephanie Morande – UM Twin Cities (Minn.)
Hunter Moreland – Davenport University (Mich.)
Betty Nguyen – Chicago North Shore (Ill.)
Katrina Nunes – UW River Falls (Wisc.)
Cassie Schultz – Winona State University (Minn.)
Ashley Shaw – Wisconsin Women (Wisc.)
Hannah Tennant – Davenport University (Mich.)
Marissa Westaby – UW Stout (Wisc.)
Brittany White – Minnesota Valkyries (Minn.)
Samantha Wilcox – Winona State University (Minn.)
Mariah Young – Des Moines Women (Iowa)
Jeff Noe – Head Coach
Jeff Horton – Assistant Coach
Brianna Woodworth – Head Athletic Trainer
Erica Marsters – Athletic Trainer
Alex Glorioso – Manager
