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The USA Women’s Junior All-Americans defeated Canada Women U20s yesterday in the first of a two-match series between the two age-grade sides. Played on the campus of Central Washington University, the home side took an early lead, withstood a Canadian comeback, and pulled away down the stretch.
The USA WJAA’s were led by Outside Center Asinate Serevi who posted a hat trick to the lead her side to victory. The win breaks a streak of four losses in a row for the US Women’s age-grade side against their northern rivals.
The USA got off to a great start and looked to put Canada away early as Serevi scored two quick tries to stake out an early lead. Canada bounced back with a try from flyhalf Jaelei Meyer to cut the lead to 12-5. The USA answered back swiftly as Taylah Pipkin crossed over for a score. The conversion from Gabriella Cantorna gave the USA a solid 19-5 lead midway through the first half.
The score would remain the same for the rest of the first half with both teams avoiding some close calls.
Canada came out in the second half as the aggressor and within ten minutes nearly erased the USA’s comfortable lead. Meyer added her second try of the day and Petra Woods scored in the 52nd minute. Canada’s Katie Svoboda converted only one of the two tries as USA held onto a narrow 19-17 lead.
A try from the USA’s Danielle Ordway pushed the USA’s lead out to 26-17, but the WJAA’s ran into penalty trouble that eventually led to the sin-binning of wing Tess Feury. Up a player, Canada struck back as Meyer completed her hat trick to cut the USA’s lead to 26-22.
With the match in the balance, the USA pulled away in the final ten minutes as Serevi finished off her hat trick and Leti Hingano closed out the scoring for the USA. The two late scored pushed the USA’s lead to 38-22 where the score remained.
The USA Women’s All Americans take a 16-point cushion into the second match of the Can-Am Series which is set to be played this coming Saturday August 22nd.
