Match Report: Emerald City Mudhens @ ORSU August 29, 2009

Welcome to our newest YSC Intern! Angelique will be reporting on the upcoming ORSU games for the Women’s Premiership League. Check out the article below for a pre-season look at ORSU as they played the Mudhens on August 29, 2009.

By: Angelique “JACK” Jackson, Seattle, Emerald City Mudhens

The efficiency of the Oregon Sports Union is something to be admired. It is no mystery why ORSU is part of the USA Women’s Premier League (W.P.L.); comprised of the top 8 women’s rugby teams in the nation. Included in the Red Conference along with them are the Berkeley All-Blues, Minnesota Valkyries, and the Twin City Amazons. Despite their elite ranking they annually extend an offer to host a “friendly” match with the Seattle based Emerald City Mudhens.

In an effort to create a learning environment for new players on both sides, ORSU, on a muggy Saturday, exchanged players to fill in gaps in the Mudhen lineup and broke the standard forty minute halves into twenty minute sets. Throughout the match, coaches, referees, and veteran players worked with those that are less experienced for the sake learning what rugby is all about — honor through hard work. Erica Horne of the Emerald City Mudhens was heard explaining to her team the importance of working beyond your aerobic complex to further your capabilities.

Emerald City scored in the first twenty; one to OR.S.U.’s three tries. The Oregon Sports Union, despite the ball being controlled by the Hens for more than sixty percent of the game, continually divided the Hens defense. Each time, ORSU’s players made an clean break through the Mudhen’s forwards for a try only to then further their prowess with each conversion kick. Once, in the ultimate show of superiority, San Juanita ran, untouched, down the try-zone to touch the ball down between the posts. In a word: ouch.

Though the Emerald City Mudhens are not part of the W.P.L. they have been doing much to earn their stripes in the women’s rugby community, recently earning 5th place at the inaugural USA Women’s Sevens Tournament in San Fransisco. The dedication committed to that title reared its’ beautiful face in the final twenty when the Hen’s Kammi Lopez tore through ORSU’s defense for a final try.

This match seemed to be a great beginning to 15s. Rookies were “bitten by the rugby-bug” as Becky Garland of the Mudhens said, boots were put back in their bags, congratulations were exchanged, and once again two rugby teams walked off of the pitch looking forward to a social, despite anything that may have happened on the pitch— here is to the rest of the season!

WPL Match Reports/Coach & Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: WPL Videos
8/31/2009: ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (YSC Intern Ashley)
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: WPL Week 1 Match Reports
9/8/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Jan Rutkowski and Player Kelly Seary from Beantown
9/8/2009: Week 1 WPL Videos
9/10/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Ryan Dunnett and Player Caroline White from New York
9/14/2009: WPL Week 2 Match Reports
9/17/2009: WPL Spotlight: Keystone: Player Profile Rashida Stamps
9/21/2009: Week 2 WPL Videos
9/29/2009: Week 3 Match Reports

1 thought on “Match Report: Emerald City Mudhens @ ORSU August 29, 2009”

  1. HOLLAAAA! Jack, nice article. Glad to see ORSU and the Mudhens getting along well for what sounds like a great friendly!

    Reply

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