The Rugby Breakdown produces the women’s portion (below) of USA Rugby’s weekly club update. To read the full article (with the men’s portion, as written by Evan Lappen) click here.
FRONTIER RED RIVER (DI)
Austin (3-0) and Houston Athletic (2-2) battled to a single-digit decision in the DI Frontier Red River, and the visiting Valkyries banked the 19-12 victory.
“The game was really tough. I wouldn’t say we were able to exploit any notable advantages,” Austin flyhalf Jordan Heller noted. “After coming off of a five-month gap between Cup matches, I think we were a little rusty on our overall offensive execution. While we did manage to get up on them in points, I think it was our high-pressure, hard-working defense that played out to be the deciding factor in the second half.”
HARC inside center Bonnie Richardson scored two minutes into the game, and then Austin lock Julia Fortkort and fullback Chelsey Arambula followed with tries in 10-minute increments. Heller’s two conversions provided the 14-5 lead at the break. The teams traded tries on either side of the 60-minute mark, with Arambula dotting down for Austin and reserve Josephine Darpolor scoring for HARC. Fullback Delia Nava added the extras for a 19-12 scoreline and 15 minutes to play. Austin’s defense stiffened and held on for the win. The Valkyries and Glendale Merlins are both 3-0 in the DI league.
PACIFIC NORTH: NORCAL (DII)
Berkeley tops DII NorCal and is 4-0 after its 56-7 win against San Francisco Golden Gate. Sacramento is 3-1, and when the two leaders met on Jan. 18, the game went 27-20 in the All Blues’ favor. The rematch occurs on March 7 and is looking like the preview for the title match.
On Saturday, Sacramento played Life West in what ended up being a forfeit win, but it didn’t begin that way.
“We started off strong on offense with the first half, and ended the 40 minutes with a shutout. Our offense and defense in the first half was strong and we were working together as a team,” Sacramento flanker and conditioning leader Caroline Sequeira explained. “Unfortunately, the second half of the game shifted. We started off slow and had a myriad of injuries for our starting players.”
At this juncture, Life West chose to forfeit the match, and Sacramento’s mindset shifted somewhat. The referee tore his hamstring 13 minutes into the second half and a certified referee in the stands called the rest of the game. Nevertheless, it was a useful experience for the Amazons.
“Although we started off the second half slow, we pulled it back together and finished the game,” Sequeira added. “We appreciate all of the players on Saturday who showed up and participated in the game so that we could have a match; if we didn’t play this weekend, we would have had three weekends off in a row. … This weekend gave us some great insight into what we need to work on both defense and offense. I am proud of our team for turning it around in the end.”
PACIFIC SOUTH
The three divisions contested one game apiece. DI Tempe beat Belmont Shore 46-7 and tops the standings at 3-0.
Inside center Lindsey Mahoney, flyhalf Heleni Kuma (2), flanker Abigail Lowman and prop Jessica Hanson scored first-half tries, and two conversions from fullback Sam Santos gave Tempe a 29-0 lead after 40 minutes. Belmont Shore snapped the shutout with a Vailani Moe try that flyhalf Meagen Good converted, but then Tempe’s Whitney Diem and Mahoney (2) put down tries and Santos kicked another conversion. The Ninjas will play San Diego (2-1) for the first time on March 7.
Las Vegas won its first match of the DII season with a retributive 57-5 victory against Pasadena in Nevada. When the teams met in California three weeks ago, the Royals triumphed 36-14. Loose forwards Kate Capistran and Sina Sevaaestasi, scrumhalf Tyler Malcolm, outside center Alyssa Williams, back-three Ashleigh De Steunder, Catrin Turner and Vivian Aragon, and reserve Jeruscha Ako (2) scored the tries, and flyhalf Danielle Schumacher added six conversions. The league takes a break this weekend and resumes with the Slots traveling to Old Pueblo on March 7.
First-year Phoenix is getting an education in the come-back and needed multiple rallies to overcome visiting Fullerton. After prop Margaret Sowell put the home side up 5-0, the Wolfpack answered with tries through Acacia Person and Shea Bancher (14-5 to Fullerton). Phoenix responded in kind through fullback Sydney Dudley and hooker Stefanee Sherman, and two Kelsea Thompson conversions put the Arizonans up 19-14. Again Fullerton surged for another converted try through Bancher (21-19), but there was one final lead change in store. Lock Faith Hughes – who built a presence through the Doylestown U18s and Kutztown University – scored the game-winner and Thompson added the extras: 26-21 to Phoenix.
