More alumnae in the college game

pictured:  Talia Carrasquillo, UNI.   Post match picture of both teams.

Saturday afternoon perennial national power Northern Iowa played UW-Madison in a division one women's collegiate match.   UNI won 73-5.

Former Kettle Moraine captain Talia Carrasquillo scored FIVE times in the match.  Those who've been following WGR for years remember Talia as one of the fiercest competitors and class acts in the league.

While we already mentioned all the WGR alumni playing at Madison, UNI has also been attracting top level talent for years.  Talia has been joined at UNI by several other WGR alumni over the years including Kaisse Weissmueller from Brookfield, and the Catholic Memorial pair of  Eileen Lieb and freshman flyhalf Molly Langhenry.

Congrats to all the ladies and coaches involved!

WGR Week 3 Scores and Standings

Pictured 1:  DSHA's Taylor Bragg Brock against Appleton.
Pictured 2,3,4:  Oak Creek (black) v Fond Du Lac

Friday Sept 26th, 2014

Catholic Memorial  28  DSHA jv 5

     In a wonderfully well-played, back and forth match, both sides seemed to improve as the match wore on. The play of the game occurred in the first half, as Memorial with a series of sustained pressure and multiple earned penalties, was hammering away at the young Dasher's, only for DS to get the turnover and explode for a burst down the far sideline.  A long break away was snuffed out by the covering defense of Memorial's 9 and 15.  Memorial then turned the ball over in the tackle and preceded in their own counterattack.  The ensuing long break led Freshman back Allison Koenig to scamper all the way back for a long try.  A penalty kick by junior Meaghan Schmitt added to the lead a short while later.
     The Dashers responded on the opening play of the second half, after a flubbed kickoff return by the Crusaders.  After moving the ball through some hands and keeping the ball alive, Dasher's fullback Tara Sweeney, who was impressive all game long stopping several line breaks, scored the try from twenty meters out.  Both sides continued to play well in spurts thereafter. Schmitt responded with another penalty kick, and Memorial added tries from Kelsey Gustafson, Niina Sjogren, and Christy Hill in the second half.
     DSHA #13 Colleen Marcoux, along with the oustanding #9 Genevieve Ruesch showed how much progress they've made to go along with their clear talent.  Dasher #8 Sarah Clarke was instrumental in working around the middle of the field.   Crusader scrumhalf, junior Ellie Metz, was simply outstanding for Memorial in defense, attack, and her leadership.  She seemed to be all over the field, as was her counterpart in the third row, Christy Hill, who as just a sophomore, played like a far more experienced player.

Saturday Sept 27th, 2014:

DSHA 50 Appleton 0
DSHA remained undefeated with a commanding victory.

Fond Du Lac  26 Oak Creek 17
In a pretty well matched game, the visitors from Fond Du Lac pulled out a big conference win, to remain unbeaten.  According to Oak Creek head coach Chris Kurth, 'their kicker was pretty terrific."  The Oak Creek backs ran the ball and defended well, but Fond Du Lac did well to hold up runners with choke tackles and stripped the ball on multiple occasions.  It appears Fond Du Lac won a close one by either 6 or 9 points.  Final score remains unconfirmed at this time.

Muskego 5 Kettle Moraine  77  (10's)
Due to low numbers, Muskego and Kettle Moraine played 10's.  Kudos to Muskego for showing up and getting some experience with a short side.  Seniors Lindsey Hillmer and Courtney Crouse led the way for KM with four tries a piece.  Morgan Saenz was 6 of 13 on conversions.

 

Kettle Moraine had the more experienced team and benefited from an overall team speed advantage. The Knightmare's tackling, hitting low, and wrapping up helped them control the contest.

 

Near the end of the first half, Muskego showed improvement with a period of sustained possession where they strung together a series of 6-7 attacking phases.  Muskego did a great job of rucking and finished the match with a well-earned try.

Vernon 35 Brookfield 17 (non-conference cross over match)
In another competitive match, Vernon jumped out to an early lead through the power and possession of their pack.  The tough battle up front challenged the Bruiser's inexperienced front row.  Front row forwards like freshman Nicky Lehton and Kenzie Houdek battled admirably upfront but were unable to check Vernon as they raced out to a 25-0 halftime lead.  Vernon senior flyhalf Lexi Prusheik finished with at least three tries.
     After some halftime adjustments and positional changes, Brookfield was able to get Reina Anderson the ball more frequently by moving her closer to the ball.  Vernon's pressure defense couldn't prevent her from getting the ball anymore and Anderson preceded to score three tries all in the 60 meter or more range in the second half.  Brookfield newcomer Aiyanna Primer continued to run strong from the center slot.  The sophomore tackling trio of Samantha Jenson, Jenna Chaplock, and Julie Lutzen  played hard.  In the end Vernon's pack poured it on hard in the final eight minutes to tack on two more tries in securing the victory and squelching a great comeback.  Bruiser's head coach added that "I am extremely satisfied with the courage of our young players hanging in there to battle, not giving up."  

