The Rugby Breakdown produces the following women’s portion of USA Rugby’s weekly club updates. For the complete article, click here.
PACIFIC SOUTH
DI Santa Monica played its first two league games at home and took competitive losses to San Diego (38-22) and Tempe (40-33). Last weekend, the Dolphins made their first road trip of the spring and banked a 31-7 victory against the Surfers. Santa Monica put up two early tries through Nina Poloukhine (who also kicked three conversions on the day) and Megan Gaedje before San Diego responded with a converted try, but another Poloukhine try gave the visitors a 19-7 lead into the break. Gaedje and Pouloukhine scored tries in quick succession and the defense stepped up for a second-half shutout.
In Division III, San Fernando Valley and Fullerton traded scores throughout the entirety of the match and were tied on two occasions. The final try, however, went against the pattern and San Fernando logged a deceptively more comfortable victory, 31-17. The victors scored through wing Lizamarie Alvarez, who ended the day with three tries, scrumhalf Michelle Chan and flyhalf Korinna Fite, who also added a conversion (Hosna Qasmei and Evelin Avila kicked the other two). Fullerton sent Shea Bancher, Evelin Moreno and Montana Moore into the try zone, while Acacia Person tacked on two points.
Also in DIII, Northern Arizona traveled to Riverside and beat the newcomer 54-26, marking the LadySharks’ first win of the season. Phoenix still leads the league at 3-0 and will face Fullerton this weekend and San Fernando Valley a month later on March 21.
RED RIVER
The DII Texas teams have been active early in the new year, and thus, that’s where the attention focused. Little Rock officially kicked off its season on Dec. 14 and played Dallas Athletic to a 19-10 win, and then went dormant until last weekend. The Arkansas team traveled to Austin, which was undefeated in 2020.
Little Rock started quickly, putting Zenobia Bowman and Tara Coffelt away for first-quarter tries. Austin took advantage of some opportunities in the third quarter and was rewarded with tries from Bailey Allmon and Brenda Ramirez, but otherwise it was all Little Rock. Maddison Roncketto, Sarah Gilo-Sahut, Kristina Hickmon (2) and Abby Vestal (who also kicked the conversions) scored for a 43-14 lead through 70 minutes. The final 10 minutes saw a flurry of action, with Austin No. 8 Erika Persil scoring twice, and Roncketto dotting down a second try. With Zoe Hunter’s conversions, the game ended 48-28 in Little Rock’s favor.
Also in DIII, Bay Area won its third game of the season, shutting out McAllen 71-0. Fullback Stephanie Wood led on points scored, accounting for 26 on two tries and eight conversions. Center Veronica Houck scored three tries, while locks Lauren Patterson and Heather Mount, flanker Randa Medows, scrumhalf Elizabeth Clementi, flyhalf Jennafer Mc Entee and wing Cassidy LeBlanc added a try apiece.
In Division I, the Dallas Harlequins forfeited their match to Austin.
SOUTH: FLORIDA
Florida’s Division II continues to thrill, as two single-digit decisions resulted. League-leading Tampa Bay was the only undefeated team heading into last weekend and traveled to Orlando for a rematch of the teams’ season opener – a Jan. 18 game that went 12-5 in the Krewe’s favor. The visitors took a 12-0 lead through Marie Anceaux’s and Sam Black’s tries and Robyn Oliveri’s conversion, and then Orlando responded with three-straight scores to overtake the lead. Giovanna Medell, Jimaida Arrieta Nieves and Erin Emanuel, who also kicked the extras, scored tries for a 17-12 lead after 35 minutes.
Oliveri’s try evened up the scoreboard at 17, and there it stood until minute 55, when Shontavia House and Agnes Fuerst scored in close proximity to each other: 27-17 to Orlando. In the final 10 minutes, Black was able to cross for Krewe and Oliveri’s conversion drew Tampa Bay to within three, but that was the last of the scoring: 27-24 to Orlando.
On the other side of the competition, Fort Miami led Jacksonville until minute 75 before the Sinners punched in one more try and engineered the game’s lone lead change. Tries from No. 8 Brie Cokos and fullback Jonelle Francois, and two Madison Militello conversions gave Fort Miami a 14-0 lead through the 50th minutes, and then the Sinners answered through Rachael Stabbert and Erica Long. Keina Crawford’s conversions tied it up at 14. As the final 10 minutes approached, Crawford added a penalty to put Fort Miami up by three, but then scrumhalf Zoe Eprile crossed the line in the final five minutes for the lead change and 19-17 victory to Jacksonville.