Phoenix is 4-0 to lead the standings and will have time to recuperate before its next match: March 21 against San Fernando Valley.
RED RIVER (DII)
League-leaders San Antonio (5-1) and Austin (4-2) picked up wins this past weekend, but a solid push from Bay Area (3-3) kept the Riveters from banking any bonus points in their match. San Antonio has one more standings point than second-place Valkyries but also sports a massive point differential (316).
Penalty kicks ruled in the San Antonio vs. Bay Area match, as only one try made its way onto the scoreboard last Saturday. Fullback Christine Valliant kicked two penalties and converted inside center Antea Dedic’s try, and Bay Area answered with a Stephanie Wood penalty. San Antonio led 13-3 after 55 minutes, and the score held for the remainder of the match.
Dallas and Little Rock also played a close, relatively low-scoring match. The Stormers went up 7-0 through inside center Abby Vestal’s try and conversion, and then No. 8 Veronica Hill and LeAnne Hudson scored Dallas’ try and conversion, respectively. Dallas got a boost right before the break, and wing Candace Balderas scored for the 12-7 edge. The wing dotted down again in the final 10 minutes, and Little Rock closed out with a Jannette Brickey prop try: 17-12 the final to Dallas.
Austin and Dallas Athletic both banked bonus points for four-plus tries, but the Valkyries directed much of the game in the 51-22 victory. Front row replacement Tessa Dennis scored three tries, and scrumhalf Kristen Karsten added two. Flyhalf Zoe Hunter contribute 11 points on a try and three conversions, while flanker Alexis White, center Brittney Matthews and fullback Ariel Sten also dotted down. DARC got its points through lock Kayleigh Schrader (2), center Kayla Kilbury and fullback Gabriela Hillmann. Flyhalf Monique Fosco kicked the conversion.
SOUTH
The DII Carolinas-Georgia league restarted after a four-month break, and Southern Pines and Camp Lejeune began 2020 with matrix wins.
Southern Pines is now second in the standings, picking up its third win of the season with a 32-5 decision over Columbia.
“We played to our game plan,” Southern Pines Backs Coach Dirk Laurence noted. “Our determination and constant attacking pressure every time they had the ball gave us the victory.”
SoPi scrumhalf Molly Caffelle and No. 8 Tatiana Rubow scored two tries apiece in the first half. Columbia outside center Fatima Vause broke up those sets of tries with five points, but SoPi had a good lead, 20-5, heading into the break. Rubow and wing Emily White dotted down in the second 40, while flyhalf Stephanie Taylor added the conversion in the bonus-point win.
“From the very beginning, the Celts displayed strong cohesive scrum work on both offensive and defensive scrums, including stealing the ball on defensive scrums to regain possession several times,” Southern Pines captain Nina Sullivan broke it down. “The Celts also presented with solid and consistent forward pod work in order to help set the backline up for success. The Celts backline in turn took advantage of every opportunity that was given to run coordinated plays with their wings and centers that resulted in significant meters gained, as well as multiple tries. The Celts also found success with their defensive line coming up together as a sturdy unit, which depleted Columbia’s opportunity to do much while on offense.”
Sullivan called standout performances from lock Casey Horne, who played “with undying ferocity with her tackles and pod work; Brynne Burlingame at wing with incredible agility and ball control on the outside; Tatiana Rubow, at 8 man, managing to score three of Southern Pines’ six tries during the match,” the captain praised.
Camp Lejeune won its second match of the season, topping Charleston 36-5. Scrumhalf Breanna Andrews (2), outside center Patricia McNamara, prop Chyna Hamm and flyhalf Alana Schaff scored the tries, and No. 8 Meghan Potter added the conversions in the bonus-point win.
In DII Florida, Orlando improved to 2-1-2 after a 50-14 win against Indian River (0-3). The Raptors scored their two tries in the first half and at the 25th minute, the teams were tied at 14. But after another five minutes Orlando regained the lead and kept posting points. Outside center Erin Emanuel accounted for 25 points on three tries and five conversions, and lock Jimaida Arrieta Nieves, No. 8 Donneisha Smith, scrumhalf Giovanna Medell, inside center Agnes Fuerst and fullback Lindsey Perkins also scored tries.
Orlando is now in second place in the standings but has played one more game than Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.