Standings

The Classic Five Conference
Catholic Memorial   3-0          (4-0 overall)
DSHA jv                  2-1           (3-1 overall)
Kettle Moraine         1-1           (2-2 overall)
Vernon                     0-2           (1-2 overall)
Muskego                  0-2           (0-3 overall)

The North Shore Conference
DSHA                     3-0           (4-0 overall)
Fond Du Lac           2-0           (3-0 overall)
Brookfield               1-1           (1-2 overall)
Oak Creek               0-2           (0-4 overall)
Appleton                 0-3

WGR Week 3 Preview

WGR conference action heats up with the third of five rounds of play.  The playoff picture will start taking shape as there will surely be one less undefeated team left.

Friday Sept 26th
Catholic Memorial vs DSHA jv 430pm  Minooka Park  ---game of the week--
This is in all likelihood the Classive Five conference title decider.  With homecoming celebrations going on a Memorial, a good crowd is expected.

Saturday Sept 27th
DSHA v Appleton  11am  Dretzka Park

Fond Du Lac v Oak Creek 1230pm  Dretzka Park

Muskego v Kettle Moraine 10am  Vernon Town Hall Park

Vernon v Brookfield 1130am  Vernon Town Hall Park  (non-conference crossover match)

State Tournament and Sponsors

On October 26th, WGR will be hosting the State Tournament at the Milwaukee Country Sports Complex in Franklin, WI.

There are a number of opportunities to either be a tournament sponsor or to place an ad in the tournament program. If you are interested in these opportunities, please contact a member of your favorite team for more details or contact WGR Treasurer Shannon King at shannonking88@gmail.com.

These ads are great ways to promote your business or to wish good luck to your team or player. We hope you consider supporting Wisconsin Girls Rugby!

WGR Conference Scores Week 3

Catholic Memorial 50  Vernon 5
Vernon senior flyhalf Lexi Prusheik scored for the Harlequins, while Catholic Memorial junior Kelsey Gustafon and sophomore Niina Sjogren added tries in the winning effort.

Kettle Moraine 33 Oak Creek 12 (non-conference)
The Knightmares won despite senior Cpt Libby Shuebert's absence.  Lindsey Hilmer scored three tries and Courtney Crouse added two more.  Morgan Saenz kicked 5 of 6 conversions for KM.

DSHA 55  Brookfield 0
The play of the match might have been senior Taylor Bragg-Brock's 70 meter scamper for a try.  Any time a front row player breaks repeated tackle attempts, outruns players, and scores a long try it's memorable.

Fond du Lac 50   Appleton 0
The battle of the north went to the Sirens. Alaina Passarella and Adriana Ramirez scored multiple tries for the sirens, while Kristina Moul continued her note able goalkicking display.  Strong support play, both defensively and offensively from Emma Conrad and Brittany Witty helped make everything work for the Sirens.

Reports continue to note that Appleton's hooker, Jacqueline Helmeid, played an outstanding match in the losing effort.  Her tackling has been noticed by coaching dating back to last spring as well.

Conference Standings
Classic Five
Catholic Memorial    2-0   (3-0 overall)
DS jv                        2-0   (3-0 overall)
Muskego                   0-1   (0-2 overall)
Kettle Moraine          0-1   (1-2 overall)
Vernon                      0-2    

North-South Conference
DSHA                       2-0  (3-0 overall)
Fond Du Lac            1-0  (2-0 overall)

Brookfield                 1-1
Oak Creek                0-1  (0-3 overall)
Appleton                   0-2

WGR Conference Week 2 Preview

The North South Conference @Appleton

Saturday Sept 20th
10am  Appleton v Fond Du Lac    The Battle of the North.  Game of the week!
     It's a big day for both teams.  Hosting their first conference match in team history, Appleton also hosts their conference's matches in a day-long celebration of the girls game.  In an effort to spread the game up north, all the programs in their conference have agreed to play matches up there for the benefit of parents, potential players, and referees in the area.  Thank you to all the families involved in helping grow the game outside of Milwaukee!
    As for the match, Fond Du Lac might have an edge in athleticism but it's anyone's guess how many athletes Appleton picked up with another week and a home match, plus their physical play combined with more game experience should make a difference.

