Ardia Kelker scored two second-half tries. / Photos: Jackie Finlan
If the Glendale vs. Berkeley season-opener is any indication of what awaits in the Women’s Premier League this fall, then buckle up – or in this particular case, wipe your brow. In 107 degree conditions, the Merlins led by 27 points into the second half, but then the All Blues seized momentum, scored four tries, and came within one point of Glendale. Good game management ended the match 27-26 in the Merlins’ favor.
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Berkeley maintained early possession and favorable territory early on, but the Glendale defense absorbed the home team’s attack while finding its feet. Approximately 20 minutes elapsed before the scoreboard lit up. Flyhalf Hannah Stolba quick-tapped through a midfield penalty and hit wing Justine Wypych, who tore down the sideline and cut back across the defense for the centered try. Stolba converted and added a penalty a couple of minutes later, 10-0.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Glendale had an attacking scrum inside Berkeley’s 22 meter. No. 8 Amandine Chatelier and scrumhalf Leann Lam teamed up on the weak side, and the halfback took the final pop pass over for the try, which Stolba converted, 17-0.
Glendale flyhalf Hannah Stolba / Photo: Jackie Finlan
With the half closing down, Stolba kicked to Berkeley’s 22, and the All Blues lost the subsequent lineout. Some nice offloads through the center of the pitch opened up the space out wide, where wing Andrea Prusinki dove over for the try, 22-0 into the break.
Glendale kept rolling – literally – in the second half, as a nice rolling maul got the Merlins into Berkeley territory. A couple of phases after another set piece, Stolba switched fields, setting into motion a forwards series to the try line. Captain Sarah Chobot found a seam for the score, 27-0.
“We had about 20 minutes there where it was absolutely beautiful,” Glendale head coach Kitt Wagner Ruiz said. “We were making our tackles, playing our attack, great with ball in contact. Then we started to get complacent because at that point I think we were up by four tries. We missed a few tackles and the line integrity of our defense was fractured and all over the place.”
Berkeley flanker Christina Ramos / Photo: Jackie Finlan
“One thing we’ve been talking about has been attitude,” Berkeley assistant coach Evan Hoese said of the momentum shift. “Always coming from a place of how we improve, how we move forward, and I think that really came into play in the second half.
“The other key theme is loose play, playing off one another, so a lot less of a structured game,” Hoese added. “And that’s on purpose so we can build more players in more positions.”
In terms of technical feedback, Hoese spoke to teammates trusting each other on defense, looking for hard strikes lines and the subsequent offloads, and clean rucks. Berkeley’s morale was further stoked as players like Kedra Davis and in particular flanker Christina Ramos, who had been playing in Portugal for the better part of decade, broke the line for good gains. These successes built more successes. Approximately 10 minutes after Glendale’s last try, Elena Edwards broke through the middle of the defense and hit Katie Chou in support for the try, converted by wing Sam Miller.
Berkeley’s Bulou Mataitoga / Photo: Jacke Finlan
Moving Bulou Mataitoga from flyhalf to fullback was also influential. The USA 7s Eagle was able to insert from different angles and at pace, and she did an excellent job of keeping forward momentum going with her offloads. Mataitoga paired nicely with reserve wing Ardia Kelker, and the duo connected multiple times for gains, and tries.
The team’s second try began with a furious breakaway from Ramos. Mataitoga then tore into open space and offloaded to wing Maggie Simpson for the try, converted by Miller, 27-14. Five minutes later, Kelker scored a try that Miller converted, and suddenly Berkeley was a converted try away from the lead, 27-21.
Nine minutes remained and Berkeley was pumped. With five minutes left in regulation, some nice breaks and interplay saw Berkeley build into scoring position. On the final push, No. 8 Delaney Chapman pulled the defense to the corner and got the pass off to Kelker switching back inside for the fourth try. The conversion was out of range for Miller, 27-26.
Glendale needed to stay composed for a few more minutes, and that’s when good game management came into play.
Glendale captain Sarah Chobot / Photo: Jackie Finlan
“What I like to see, and do see, is that my captain pulls everyone together to have that conversation: You have the heart, you have the ability, now let’s slow it down,” Wagner Ruiz said of the on-field management. “You call for a scrum instead of a quick tap. Go for points rather than risk a lineout. It’s the decision-making of our leadership that helps bring them back together and ultimately helped us with the game.”
Each Berkeley error brought on a Glendale scrum until the clock ran out. A final kick to touch saw Glendale hold on for the one-point win.
“We knew Glendale was always going to be a hard game,” Hoese said. “There’s a lot of positives we can see and we know we have a bunch of basics to work on. And if we can nail down those basics and get used to each other’s timing, I think we’ll see great things from here on out.”
Glendale’s Nichole Wanamaker / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Glendale maxed out its standings points with the four-try victory, and Berkeley received two bonus points for tries and a fewer-than-seven-points loss. Fellow Blue Conference teams ORSU and Chicago North Shore will play their first matches on Sept. 9, while San Diego will open on Sept. 16.
In the Red Conference, WPL returner Beantown defeated Atlanta 39-22, with Yeja Dunn and Kelsey McCarty earning forward and back players of the match, respectively. Twin Cities downed visiting D.C. Furies 48-19. New York will play its first WPL match next Sunday at Beantown.
