United’s Kat Stowers /// Photo: Jackie Finlan
Day One of the Girls’ High School Club National Championships has ended, and the finals for both divisions are set. Although Division II is a round robin, there are two undefeated teams – North Bay (Md.) and West End (Va.) – whose final match against each other will determine the champion. For Division I, the title will be decided between United (Utah) and Fallbrook (Calif.)
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During the DI quarterfinals, all of the higher seeds triumphed: United shut out South Bay (Calif.) 38-0; Sacramento (Calif.) defeated Hopkins (Minn.) 28-0; Fallbrook topped Morris (N.J.) 17-0. The closest game occurred between the fourth- and fifth-ranked teams –NorCal’s Land Park and Pleasanton. The teams were tied at half before the Harlequins pulled away for a 24-12 win.
The day was cold and rainy, and teams had to stay limber for two hours between matches. But when United retook the pitch for its semifinal against Land Park, the team looked like it was playing on a sunny, dry afternoon. Fast, physical, skilled and confident, United played a very good Land Park to a 34-5 win and berth to the final. United looks very dangerous.
The following semifinal between the Sacramento Amazons and Fallbrook Warriors ended before the half. Here’s the footage of the match: Michigan Video.
The game that occurred on the pitch between the players wasn’t out of hand – in fact, it was entertaining watching two contrasting styles test each other. When the game was called, it was tied 3-3 – a testament to the battle.
Sacramento was getting dinged for penalties, and captain Maryjane Pasioles was visibly frustrated in her multiple conversations with the referee. Still, the Amazons took the first lead of the game with a Salote Tausinga penalty, and then Fallbrook’s Lilly Durbin restarted the ball quickly before the Amazons were set. An obstruction penalty on the return allowed Fallbrook to capitalize on the territory, and the subsequent phase looked to put a Warrior through the defense.
But before that line-break could be realized, the whistle blew and a red card was issued to Sacramento’s most influential player, Eti Haungatau. At 25:34, the No. 8 leveled Durbin with a no-wrap, high tackle. Naomi Colin slotted the penalty kick for the 3-3 tie.
Haungatau’s absence drastically changes the game, and as Sacramento regrouped for the restart, Pasioles was asked to speak with the sideline. Whatever the instruction entailed, it elicited a spectator response (audible at 28:30). The camera is fixated on the 50 meter when the spectator curses at the ref, and the high school players react. And then as the final whistle blows (read more about USA Rugby’s stance on referee abuse, page 2), the girls’ hands fly into the air, some drop to their knees, pound the ground, and then the high school players shake hands.
Sacramento and Land Park are scheduled for the third-place game, while Pleasanton and Morris will compete for fifth. Hopkins and South Bay will play for 7th. The final round for the DII Club will occur at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
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