WPL Match Summary & Video – Glendale Raptors vs New York – Mark Bullock

Glendale Women Find Success In Home Opener

The GRFC Women hosted the New York Rugby Club in a WPL (Women’s Premier League) opener at Infinity Park South Sunday. In a match that saw more errors than either coach would have liked, Glendale held on for a 29 – 22 victory.

Glendale struck first off of a counter attack on turnover ball as winger Nina Safane scooted over for the converted try by flyhalf Hannah Stolba. New York counter just five minutes later as fullback Kathleen Ryan touched down in the corner for the unconverted try. Just a minute later Stolba intercepted a wayward pass for a try under the posts that she then converted to put Glendale up 14 – 5.

The rest of the half saw both sides punch it up only to have miscues negate any serious scoring opportunities. New York finally touched down when prop Rebecca Brafman scored an unconverted try. Glendale countered with a Stolba penalty to close out scoring 17 – 10.

Glendale came out firing after half but it was New York who would score two tries, both to wing Angela Yue, one converted by Mary McCarthy, in a span of seven minutes to take a 22 – 17 lead going into the final twenty minutes of the match.

New York would keep the pressure on and seemed to have Glendale on the back foot, but in the sixty-fourth minute a series of clean phases allowed Glendale fullback Tonya Ansel to score a converted try giving Glendale a shallow 24 – 22 lead. Glendale would score two minutes later on another multi-phase attack as Stafane scored her second try which required New York to have to score twice to pull out the win.

New York nearly pulled within reach as they camped on the Glendale line for the last five minutes of the match, but the hosts put up a spirited defense to preserve the win, 29 – 22.

Scoring:
GRFC 29: Tries – Safane 2, Ansel, Stolba. Con – Stolba 3, Pen – Stolba 1
New York 22: Tries – Yue 2, Ryan, Brafman. Con – McCarthy

Match Video

New York v Glendale 09.09.12 from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo.

View the complete 2012 WPL Schedule and Results here.

View all of the match reports from this season here.