USA Club Rugby

MARFU and the Midwest to Clash for Women's All-Star Championship

 

PITTSBURGH, Penn. – There were tries-a-plenty on day one of the Emirates Airline USA Rugby Women’s Club All-Star Championshp.

 

On a sticky summer’s day in Pittsburgh, athletes had to battle the heat as well as the best Women rugby players in the country. The humidity and temperatures in the 80s wouldn’t prevent all the teams from playing an open, running style of rugby.

 

In three of the four matches, the cream was clearly on top as the West, Pacific Coast, and Midwest put up a total of 155 points to just 24 for their South, Eastern Developmental, and SoCal Counterparts. The fourth match was one for the ages.

 

West vs. South opened the day’s play, and it would be the South who got on the board first when Jessica Wooden slotted a penalty kick just six minutes in. The West would punch right back with a try, then Trystan Likes would answer for the South. After 27 minutes of back an forth play, the South was on top 8-5, and it was anyone’s game. That wouldn’t last long.

 

In the 33^rd minute, Taryn Brennan ran a long try in, and the floodgates would open for the Western Mustangs. Eight different Mustangs would score tries by the time 80 minutes were up. Hannah Stolba led the team with a try and three conversions. Final score 46 – 8.

 

South  8         

Tries:  Likes

Pens:   Wooden         

 

West   46      

Tries:  McGillivray, Brennan, Bray  

Edwards, McGrady, Janus   

Prusinski, Stolba       

Cons:   Stolba (3)

 

The next match of the day saw the Pac Coast put a stamping on an Eastern Developmental Side comprised of players who were, for one reason or another, looked over for their Territorial Sides.

 

The game would never be in doubt for Pac Coast. With plenty of experience to lead them, the Grizzlies they would produce some impressive numbers. San Juanita Moreno and Ashley Kmiecik accounted for 30 points, scoring three tries a piece. Fly half Megan Sanders was lethal with her boot as well, kicking five conversions.

 

In the end, Pac coast would run up 72 points, to just 8 for the Development Side. Pac Coast were clearly more polished and organized with more attacking weapons.

 

Pac Coast will face off against the West on Sunday for the Tier two final.

 

Pacific Coast 72      

Tries: Croy, Moreno (3), Boone (2)

Kmiecik (3), Sanders (2), Acosta    

Cons:   Sanders (5), White  

 

Eastern Dev  8         

Tries: Heard  

Cons:   Anderson

 

Moving into Tier one, Midwest vs. Southern California had the makings of a classic showdown. The Midwest is loaded with talent in the forwards with the likes of Kate Daley, Sarah Chobot and Lauren Daly. SoCal on the other hand is heavy in talent in the Backs, led by Emilie Bydwell and Valerie Griffith.

 

The Forwards of the Midwest would dominate on the day however. Outside of an early penalty kick and a consolation try in the 78^th minute, the Midwest would put six tries on the board led by Sylvia Braaten with a pair, and Christy Riggenberg with two conversions and a penalty kick.

 

Midwest will face the MARFU Sharks on Sunday following an epic match against the Northeast.

 

Midwest        37

Tries:  Martinez, Braaten 2, Chobot,          

Kugler, Johnson        

Cons:   Ringgenberg 2          

Pens:   Ringgenberg 

 

So. California           8         

Tries:  Lorenz           

Pens:   Naber

 

Four minutes after kickoff of the Northeast vs. Mid-Atlantic match, Melanie Denham punched a try in for the NRU, and it looked like they were on their way to playing for another National Championship.

 

For the next 54 minutes, the NRU would be camped out behind MARFU’s 22 meter line, and was in total control of the game. In that time, NRU was unable to add to their points total thanks to the staunch MARFU defense.

 

Just when it looked like NRU was going to walk away with the win when Andrea Staid ran in a try to be converted by Rachel Primo. Just to minutes later, speedy wing Andrea Street turned on the jets to burn three defenders around the corner and just like that MARFU held a 14-5 lead with 20 minutes to go.

 

The reigning champion Northeast weren’t done though. Amy Daniels put another try on the board in the 67^th minute, but it was too little too late as the brief lapse in defense cost the Northeast dearly, going down 14-10. MARFU will face Midwest on Sunday for the Tier 1 title.

 

Northeast      10

Tries:  Denham, Daniels

 

Mid-Atlantic             14      

Tries:  Staid, Street

Cons:   Primo (2)

 

To see a complete photo gallery from today's action, visit http://www.klcfotos.com/usarugby

 

Tune into ustream.tv/usarugby to watch all of Sunday's matches LIVE.

