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WPL Week 3 Preview

  • 30 Aug 2019
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NOTE: This article will update as teams load their rosters into the USA Rugby CMS.

From this weekend forward, expect teams in the Women’s Premier League to field teams with their full complement of players available. Sevens has officially wrapped, players relocating to new clubs have had some time to settle in, and the intensity of the competition is seeing few opportunities for “rest” weeks.

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USA 15s head coach Rob Cain will attend the Life West vs. Berkeley match, the first of two Bay Area showdowns on Treasure Island this season (watch it live at 1 p.m. Pacific). It’s the first stop on the Eagle coach’s WPL tour and he spent Thursday in Oakland to lead Life West’s training. Amy Naber Bonte is back on the starting lineup after resting last week against ORSU and Neariah Persinger plays outside her on the wing for her WPL debut. Otherwise the back line is the same, while the forwards have made a couple of changes.

The loose forwards are all different, as Jess Lewis and Jett Hayward, who typically feature in the front row, and Nicole Strasko, who has played lock, all slide back into the flanker and No. 8 positions. Hope Rogers is back in the front row after a stint at No. 8 last week and will face off against Eagle hooker Katy Augustyn, who is playing her first game of the season, for Berkeley.

Evan Hoese is back on the pitch for Berkeley and pairs with Bulou Mataitoga in the centers. They’re a dynamite combination and do a great job of releasing the powerful back three of Maggie Simpson, Laura Thacker, who scored three tries on WPL debut, and Serena Liu.

In Berkeley’s reserves, former New York flyhalf Kristen Siano appears. She reunites with scrumhalf Shelby Lin, who played with New York until 2017. The game will live-stream here: https://www.allstarfilmsdvd.org/life-west-rugby-wpl.

New York also saw Shamira Robles relocate to Atlanta, which is on the road to Twin Cities this Saturday. Both teams are coming off their first wins of the WPL season, and the Amazons are playing their first game at home.

“The game against North Shore wasn’t the start to the season that we were hoping for. We came out flat and they took advantage of that. We hit our stride too late in the game to change the outcome but used that to push hard at practice the week leading up to Beantown,” Twin Cities captain Rachel Lentsch reflected on the season-opening loss and prep into round two. “We knew that we had to come out strong, especially having another away game. Having Katie Johnson on the field definitely made a difference in our pace.  She’s a strong and fast runner and helps push the rest of the forwards to move with her.  We were able to push Beantown back on their heels; that opened up gaps for us to score.”

The Zons have also gained Brittany O’Dell from the Chicago region. She’ll debut in the centers. Atlanta is traveling with just two reserves in Akilah Guzman and Sherri Kelly, but the starting lineup again features many of those young up-and-comers marking the new generation of the WPL. Experience wise, it’s Maggie Craig and Lisa Jackson in the forwards, and Mo Compito, Lara Gartner and Meredith Nelson in the backs. Caitlane Fricia gets her first WPL start in the centers.

San Diego lost its home opener against Glendale last weekend and although it is traveling to ORSU with just 21 rostered, the squad features some oomph. Halfbacks Ashlee Byrge and Hunter Griendling are making their season debuts, and their introduction sees Megan Foster bump out to inside center and Teigan MacDonald set up at fullback. The last few years have seen Evi Ashenbrucker in Ohio and New York, but Saturday’s No. 8 has NorCal roots. She’ll work with commensurate leader Kate Zackary and hard-hitting Laura Easterling in the loose forwards.

ORSU is playing its first game at home after back-to-back trips to San Francisco and so will get a bit of a boost roster wise, but as head coach Anthony Kolanko explained, this season is focused on growth. With that said, there’s good experience starting on the pitch this Saturday. The front row has remained intact, and players like Zoe Wilson and Te Awhina Ho Chee direct the pack output. The backs see Riley Yoder get the start at wing after scoring the team’s try last week against Life West, and former Berkeley player Courtney Hendrickson moves from flanker to outside center. With that said, the Jesters are still short a couple of reserves at home.

Chicago North Shore travels to New York for a Sunday game, and the host will see several players celebrate their first start and/or game of the season. Eagle Tess Feury has migrated from DII Morris to play fullback in the Big Apple. Former WPL championship MVP Gio Cruz is also back in the game and starts at 7, pairing with first-season New Yorkers Dana Alimena (Claremont Colleges) and Chloe Jex (D.C. Furies) in the loose forwards. Misha Green, who typically plays in the pack, moves into the centers where those Scion 7s roots will surely show themselves.

In the reserves Boston transfer Abigael Yotts has the potential for her first WPL appearance; same with NCAA rugby graduates Caitria Sands (Quinnipiac) and Siobhan Coady (Sacred Heart).

North Shore hasn’t posted its roster yet. Glendale (1-1) and Beantown (1-1) get the bye this week.

Stay tuned for more preview updates as rosters post, live commentary of Life West vs. Berkeley on Twitter (@TheRugbyBD), and results and interviews this weekend.

WPL Week 3 Matches

WEST

San Diego (0-1) @ ORSU (0-2)

Berkeley (1-0) @ Life West (2-0)

EAST

Chicago North Shore (1-0) @ New York (0-1)

Atlanta (1-1) @ Twin Cities (1-1)

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