Photo: Jennifer Childress •
Penn State played three A-side (and one B-side) matches last weekend and emerged with three wins. The feat itself speaks to the depth and talent of the Nittany Lions, but when it came time to single out a standout performance, Penn State coach Kate Daley pointed toward Kayla Canett. In her freshman season with the DI Elite champion, the Canterbury Player of the Week is flourishing.
Penn State traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to finish its Big Ten regular season against Michigan and Ohio State, and played those teams to a combined 111-7 victory. Canett scored a couple of tries against the Buckeyes, and played some exciting back-three rugby from fullback. Previously, the freshman was working in at flyhalf, but had some experience at #15 with the Girls High School All-Americans.
“We tried to use the Ohio State and Michigan games to get us mentally and physically prepared to play Lindenwood, because we knew it was going to be a tough game. We needed to get the kinks out and get comfortable playing with each other,” said Canett, who credited the Big Ten schools in bringing aggressive, hard-running games.
Fortunately, Penn State brought 36 players, so no one was overly taxed on Saturday.
“On all the away games, where we get to stay in a hotel together, it’s a really fun bonding experience,” Canett said. “That helps when you have a Sunday game. You spend the entire day at the hotel after a Saturday game, and it helps the team gel for Sunday.”
Penn State scored the first 13 points as Tess Feury scored a try, two penalties and a conversion. Lindenwood rallied back before the break, sending Natalie Kosko and Jennese Bacon in for tries. Penn State led 13-12 into halftime.
“They challenged us with their deep attack and really forced us to work on the speed of our defensive launch, which was an adjustment to prior games this fall,” explained Penn State flyhalf and backs captain Gabby Cantorna. “They also had a lot size in their forward pack, which forced the team as a whole to lower their body height and really focus more on the details at the point of contact. Their back line was fast and powerful, which challenged our set-piece defense, but I think the team made really great adjustments after the first 20 minutes to neutralize the threats and defend as a whole unit.”
Cantorna praised Lindenwood’s aggressive defense and breakdown work, and for pushing Penn State in the pace of play. That’s an area in which Canett looks toward veterans like Cantorna and Feury, who have been integral to the freshman’s acclimation to collegiate rugby.
“We were playing it safe,” Canett reflected on the first half. “In the second half, we tried to go full-out and make sure we were doing everything we could to dominate in the breakdowns and running our lines. The difference was our mindset.”
Penn State pulled away in the second half, and Canett was one of several try-scorers in the 43-12 win. The teams played a B-side game that Lindenwood won 31-10.
“This weekend showed that we have the flexibility to adjust to last-minute injuries and shuffle people into different positions without hindering team performance,” enthused Cantorna, who was just as impressed with the team’s performance as its attitude last weekend. “Going forward, that knowledge and confidence in our newer players will be key and will enable us to focus on whole-team development, not a set 23. It certainly showed that our depth can be a strength for us down the line, but also that as a team we need to manage our bodies better.”
Canett and Penn State have a couple more fixtures for the fall, icnluding the Big Ten championship against (coach Daley’s former team) Notre Dame and Saturday’s game against DI varsity Quinnipiac.
Canett is the final Canterbury Player of the Week for October, so stayed tuned for voting information for Player of the Month. The winner receives a goodie bag from sponsor Canterbury.