11:15am  DSHA v Brookfield
     While Brookfield can score points, it's their defense that coaches will be focused on this week.  Trying to stay with the Dasher's team skill will be a challenge for anyone.

12:30pm  DSjv  v Muskego
     A rematch of the opening non-conference match two weeks ago, this time both teams play for conference standings.  Without the open sub rules of the pre-season, this should help Muskego to not be overwhelmed by DSHA's numbers.

The Classic Five Conference  @Naga-Waukee Park
10am  Catholic Memorial v Vernon
     This has the makings of a real good game.  The young Crusaders and a tough Vernon side.  The matchups in this game cause real problems for both sides.  It could be another high-scoring affair, as each team has questions being asked of their bench.  Can either team develop subs for fresh legs or a tactical lift to give them an edge?

11:30  Kettle Moraine v Oak Creek (non-conference cross-over match)
This should be an excellent matchup for both teams since both programs are in similar positions.  KM has a few more vets, note-ably their senior core, while Oak Creek has some "young vets"  Oak Creek has several dynamic young backs, while KM has some young dynamic pack players emerging.  It could be a high scoring game, with matchups that lend themselves to big advantages for each team in different areas of the pitch.  Will the rugby adage hold true that "forwards determine if you win or lose; backs determine by how much"?

WGR Alumnae Playing for Wisc. Colleges

Last Saturday, the University of Wisconsin women's rugby team hosted the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's women's collegiate team.  It featured the two division one teams in the state.  It also featured a slew of WGR alumni, and most notably it included perhaps the most WGR alumni on one collegiate pitch in state history, not including selectside matches.

Could this be a sign of more to come?   Several years ago, UWM women made a run at the national collegiate playoffs, and had a lot of WGR alumni in their side.  But this match was different, in that it featured many alumni on both sides of the ball.

One factor in the large number could be the growing stability of the Madison program under Coach Jessica Burda.  In the past, WGR alumni were not recruited or excited to play at the big W.  The reasons were debatable.  Whatever the reasons, that appears to be changing.

The players we noticed suiting up for UW were:
Meghan Aprahamian, Vernon
Liz Bellis #1, freshman from Catholic Memorial High School
Erin Kautz, junior,  from Catholic Memorial High School
Taylor Rozman #9, junior,   from Kettle Moraine High School. 
Kali Shulte, Muskego
Karis and Cheyenne Quant-Walle, Fond Du Lac

The players we noticed suiting up for UW-Milwaukee were:
Mary Biedlingmeier  freshman,  from Catholic Memorial High School
Danielle Dunn, sophomore, from Vernon
Samantha Dunn, sophomore,  from Vernon
Sara Glomski, Menomonee Falls
Erika Winter, Menomonee Falls

We also thought we saw Sam Bruni  from Vernon suiting up for Milwaukee, but we could've been totally mistaken.

Now, there could have been more that escaped our view, but that's a good number of the players out there having significant high school experience and most, if not all, appear to be back next year.  They are all starters at the division one collegiate level.

And for those of you wondering, Madison won 41-12.

WGR Week 1 Conference Results

pictured:  "The New Bruisers"

Thursday Sept 11th
Kettle Moraine defeated by Catholic Memorial

Catholic Memorial shut out the Knightmares in the conference opener on an unusually chilly afternoon out at Delafield's Naga Waukee Park. While junior Lizzie Walicki and freshman Allison Koenig led the way with multiple try performances for the Crusaders, it was Sophomore Christie Hill and senior Lizzy Jacobson who led  the defensive efforts that set the tone for the victory.  Their energy and communication stood out.  As a result, KM struggled to keep possession, although when they had some, they found some success.
     Kettle senior Courtney Crouse was the Knightmare player of the match.  She stole several balls, broke some tackles, and was a constant spark.   Kettle Moraine freshman Sommer Arndt is another Knightmare to watch.  In her first conference match, her athleticism and tackling were a big plus for KM. 

Saturday Sept 13th
Brookfield 68 v Appleton 10   2pm Dretzka unofficial score.

