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The Seattle Seawolves improved to 2-0 with a confident 29-18 victory over the Miami Sharks in Tukwila on Saturday night. Mack Mason led the way for the home side, the flyhalf guiding his team with an assured performance that included a six-from-six effort off the tee for a personal haul of 17 points.
It was a pragmatic opening from both sides, with the kickers taking center stage. Mason opened Seattle’s account four minutes in, his strike ringing off the left upright and over. Felipe Etcheverry had a chance to respond but couldn’t connect. He would find his range just ahead of the hydration break, but not before Mason had already added his second three-pointer.
Mason added a third kick, and then a fourth after a line break from Divan Rossouw led to the Sharks being caught offside. Michael Etete was deemed the man guilty and he was dispatched to the bin.
A 50-22 from Shane O’Leary put the Sharks on the front foot but the lineout was overthrown, and instead it was the Seawolves who went on the attack. Mason picked out Jade Stighling with a flat pass and he stepped on the afterburners, scything through the defense to score from halfway. Etcheverry’s radar again failed and the halftime score read 19-3 to the home side.
Miami hit a purple patch on the other side of the intermission. Etcheverry chipped and regathered to build momentum, and then hit a leaping Ben Bonasso with a cross-kick for a try. Santiago Videla took over goal kicking duties but missed on his first attempt. He redeemed himself with a penalty goal soon after to bring the Sharks to within eight points.
That would be as close as they would get. Olive Kilifi inspired a scrum penalty win that led to a fifth Mason penalty just after the hour mark. A flat pass from the flyhalf then put Sam Windsor into space. He sold a dummy before sending Jeremiah Sio into the corner, with Mason adding the extras from the touchline for good measure.
With time winding down repeat team infringements resulted in Seawolves flanker Charles Elton seeing yellow. The lineout drive was stopped but Tomas Casares was able to burrow in under the defense for a converted try. Miami pressed for a bonus point but to no avail as the clock ran out.
Both teams are on the road next Saturday. The Seawolves head to Salt Lake to take on the Utah Warriors, and the Sharks square off against the SaberCats in Houston.
| SCORING |
SEATTLE 29
Tries (2) – J. Stighling (31′), J. Sio (74′)
Cons (2) – No kick (31′), M. Mason 1/1 (75′)
Pens (5) – M. Mason 5/5 (4′, 14′, 24′, 28′, 64′)
YC (1) – C. Elton (76′)
MIAMI 18
Tries (2) – B. Bonasso (42′), T. Casares (77′)
Cons (1) – S. Videla 1/2 (78′)
Pens (2) – F. Etcheverry 1/3 (18′), S. Videla 1/1 (52′)
YC (1) – M. Etete (27′)
| LINEUPS |
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Cameron Orr (17 Chance Wenglewski 70′), 2 Joe Taufete’e (16 DaQuan Perry 73′), 3 Sam Matenga (18 Olive Kilifi 59′), 4 Rhyno Herbst, 5 Jean Droste (21 Taylor Krumrei 75′), 6 Huw Taylor (20 Pago Haini 59′), 7 Charles Elton, 8 Riekert Hattingh (capt.), 9 Ryan Rees (22 Sam Windsor 59′), 10 Mack Mason, 11 Jade Stighling (23 Jeremiah Sio 73′), 12 Dan Kriel, 13 Divan Rossouw, 14 Lauina Futi, 15 JP Smith
Not used: 19 Reid Davis
MIAMI SHARKS
1 Rob Evans (17 Jonas Petrakopoulos 64′), 2 Sean McNulty (16 Alex Glover 70′), 3 Reinaldo Piussi (18 Alec McDonnell 64′), 4 Tomás Casares, 5 Michael Etete (19 Rick Rose 64′), 6 Benjamín Bonasso, 7 Dan Pryor (20 Chase Schor-Haskin 51′), 8 Manuel Ardao, 9 Tomás Cubelli (capt.) (21 Damian Morley 56′), 10 Felipe Etcheverry (23 Eric Naposki 51′), 11 Santiago Videla, 12 Nick Grigg (22 Guiseppe du Toit 51′), 13 Tomás Inciarte, 14 Marcos Young, 15 Shane O’Leary
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, March 9
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
Kickoff: 19:00 local
Weather: cloudy, 48°F (9°C), wind SE 4-7mph (7-11km/h)
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Cisco Lopez (USA)
Assistants: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) & Brad Schwalger (Canada)
TMO: Greg Gilliam (USA)
