 |
||
UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION |
Four teams converged on Edmonton Alberta the last weekend of September to test their pre-season rugby skills. Spokane's Dukes of St. Lukes, British Columbia's Bandits, Saskatchewan's SaskSquash and Alberta were gathered and ready to play. The tournament started on Friday night with the Dukes of St. Lukes playing SaskSquash. This game might not sound like anything too exciting at first to the average enthusiast. But with the return of Canada's Paralympian track athlete Clayton Gerein to Saskatchewan's lineup and the addition of two of Canada's top class 2.0’s (Daryl Stubel and Al Semeniuk) you might just have a recipe for some very good rugby. On the Dukes side were Chad Farrington and Neil Gustafson, players that both competed down-under this summer as part of Team USA. Mix in veterans Steve Pate, Gary Kanazawa and Al Seals to the Dukes line-up and you quickly realize that they too had a recipe for rugby. The first quarter of play began with the Dukes forcing a couple of turnovers to take a 2 point lead. Saskatchewan quickly regained their composure and eventually matched the Dukes point for point in trips over the goal-line. The second quarter continued with more of the same as each team knocked the summers cob-webs from their chairs. With just 24 seconds remaining in the first half Saskatchewan forced two turnovers and scored on both. The second point tied the game at 17 all as the buzzer sounded. In the third quarter the Dukes upped their intensity level and were able to take a 6 point lead going into the fourth. In the final 8 minutes of play the Dukes momentum continued and added 3 more points to their lead to finish the game with a 36-27 victory. Saturday began with Alberta's new team playing British Columbia and then playing the SaskSquash. B.C. won the first game 30-4 and the second game was all Saskatchewan 32-8 over Alberta. The last game set up for the day was BC against the Dukes. The game was close throughout and it certainly wasn't the cleanest game played by far. Both teams forced turnover after turnover. The highlight of the game was watching two of the hardest hitters in rugby going head to head. With BC's Garret Hinckling heading down court at full speed - St. Lukes Steve Pate scored a direct hit. Pate won that battle but Garret and his Bandits were able to take the game 31-28. Sundays early games were highlighted by Alberta's improvement in play. As the weekend continued Alberta went from scoring single figures to scoring double digits. Their determination paid off as they scored more and more goals with every game played. The big game of the morning was between the Canadian rivals, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. With the Dukes at 2 wins and 1 loss, this game became a must win for the SaskSquash if the wanted to set up a 3 way tie. They pulled off the victory (SaskSquash 32 BC 31) but because of the point difference, British Columbia advanced into the final game against the Dukes. The 1st/2nd place game proved to be the best game of the weekend. Early in the first quarter BC forced several turnovers and took an early 2 point lead. The Dukes used a quick time-out to settle down and try to stay in the game. BC came back on the court determined to knock out the Dukes early and add to their lead. As the second quarter began BC forced turnover after turnover and mounted a 7 point lead. With the game in BC's hands the Dukes worked on cleaning up their passes and decide that if they were to have a chance they needed to stop Garret. With 3 of the Dukes guarding Garret the lead was cut to 5 at the half. After the break the Dukes once again upped their intensity with hopes of tiring their opponents. The strategy worked and the Dukes forced 4 straight turnovers and cut the deficit to a point. BC battled hard to maintain their lead but the Dukes managed to force one more turnover and tie the game going into the 4th quarter. In the 4th quarter both teams upped their intensity level as they traded goals and the lead. As the clock ticked down lead changes continued and it was still anyone’s game. With less than a minute to go and the score tied at 34 the Dukes scored to take a one point lead. As British Columbia in bounded the Dukes stole the ball and then called for a quick time-out with just 20 seconds left on the clock. The Dukes inbound the ball and BC’s Garret Hinckling got a foul called against him while trying to get the ball back. This penalty sealed BC’s fate and left Spokane holding all the cards. With 14 seconds on the clock and a one man advantage the Dukes scored the final goal and took their first ever tournament victory. The final score was Dukes 36, BC 34. Congratulations go out to the Dukes and to Tournament MVP - Chad Farrington Final Scores Friday Sept 26
|
|
How to Contact us | Quad Rugby Central Index Home Page | Rugby Calendar | Sports Page | Score Board | USQRA Zone | Files |
||