New seems to be the key word for this match.  New players, new coaches, new attitude, new team.  As expected, senior Reina Anderson was a serious scoring threat for the Bruisers, but the Bruisers also added 13 new recruits into the mix.  Eight of the rookies scored tries in their debut match.   Brookfield's new coaching staff of Head Coach Neil Grintjes, Rob Young (Uni of Minn), Carly Amy, and Carly Rosenthal began their campaign in fine fashion.  After only graduating 3 Seniors last year, Brookfield seems to be coming together after some coaching transitions in the recent past.    Even without seniors Emily Winter and Destiny Dallas due to the ACT test, the team flourished with new center freshmen Aryanna Primer (3 trys) and Reina Anderson (4 trys).  The team moved the ball well among the forward pack and were led by junior Cpt. Raquel Galarza and senior Miranda Bradford.  Galarza completed 4 extra point conversions.  

DSHA over Oak Creek    
The Dashers dominated the Knights although Coach Klein noted that Oak Creek made significant improvements in just a week's time.  DSHA Senior Claire Schmidt put on a special performance, with several tries and dangerous runs, shifting from the backline to the pack as the match went on.  Her rare combination of strength and speed caused problems all game long for the defense.  Senior Kendyl Braun had one of her best games in the red jersey.  A strong, tall fullback, she proved difficult to handle in space.  Forward Amanda Ezzell proved an asset to the Dasher's efforts and was one of the noteable forwards on the day.
     For the Knights, sophomore Megan Bird was valiant snuffing out numerous DS breaks.  Her speed and toughness were clear for all to see.  Oak Creek rookie, junior Abby Larson, made a strong debut with strong tackling.

DS jv 30 v Vernon 5            430pm
     Vernon was much improved over last spring and they came out hard, scoring a try early and held a tense 5 to 0 lead late into the first half, before the Dashers punched in two quick tries to lead 10 to 5 at the break.  Sophomore flyhalf Danielle Macpherson, the younger sister of varsity flyhalf Kat Macpherson, was one of the standout players of the match.  She showed why her potential is held in such regard by her coaching staff and we expect we will be seeing more of her in the future.  Forward Lexi Muszytowski at tighthead prop played an outstanding match and was a big part of the younger Dasher side stopping the forward bashes that are a big part of Vernon's style of play.
     WGR staff are still waiting on a report from Vernon's staff for further details.


Sunday Sept 14th
Muskego 0  v Fond Du Lac 68
     The Fond Du Lac Sirens came away with an impressive road win in their conference debut under Head Coach Amanda Pohle.  Try scorers included Lexi Engelhardt, Kristina Moul (3), Brittany Witty (2), Elizabeth Stanchfield, Maggie Kelly, and Erin Driscoll.  Both of Witty's tries came from running great lines of support off her teammates. 
     Maybe the most noteable part of the match was Maggie Kelly's goal kicking.  She hit an incredible 9 out of 10 conversions and to quote Coach Pohle, "her kicks were HUGE."  Kristina Moul's defensive work was also noted by coaches as impressive.

Conference Standings
Classic Five
Catholic Memorial    1-0   (2-0 overall)
DS jv                         1-0   (2-0 overall)
Muskego                   0-0   (0-2 overall)
Kettle Moraine          0-1   (0-2 overall)
Vernon                      0-1    (0-1)

North-South Conference
DSHA                       1-0  (2-0 overall)
Brookfield                 1-0
Oak Creek                 0-1  (0-2 overall)
Appleton                    0-1
Fond Du Lac              0-0  (1-0 overall)

Conference Openers

The Wisconsin Girls Rugby conference openers kickoff this coming week.

In the Classic Five Conference, Catholic Memorial opens against Kettle Moraine.  This is a huge, early game for both teams.   The winner will be in a strong position to go on to win the conference and a place in the playoffs opposite DSHA, which is the more coveted slot. KM seniors Libby Shubert, Lindsay Hillmer, and Courtney Crouse give the Knightmares a strong core.  If exciting young talents like sophomore back Grace Abler and sophomore #8 Mariah Koenigs continue to develop, they have the makings of an outstanding team.

In the other C5 match, Muskego hosts Fond Du Lac on Sunday at 1pm at Bluhm Park.  Muskego might have a slight edge in this one, being at home and after having gotten a game in the week before to work out some things.  Still, Fond Du Lac had a nice spring season and are an unknown quantity heading into this one. 

In the North South Conference, all the matches will be played at Dretzka Park.  DSHA's athletic pack will be tough for anyone to handle.  Players like Aoife Hanley, typify a tough, skilled pack that will challenge teams at the breakdown.

