The San Diego Surfers played New York Rugby Club in the last game of the regular season on Sunday.
In the opening minutes of the match, San Diego wing Val Griffeth received a ball spun wide off a lineout and put a pop kick over the defense to start a foot race down the left sideline. Fullback Katie Lorenz was the first to the finish line, diving on the ball as it bounced into the try zone and putting the Surfers on the board. (SanDiego 5, New York 0)
This early excitement was followed by a twenty minute scoring lull. Surfers’ 8 Julia Anderson ended the standoff with a weak pick off the scrum, dishing to scrumhalf Liz Strohecker, who popped it off to
flanker Cara Nocero to put San Diego in scoring position. The San Diego pack rucked over Nocero’s crash and recycled the ball to flyhalf Marea Blue who slipped through a gap up the middle to score the Surfers’ second try. Griffeth converted. (San Diego 12, New York 0)
The half ended with the Surfers up by two tries, but there was a noticeable shift in the intensity level as the teams took the field to start the second half. A fired up New York side quickly backed the
lethargic San Diego defense up against their goal line.
Playing advantage after a Surfers’ penalty inside their own twenty-two, the New York backline attacked wide right. When the ball was fumbled and recovered by the Surfers to end the advantage, the quick-thinking NY flyhalf rushed back to the mark, tapped the ball into play and swung it left; the Surfers’ defense couldn’t recover fast enough, and wing Angela Yue sprinted in the try. (San Diego 12,
New York 5)
Just when it looked like the tides were changing in favor of New York, substitutions breathed new life into the Surfers. Flanker Lauren Daly exploded through the NY line and dished the ball to the fresh legs of winger Hannah Lopez who offloaded to hooker Becca Williams for the score. (San Diego 17, New York 5)
San Diego extended their lead when jumper Emily Ogata stole NY’s lineout to start a long Surfers’ possession. Center Ryan Carlyle and Katie Lorenz borrowed a fancy chop move from their 7s repertoire to
freeze the NY defense and create room on the outside for Lopez who galloped in a try. Griffeth converted. (San Diego 24, New York 5)
Two minutes later, the tireless Daly received a pass from the back of a ruck, dragged the defense sideways and then burst upfield to score the final try of the match. Griffeth followed with her third
conversion of the day. (San Diego 31, New York 5)
New York came back strong after the kickoff and spent the last few minutes of the match attacking hard in San Diego’s half. However, a strong Surfers’ defensive effort, highlighted by two more lineout
steals by Ogata, kept them out of the try zone.
Final Score: San Diego 31, New York 5
Match Video
2012 Week 6 San Diego v New York from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo.
View the shedule, brackets and results of the 2012 WPL Championships here.
View the complete 2012 WPL Schedule and Results here.
View all of the match reports from this season here.