 

Day 1 Team Rosters:

 

South			@	West
1	Amanda Van Duynhoven	FR		1	Nicole James	FR
2	Laketa Sutton	FR		2	Rachel Ryan	FR
3	Anne Janet Hernadez-Anderson	FR		3	Sarah R. Wilson	FR
4	Carly D. Harrington			4	Layne Harrod	FR
5	Trystan Likes			5	Francine Bray
6	Amonae Dabbs-Brown			6	Katie M. Janus
7	Kimberly Knipe			7	Kittery A. Wagner
8	Betty Madeline Wilibanks			8	Taryn Brennan
9	Alana Padilla			9	Wendy Young
10	Katherine Daniels			10	Hannah Stolba
11	Alyson Allen			11	Latoya Lawrence
12	Elizabeth Snodgrass			12	Deanna R. McGillivray
13	Jenna Grygier			13	Erin Overcash
14	Kari Morrison			14	Tyra McGrady
15	Jessica Wooden			15	Sara Edwards
16	Samantha K. Stone			16	Andrea Prusinski
17	Jessica V. Petersen			17	Crystal Verdick
18	Ariel Hector	FR		18	Kittery A. Wagner
19	Megan Katherine Doran	FR		19	Nina Vivian Safane
20	Kameran Lee			20	Kandis Ruiz
21	Adriana Weber	FR		21	Carol Fabrizio
22	Madeline Clark	FR		22	Mary Pezzulo
23	Michelle Kwandham			23	Traci L. Schmidtke

 

Eastern Developmental			@	Pacific Coast
1	Lauren Poole	FR		1	Melody Glasgow	FR
2	Alexa Gomez	FR		2	Lisa Butts	FR
3	Katherine Wurst	FR		3	Naima Reddick	FR
4	Alicia Gillberg			4	Katie Chou
5	Amanda Mahoney			5	Emily Van Gulick
6	Dawn McKenzie			6	Cynthia Wright
7	Patricia Shagam			7	Phoebe Boone
8	Julie Gerdes			8	Sonia Globerson-Lamb
9	Elena Cantorna			9	Diana Peng
10	Sadie Anderson			10	Megan Sanders
11	Amanda Heard			11	Liz Palmer
12	Lisa Henneman			12	Lucy Croy
13	Erika Granger			13	San Juanita Moreno
14	Alyssa Green			14	Irene Gardener
15	Kristin Giuliano			15	Ashley Kmiecik
16	Devin Torii	FR		16	Katy Augustyn	FR
17	Maggie Craig	FR		17	Adrienne Acosta	FR
18	Amber Vaillancourt			18	Julie Kieu	FR
19	Kayla Morisoli			19	Sharon Blaney
20	Farrah Douglas	FR		20	Molly Luft
21	Kayla Belle Taguacta			21	Parisa Asgharzadeh
22	Kaelene Lundstrum			22	Carrie White
23				23	Ofa Mailangi

 

 

Southern California			@	Midwest
1	Julia Buchfuhrer	FR		1	Sarah Chobot	FR
2	Derika Legg	FR		2	Jaime Filipek	FR
3	Kim McLaughlin	FR		3	Libby Berg	FR
4	Audrey Johnson			4	Stacey Bridges
5	Cara Nocerno			5	Anna Brown
6	Katie Lorenz			6	Lauren Daly
7	Shaina Turley	FR		7	Lynelle Kugler
8	Emily Ogatat			8	Kate Daley
9	Katie Wright	FR		9	Jenny Lui
10	Marea Blue			10	Christy Ringgenberg
11	Ryan Carlyle			11	Katie Johnson
12	Kirsten Hartos			12	Sylvia Braaten
13	Emilie Bydwell			13	Kristin Zdanczewicz
14	Valerie Griffith			14	Melissa Martinez
15	Ella Naber			15	Michelle Wong
16	Kyla Roth			16	Jamie Zarembinski	FR
17	Melissa Smit			17	Katherine Weber	FR
18	Evelyn Ashenbrucker			18	Tiffany Gjestvang
19	Sophia Chang	FR		19	Laura Gill	FR
20	Heather Rennerfeldt			20	Jojo Kitlinski	FR
21	Sabrina Kraft	FR		21	Renee O'Neill
22	Melissa Cordero			22	Nicole Benjamin
23				23	Kayla Finn

 

 

Mid-Atlantic			@	Northeast
1	Katy Black	FR		1	Elizabeth Fierman	FR
2	Rachel Primo	FR		2	Emily Jones	FR
3	Leslie Joyce	FR		16	Rachel Hughes	FR
4	Ashleigh VanDriesen			4	Jennifer Cotton
5	Liz Hirschhorn			5	Helen Miesner
6	Emily Tunney	FR		6	Tara Roberts
7	Megan Hanson			7	Kristi Bonomo
8	Laura Muller	FR		8	Melanie Denham
9	Eli White			9	Annie Zeigler
10	Sam Pankey			10	Anne Venner
11	Amanda Street			11	Nichole Humphrey
12	Jeanna Beard			12	Rebecca Brafman	FR
13	Katie Bell			13	Amy Daniels
14	Andrea Staid			14	Katie O'Malley
15	Meredith McAlister			15	Jessica Peterson
16	Kaitlin Joerger	FR		3	Lisa Cocchiara	FR
17	Whitney Hileman	FR		17	Tiffany McCoy
18	Britt Martin			18	Jordyn Lexton
19	Kate Hallinan			19	Linda Guiney
20	Jessica Shipley			20	Ashley Clancy
21	Erin Ridout			21	Rachel Sachs
22	Monique McQueen			22	Nicole Vidro	FR
23				23	Kaitlin Ruggiero