Northeast Women Win Under-23 All-Star NASC Championship

from USA Rugby:

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The women of the Northeast Rugby Union (NRU) won the Under-23 National All-Star Championship on Sunday at the University of California – Santa Barbara.

In the Tier 1 title game, NRU defeated the Midwest Thunderbirds 25-12. NRU scored within moments of the starting whistle in an attempt to put the Thunderbirds away early. A quick try in reply from the outstanding Thunderbird wing, Tyra McGrady, was not enough to stop the clinical NRU side, whose dangerous backline tormented the Midwest all day.

NRU scrumhalf, Alyssa Baccarella, contributed heavily to her side’s victory and her precise passing game allowed the Northeast to attack the Thunderbird defense effectively and often. For Baccarella’s efforts, she earned the title of the tournament’s Most Valuable Player by National Team selectors.

The Tier 2 final between the Pacific Coast Grizzlies and the USA Under-20s was so closely fought that two overtime periods were necessary to determine a winner. The Grizzlies gave the Eagles a physical game, but the national side squeaked out a win in the closing seconds of overtime as Eagle captain Katie Johnson crossed the line for a try. The game was a promotion match, so the Under-20s will move up to Tier 1 for next year’s competition.

In the Tier 1 consolation match, the West defeated the Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) women 37-18. The West will remain in Tier 1 next year, but MARFU will drop to Tier 2.

The SoCal Griffins took on the South in the Tier 2 consolation match, shutting out the Southern women 16-0.