|
Thursday, June 24, 2010
EPRU BOYS U17 Win Championship at Potomac Cup Challenge EPRU U17 Boys go undefeated and win their first ever U17 Championship beating Rugby Virginia, New York State and defending champ Met New York at 2010 Potomac Cup Challenge The EPRU Under-17 Boy’s All Star team won the 2010 USA Rugby Challenge Cup, U-17 Division, at the 2010 Potomac Cup Challenge, June 19-20 at Founders Fields, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The team showed its resilience and character in beating Rugby Virginia and New York State on Saturday and the defending champ, Met New York on Sunday. The team scored 72 points offensively and gave up 30 during the three matches.
When it mattered, the boys scored what they needed and stopped what they had to win their first U17 Championship.
The boys faced Rugby Virginia in their first match at Noon on Saturday. The team started off running and never looked back, winning 36-0. Five players (Tim Connell – Downingtown 10 points, Luke Bolembach – Downingtown 5, Danny Huebner – NE Raiders 5, Anthony Schiarra - North Penn Iron Lions 5 and Ryan Kaisen –
Doylestown 5) scored 6 tries during the match. Crisp, fluid offense and dominance in the ruck put pressure on Rugby Virginia throughout the match, keeping them bottled up for much of the time in their half of the pitch.
Hard running and tackling by Tim Connell, strong support by Austin Craig (St. Joseph’s Prep), consistent back/forward linkage by Matt Te Hau (Narberth Otters), accurate kicking by Chris Baker (Unionville) along with relentless defense by all in particular Kyle Mariner (NE Raiders), Dan Huebner (NE Raiders), Anthony Schiarra (North Penn Iron Lions) and Max Perisse (Brandywine/Henderson), kept the EPRU undefeated going into their next match against New York State.
The next match against New York State at 3PM was an entirely different matter. By this time the temperature had reached 90+ and was very humid, making it a test of wills for both squads. Evenly matched, both teams battled with the scored knotted by Danny Huebner (NE Raiders) 5-5, midway through the 2nd half. New York State scored a second try to take the lead 10-5. It held until, with a little over a minute remaining, the EPRU took possession and retained it through 6 rucks to score the tying try by Ryan Kaisen with less than 20 seconds remaining.
Next came a 5 minute, Sudden Death Overtime period. As with the second half, play went back and forth until, with less than 1 minute remaining, Aaron Skonecki (West Shore United) 2nd half replacement at Left Wing, took off on a near 50 meter twisting, slashing run that put the EPRU in the lead for good with, again seconds to go before the overtime period expired. Final Score: EPRU 15 – NY State 10.
On Sunday at Noon, the EPRU boys faced the defending U17 Champions, Met New York in the Winner Take All single match championship on Pitch #1 at Founder’s Fields. Met NY was noticeably bigger than the EPRU boys and immediately tried to apply that advantage with their forwards in open play and rucks. Countering that, the EPRU boys, led by Evan Hagan (Cape Jersey Storm) and Dan Huebner (NE Raiders) and Austin Wortley (Narberth Otters) brought their own ferocity to beat back every attack. At about the midway point during the 1st half, Met NY’s right wing beat some pretty good coverage with a 30 yard run for a try in the right corner which they failed to convert. Later in the same half, after a series of rucks and a Met NY penalty, Evan Hagan took a crash from around 5 meters that wouldn’t be stopped. With the conversion, the EPRU took a 7-5 lead at the half.
In the 2nd half, following good movement by the Met NY backs, their right wing again demonstrated exceptional athleticism in scoring in the right corner. The conversion failed and the score was NY Met 10, EPRU 7.
What followed next, over the course of about 5 to 6minutes, put the EPRU in the lead for good and assured Outside Center Kyle Mariner (NE Raiders) the MVP of the championship match.
Met NY took an offensive lineout, tapped it to their backs and made a second pass to their outside center. Reading the play, Mariner pounced on the pass and took if over 50 meters, through and around several defenders for a try which was converted by James Ricks (NE Raiders) for his 2nd of three conversions that day.
Score: EPRU 14, Met NY 10.
Minutes later, on almost the same pattern of play, Mariner poached his second pick, running this in from almost 50 yards out. Following the conversion, the EPRU led the stunned and angry Met NY 21-10.
What followed was a furious rally by Met NY scoring their 3rd try (unconverted) with about 7 minutes to play. With less than 90 seconds remaining, Met NY scored their 4th try but again, from a very difficult angle, didn’t convert.
The last minute plus had the EPRU winning ball and taking the attack to Met NY until time ran out. Final Score: EPRU 21 – Met NY 20.
The Tournament Director awarded the EPRU with their first ever championship trophy after the match and Co-Captain Kyle Mariner was named the MVP of the match by the tournament staff.
The players, parents and coaches were thrilled. It was a dramatic final match that could have gone either way but didn’t. When it mattered the EPRU took control and didn’t let go.
It was a classic team win with just enough individual heroics and a whole of lot of hard work by everybody for the team.
It was sweet. It was defining.
It was a proud moment for these young men and the EPRU Boys All Star program.
If you have any questions on the EPRU Boys All Stars, please contact:
Dan Currie
215-343-8767
danielcurrie@comcast.net
Attached is a team picture of the EPRU Boys U17 All Stars.
EPRU U17 Squad
Front Row: (Left to Right): James Ricks (NE Raiders), Michael Wellstein (Connestoga), Tyler Kio-Rielly (Doylestown), Kyle Cresswell (NE Raiders), Ryan Kaisen (Doylestown), Ryan Grow (NE Raiders), Kyle Mariner Co-Captain (NE Raiders), Matt TeHau Co-Captain (Narberth), Tim Connell (Downingtown), Chris Baker (Unionville), Issac Worthington (Narberth).
Back Row: (Left to Right) Will Warrick (Carlisle), Dan Currie (Team Manager), Luke Bolembach (Downingtown), Tristan Fennimore (Connestoga), Anthony Schiarra (North Penn), Aaron Skonecki (West Shore United), Joe Leddy (North Penn), Austin Wortley (Narberth), Dan Huebner (NE Raiders), Max Perrisse (Brandywine/Henderson), Evan Hagan (Cape Jersey Storm), Taylor Hurff (St. Augustine’s), Austin Craig (St. Joseph’s Prep), Bryan “Red” Hynes (Coach).
Missing from this picture are Coaches Greg Mininger and Phil Tehau who were getting the EPRU Boys U19s ready for their last match of the day.
All Tournament Team
U17s – Dan Huebner # 8 (NE Raiders)
U19 – Kyle Boyle # 12, Inside Center (Jersey Cape Storm)
|
