Canada shut out USA in San Diego rain

In a match played in large part under torrential rain, Canada defeated the USA 19-0 to take the first leg of the Women’s Can-Am Series in San Diego. A pair of tries scored just before half-time and immediately after put the game away for the visitors as the home side struggled to conjure any offense.

From the kickoff the Canadians pinned the Eagles inside their 22 and would not let them escape. The pressure eventually yielded points with the Canadian pack grinding over now long after winning a 5-meter throw-in. DaLeaka Menin was the eventual try scorer and Brianna Miller’s conversion made it a full seven.

The USA finally had a real chance for points around the half-hour mark but a knock-on gave up possession and Canada cleared their lines. Ill-discipline was hurting the Eagles and soon the Maple Leafs were knocking on the door again. This time the ball went wide from the scrum and Irene Patrinos slid over with Miller tacking on the extra two.

A line break just a couple minutes into the second half was finished off by Janna Slevinsky. The kick was no good but at 19-0 both the scoreboard and the clock were against the Eagles, with the weather continuing to plague both sides. Despite a 10-minute period inside Canadian territory, the USA couldn’t break the goose egg and the game slipped away to full-time.

An opportunity for redemption will not be long in the future as the two sides will stay camped at the Elite Athlete Training Center until Sunday’s rematch. With sunshine on the forecast, the match should have a very different complexion to Wednesday’s stop-start battle.

 

SCORING

USA 0

CANADA 19
Tries – D. Menin (9′), I. Patrinos (36′), J. Slevinsky (42′)
Cons – B. Miller 2/3 (10′, 37′)

 

TEAMS

USA
1 Catie Benson, 2 Joanna Kitlinski (16 Kathryn Treder 62′), 3 Charli Jacoby (17 Nick James 66′), 4 Kristine Sommer (19 Nicole Strasko 60′), 5 Frieda Fetu’u (20 Alycia Washington 47′), 6 Rachel Johnson, 7 Kate Zackary (capt.), 8 Katie Johnson, 9 Carly Waters (21 Olivia Ortiz 62′), 10 Gabby Cantorna (22 Katana Howard 64 {18 Maya Learned 71}), 11 Jennine Duncan, 12 Amy Naber-Bonté (23 Bui Baravilala 67′), 13 Emily Henrich, 14 Kaitlyn Broughton, 15 Leti Hingano

CANADA
1 Olivia DeMerchant (capt.), 2 Gillian Boag, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Tyson Beukeboom, 5 McKinley Hunt, 6 Sophie de Goede, 7 Janna Slevinsky, 8 Fabiola Forteza, 9 Brianna Miller, 10 Taylor Black, 11 Madison Grant, 12 Tausani Levale, 13 Paige Farries, 14 Irene Patrinos, 15 Alex Tessier

Replacements: 16 Mackenzie Carson, 17 Brittany Kassil, 18 Mikiela Nelson, 19 Courtney Holtkamp, 20 Emma Taylor, 21 Lori Josephson, 22 Alysha Corrigan, 23 Shoshanah Seumanutafa

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Amber McLachlan (Australia)