Photo: Cliff Woitena
The Rugby Breakdown produces the women’s portion of USA Rugby’s weekly club recap. Below is the women’s club section; click here for the full article.
ATLANTIC NORTH
The DII Empire competition was a wild one, and none of the nine teams escaped the fall without at least one loss. It kept things interesting, especially when two of the top teams were deemed ineligible for the GU post-season. Nevertheless, one of the best regular-season showdowns – Monmouth vs. Brooklyn – repeated itself in Saturday’s championship, and the Renegades triumphed 27-15 for the title.
Monmouth endured a rebuilding season, as the previous two years saw a host of veterans retire. Captain Diana Valencia and vice captain Rebecca Musumeci are the vital leaders and they get great support from seasoned players like Alex Rumsey, Jennifer Jones, Leah Berry and Kathryn Hussey. Their consistency allowed rising talent like Ashley Allen, Pam Olsen, Meagan Donovan and Crystal Cooke to get comfortable in the game and contribute in meaningful ways.
The Renegades went 6-2 in the regular season, losing to the Village Lions and New Haven, and played a 22-21 thriller against Brooklyn to cap league play. Monmouth beat Danbury 52-0 to advance to the final, while Brooklyn topped Uticuse 46-10 in the semifinals.
“We knew that after that one-point win over Brooklyn in the regular season, they were going to come into the final game looking to redeem themselves and they were going to put up quite a fight,” Valencia set expectations. “We always have a great time playing Brooklyn because they’re a really fun group of women and they know how to play a technically sound game of rugby. They really drive us to play at our best for a full 80 minutes.
“Our main strategy was to just keep level heads, remain calm and make smart decisions,” the captain continued. “We really focused on not letting one bad play dictate the entirety of the game. One of the things we stress most is when we’re out on the field, we’re one cohesive unit and we operate that way.”
Monmouth built a 22-5 first-half lead, as Musumeci (2), Cooke and Angelina Tornetto scored tries, and Rumsey kicked a conversion. Brooklyn got on the board through Jane Wade and then scored quickly after the break through Juliet Wade, 22-10. Minutes later, Cooke dotted down a crucial second try and that 27-10 scoreline held until the 67th minute. Juliet Wade added one more score for Brooklyn for the 27-15 final.
“Kathryn Hussey is always a difference-maker for us. She shows up in a big way to every game with her defense at center,” Valencia noted Monmouth’s advantages. “Another big difference-maker in the match was Crystal Cooke who came through with two tries at wing. She’s been a consistent standout throughout the entire season. Meagan Donovan and Tara Murray consistently made some hard-hitting tackles in the forward pack, and Pam Olsen also made several try-saving tackles at fullback.”
Both Monmouth and Brooklyn advance to the Atlantic North semifinals and will face New England champ Providence and runner-up Worcester in the springtime crossovers.
FRONTIER
The Red River’s Division II season began with an upset, as Bay Area (BARC) defeated the Austin Valkyries 24-19. Ten months ago, BARC lost 83-0 to the Valkyries, went winless through its first DII season, and as the last-place team had to appeal relegation.
“We are a totally different team this season, and we hope to shock a lot of our opponents with how much we’ve learned and grown,” BARC forwards captain Lauren Patterson explained. “We might have a lot of first-time players — as a matter of fact, we had two who played their first match ever this past Saturday — but we’re tough and we’re determined to work hard and continue to improve. The threat of being relegated back down to DIII, where we had few playing opportunities, really lit a fire under us to keep pushing and prove that we deserve to be here. I could not be more proud of the team and am looking forward to the rest of the season.”
BARC buckled down on recruitment, focused on rugby skills and fitness, and developed a new team dynamic and strategy. Those efforts showed themselves against Austin, and BARC took a 10-point through Roni Houck and Jennelle Shaw tries. Austin responded near the 20-minute mark through a Brittney Matthews try and conversion, and that 10-7 scoreline held through the half.
BARC extended its lead 10 minutes after the break, when Jessica Martinez scored and Stephanie Wood converted. The flyhalf then added a try and converted again for the 24-7 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the match. Fatigue began to take hold and Austin capitalized with two quick tries through Brittany McGhee and Danesha Shipman. Jordan Ynostrosa added the extras, but the Valkyries ran out of time to engineer a lead change: 24-19 the final.
“It was really exciting to see our team, with so many new and inexperienced players, play with so much heart against a tough opponent,” BARC head coach and flanker Amy Cheesman enthused. “It was a hard-fought game on both sides of the ball, and it was really fun to be a part of. I’m proud of the team and how far we have come in a relatively short period of time. It speaks to our players’ hard work and commitment to each other.”
The BARC men’s and women’s teams have dedicated their seasons to clubmate Jake Pepe, who passed away on Oct. 31 in a motorcycle accident. His jersey has been retired and hangs on a cross at the pitch during each match.
The DII Red River will play one more round this year on Dec. 14 and then resume on Jan. 11, 2020.