UC Irvine during pre-season vs. UCSD. /// Photo: Paul Rudman/KLC fotos •
The DII Gold Coast collegiate conference has three more weeks of play, but UC Irvine (5-0) has secured the top seed to the league playoffs. The team played its toughest game of the season on Saturday, fighting off an excellent Claremont (4-1) in a 20-8 victory.
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“Claremont was by far the toughest opponent that we faced this season,” UC Irvine coach Andrew Mase reflected on the team’s five league wins. “They tested us for 80 minutes in all aspects of the game. Katelyn Faust, Claremont’s outside center, is by far the most dangerous player that we’ve faced this year and really challenged us.”
The teams were tied 8-8 at the half, as UC Irvine flyhalf Maria Ruano kicked a penalty and fullback Elona Williams scored a try. In the second half, Hannah Naefke and Ruano added five-pointers, and Ruano kicked a conversion for the 20-8 win.
“We’ve improved a great deal in the set piece, winning a majority of our own scrums and lineouts, and using first phase to penetrate the defense to generate quick ball,” Mase noted major improvements. “First-year prop Cori Arnold gave us a great deal of go-forward, which allowed our outside backs room to finish. Likewise, junior fullback Elona Williams worked tremendously hard in offense and was dangerous as ever with the ball in hand.”
Although Claremont would make a great addition to the DII post-season, the Foxes align with NSCRO after the Gold Coast regular season ends. Claremont won its berth to the NSCRO Pacific Championship two weekends ago, when it beat the other NSCRO team – Occidental – competing in Gold Coast.
UC Irvine has also played good games with Grand Canyon and Long Beach State. Both 2-2, the teams will play each other on March 11 in Arizona.
The 49ers posted a massive 107-point win over Occidental last weekend, scoring 17 tries across 11 players. Inside center Gabrielle Clark led all point-scorers with 22 on 11 conversions, while fullback Taytum Pulliam (3), prop Shamariana Wright (2), hooker Erika Morales (2), No. 8 Frances Canales (2) and wing Valerie Arredondo (2) had multi-try days.
Click here for more information on the conference’s current standings, score sheets and future fixtures.