Brookfield debuts against Appleton in what is our game of the week.  Brookfield is known for recruiting heavily and bringing new girls into the game from places like Whitnall, Tosa, and Greendale; while Appleton has a season under their belts including some summer 7's, along with experienced coaches.  It's an exciting matchup of two athletic teams.  There could be a lot of points in this one.  One of Brookfield's standout athletes, senior Emily Winter is not currently listed on their roster, and coaches will be looking to see how Brookfield's roster takes shape.

Thursday Sept 11th
Kettle Moraine v Catholic Memorial  430pm  Naga-Wauke Park

Saturday Sept 13th
Brookfield v Appleton  2pm       Dretzka Park   GAME OF THE WEEK
DSHA v Oak Creek      3:15pm  Dretzka Park
DS jv v Vernon             4:30pm  Dretzka Park

Sunday Sept 14th
Muskego v Fond Du Lac  1pm    Bluhm Park, Muskego (non-conference matchup)

WGR Pre-Season Opener

On a beautiful, sunny and cool Saturday Wisconsin Girls Rugby kicked off it's pre-season matches at Oak Creek High School on Milwaukee's southside.

The opening match saw Catholic Memorial run in several tries on an inexperienced Oak Creek side.  Oak Creek's Megan Bird withdrew during warmups with a minor injury and will look to make her debut next week.  Leading the way for the Crusaders were senior Lizzy Jacobson and junior Ellie Metz who both added three tries on the day.  Oak Creek flashed some exciting athleticism and had several impressive displays of ball handling in their new line.

In the second match of the day, DSHA faced old-rivals Kettle Moraine.  The Dashers put in several tries in the first half.   For the Dashers, Kat Macphearson, Maggie Brennan, and Taylor Bragg Brock were immense.  KM did get on the scoreboard in the first half with a long break from senior back Lindsay Hillmer.  Brought down a few meters from the line, senior Libby Schuebert ran a wonderful support line and was there to finish off the series with a short scoring plunge.  DSHA ran out their JV side for the second half and built on their experienced and depth.  DSHA's JV scrumhalf had several nice passes and runs.

The third match featured the DSHA JV and freshman sides against Muskego.  On the day, young Dashers Christina Keyser and Tara Sweeney put on especially noteworthy games.   The DSHA jv team looks like it will be a very strong outfit as they compete in the Classic Five Division.  The final score was 22 (DS) to 17 (Muskego).  Muskego's third try and kick came from senior hooker Jesse Beatka who scored her first try ever, and the kick was made by junior Samantha Scaffidi who played fly half. 

All the coaches left pleased with how smoothly the day ran, and many thanks have to go out to the Oak Creek families who hosted the event.  With all the traffic driving by the school on such a nice day and the football field filled for a band competition, it was also great exposure for our league down on the southside.  Plus, each team left the pitch healthy and ready to go for the conference openers next week.

Opening Weekend 2014

The WGR Girls season kicks off with a five-team round robin of pre-season scrimmages at Oak Creek High School Saturday.

10am  Oak Creek v Catholic Memorial

11:15am  Kettle Moraine v DSHA

12:30mpm  DSHA jv  v Muskego

The first match should be an interesting run-out for two teams who lost several talented leaders and athletes.   For Oak Creek, keep an eye out for sophomore Megan Bird.  A speedster with a fiery competitive spirit, if she gets into space unmarked she will be hard to keep from scoring.  After a freshman year of learning, she's poised to become a very strong player in the league.  For Catholic Memorial, a core of experience juniors who all started last year, gives them a strong starting point.  Senior Lizzy Jacobson should be integral to everything they do.

The second match sees the debut of the Knightmare's new coaching staff.  A talented group of seniors should help their program transition into a new era.  Senior Lindsay Hillmer, who played scrumhalf last year, is one of the most respected and talented young women in the league.   There's also Libby Shubert in the pack and several more.  They will have to lead from the front with the loss of senior Cassie Schultz to an ACL injury. 

DSHA, as widely reported, returns a team full of seniors, and a crew of new recruits as well.  One of the best midfielders to ever play for the Dashers, Maggie Brennan, returns, and has to be a candidate for league MVP.   Then there's Kat McPherson, who stepped into flyhalf last spring after injury to Beth Pokorny, to help lead DSHA to a memorable victory over Kent in the third place match at Nationals.   Look out for a lights out pack as well.  We'll highlight them more in our preview next week!

Muskego is coming off one of their more successful springs in years.  Recruiting and numbers were up.  They appear to have benefited from the 7's and 10's format last spring, to find some success.