Life Univ flyhalf Sydnee Cervinski / Photo: Star Stevens
Last Saturday was an important day all around. Life University hosted Davenport University in the Michigan program’s first 15s game of the 2020-21 school year, as well as Orlando, which is building toward the Florida DII club championships. The Running Eagles ran out their varsity and JV sides and banked confidence-boosting wins on the day.
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Life JV and Davenport University played 15-minute quarters, as the Panthers were playing in their first 15s game since March 2020. The home side built a 24-0 lead before Davenport responded, sending Lyric Greenhill-Casados, Chyenne Samuels and Ashley Ward (2) into the try zone, while Emma Fredlund-Adams kicked the extras. The visitors got on the board after the back line ran a nice play off a scrum deep in their own end, and center Cole Schield broke free for a big gain. Megan Bird and freshman wing Grace Gohl were in support, and the latter took the final pass for the try. Ashleigh DeWitt kicked the conversion, 24-7.
The second half was much more even, as neither side scored in the third quarter, and both teams scored once in the fourth: 29-14 to Life JV. The victory marked the JV team’s third of the spring, having defeated Lindenwood JV 29-5 and Kennesaw State 57-12.
Photo: Star Stevens
Prior to Saturday, the Life’s varsity side had played two games against Lindenwood. The season-opener was a 39-17 loss on the road, but Running Eagles flyhalf Sydnee Cervinski remembered the performance with positivity, especially when considering the newcomers’ showing. Some foci for improvement came out of the game – the need for a more disciplined defensive launch, lower penalty count and refining in-contact skills – but Cervinski viewed the work-ons as small adjustments. But the rematch resulted in the a 51-0 loss at home.
“It stung a little bit. It’s not what we were expecting,” Cervinski said of the second defeat. “But it’s only going to make us stronger. Lindenwood showed us what we need to work on. After that game, we took a few days to ourselves to get over it, and as soon as we started practicing again, everyone was back at it and trying to work on those little things and just get better.
“This year is very different from last year in many ways but especially in the way we haven’t gotten any wins this year compared to previous years,” Cervinski said of the varsity season ahead of Orlando. “It would be really good for us to come out of the gate, trying to rebound from Lindenwood, and give it all we have, and hopefully come out with a better result in the end.”
Life varsity faced an Orlando side that is currently 3-0 in the Florida DII club competition. The Running Eagles rested regulars like Sophie Pyrz, Angelina Niu and Jess Keating, while influential loose forward Saher Hamdan will spend the remainder of the spring season in Glendale, Colo., training with the USA Women’s National Team. The junior will be released from the Daily Training Environment the week prior to the championship, should Life advance.
The team got big performances out of players like flanker Brooklyn Vaifanua, who was relentless defensively and TRB’s choice for MVP. The freshman is one of several South Bay prodigies fortifying the Life ranks and one of two freshmen (Pepe Toomalatai, who is coming back from a game-one injury, being the other) that Cervinski highlighted as players-to-watch. Additionally, prop Kayla Pemasa was a monstrous go-forward force. Alex Wantlin, along with Cervinski, drove a robust kicking game and hit some fantastic drop-kick conversions. And Joannah Skucek, once again, was just hungry in and around the breakdown. Makayla Lowe was also big around contact and nailed the lineout throws to Emerson Allen.
(l-r) Skucek, Lowe, Wantlin / Photo: Star Stevens
Life put up 38 points in the first half, as Susan Adegoke, Autumn Locicero (2), Tatum Johnson, Skucek and Adrionna Duncan all dotted down. Cervinski was great on the day, setting up the first two scores from an intercept and turning a low pass into a chip-and-chase try.
Collegians (and younger) comprised the majority of Orlando’s starting 15, and the visitors needed a little time to adjust to Life’s pace.
“I think the first half, we just weren’t used to it,” Orlando coach Raoul Besse said. “I had about seven starters who had never played that [level] before, and we made some mistakes that they beat us on. We had two 50/50 balls they picked off for tries. We had two balls poached off us from the rucks and they led to tries. But they didn’t really run around us or through us. Once we sort of settled down, with maybe 10 minutes left in the first half, I thought we played them really well.”
Besse praised the work of locks Laurell Cuza and Eva Esperanza, who ran hard up the middle and created space. The coach was also impressed with how Ana van Ravenswaay adjusted her game. The powerfully built flanker got a little lost and Besse temporarily pulled the collegian from the pitch. When van Ravenswaay returned, she made an impact. Kristi Schnepp was also influential is righting the team. The Fort Miami transfer is normally a No. 8 but has been filling in at flyhalf this season. She’s also the new team captain, and Besse indicated that the collegians really gravitate to her leadership style. He’s hoping that connection will translate into better club numbers in the future.
Speaking of the future, Orlando center Emily Rahija was fantastic on the day. The freshman hails from Mentor, Ohio (read more) and the former Midwest HS Thunderbird didn’t play with an ounce of intimidation.
“She’s going to be a special player for us,” Besse confirmed.
Orlando had possession near Life’s 22 meter as halftime approached, and Schnepp kept the attack in close and let the big forwards go to work. A penalty opened up a little space and Schnepp kept the ball for the dive-over try and conversion, 38-7. The visitors restarted the game with a second score. Locicero did an excellent job of negating a size mismatch on the sideline and drove prop China Davis into touch at Life’s five meter. The Running Eagles’ lineout was solid but a penalty followed, and scrumhalf Gabby Pennino tapped quickly through the mark for the fast try, 38-12.
Life ran in two second-half tries: one from Toomalatai, who relied on brilliant footwork to get through the defense, and another from Skucek, who finished fast phases in Orlando’s end with five points. Cervinski converted both. In between, a Vaifanua yellow card (not 10 on a quick tap penalty) saw Orlando consolidate its pack power and drive into Life territory. There were penalties, a forward pass that negated a try, and strong attempts to turn over the ball deep in Life’s end, but it was Pennino’s steal at the back of a Life scrum that produced another five points. By game’s end, Life had banked a 52-17 win.
“Playing a game like that, it picks up your pace, and I’d rather play at the speed that they do,” Besse said of game benefits. “A lot of people thought I was crazy going to Life, but I think you get better playing better teams, and it’ll help us. We have a big game this weekend against Tampa, so we’ll see where we are.”
Tampa Krewe is also 3-0 in DII Florida, and Saturday’s outcome will determine the April 10 semifinal match-ups. The victor will play Fort Miami, and the loser will play Jacksonville. Both games will occur on neutral ground in Vero Beach, and then the state championship will occur April 10 in Cocoa Beach. Besse will be looking for another match – Davenport was a consideration – to keep the team in top form.
Similarly, Life will look to build off of this confidence-boosting win when its hosts Central Washington this weekend. The game will mark the teams’ final DIA / DI Elite match prior to playoffs. Davenport is on the road again, this time heading to West Chester University (Pa.).