It was another toss-up between Las Vegas and Pasadena. / Photo: Greg Smookler
The Pacific South will decide its Division I and Division II club champions this Saturday in Tempe, Ariz. The host will play Belmont Shore for the DI title, and Old Pueblo will play Las Vegas for the DII trophy. The two victors will advance to their respective western regional championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 19-20.
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Last Saturday, the top two seeds in Division II – Old Pueblo and Las Vegas – hosted their semifinals. Ventura, which finished fourth overall, was supposed to travel to Tucson to face the reigning champ, but didn’t have the numbers for the road game, so #5 San Fernando Valley stepped up. San Fernando Valley beat Ventura 38-36 in the regular season.
The first half was well contested, and the Lightning was held to 12 points on tries from No. 8 Jessica Szakacs and flanker Cassandra Rincon, and a Alex Rath conversion. San Fernando Valley lock Adriana Conrad-Forrest put her side on the board before the break, 12-5.
Old Pueblo did its damage in the third quarter, as Beth Kleiman, Brawley McCaslin (2) and Andrea Hite dotted down. With Rath’s two conversions, the Tucson team led 38-5 with the full fourth quarter to come. Two more tries from Szakacs and McCaslin, and two conversions and a penalty from Rath afforded the 55-5 win.
On the other side of the bracket, Las Vegas and Pasadena also toughed out a tight first 40, and second 40. The teams, which played each other to a one-point decision in the final week of league, traded tries in the first half, as Jeruscha Ako and Similiti Lula scored for the Slots, and Ashley Gallegos and Vanessa Gardner dotted down for Pasadena. Danielle Schumacher kicked two conversions to Saidhbhe O’Riordan’s one to give Las Vegas a 14-12 lead into the break.
The host extended its lead with a Haylee Holsclaw try, converted by Schumacher, and the opportunity to really shift momentum arrived when O’Riordan was yellow-carded. But Pasadena minimized the effect and actually sent Gallegos across for five, 21-17 to Las Vegas with fewer than 20 minutes to go.
Photo: Paul Rudman / KLC fotos
Schumacher added a penalty shortly afterward (24-17) and then Pasadena took its second yellow card. Again, the Californians rallied and added a try from wing Xiuhnel Zein Orozco, 24-22. But then it was Las Vegas’ turn to manipulate a player disadvantage into points. With a minute left in regulation, the home side earned its first yellow card of the game, but Lesley Green nevertheless scored at minute 80 for the 29-22 win.
And now it’s down to Old Pueblo and Las Vegas, and Saturday (4 p.m. MST) will decide which team heads to Texas for the western regional championship, where the Pacific North (decided Saturday), Red River and Frontier champions will also meet.
Photo courtesy Belmont Shore Women’s Rugby (see full album)
DIVISION I
There is only playoff game – the final – in Division I, since there are just three teams, and thus Saturday will be the third time that Tempe and Belmont Shore meet this spring. Most recently on April 7, Tempe defeated Belmont Shore 36-15, and saw all but one try (No. 8 Makayla Dillingham) finish through its backs (Lindsey Mahoney, Heleni Kuma 2, Danielle Marshall). Belmont Shore No. 8 Harley Moeller caused problems for Tempe and scored all three tries in the early April fixture. This game follows the DII final at 6 p.m. MST.
The victor will be joined by Pacific North’s Life West and champions from Rocky Mountain and Red River.