The Women’s Collegiate All Americans needed a late comeback, but they got it and defeated the Ontario women’s provincial side 24-17 Friday evening in Scarborough, Ont.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score in the opening half, and while they netted three tries between them, it was the hard-hitting defenses and a few mistakes that kept the score down.

Ontario pressured the All Americans early, and finally saw lock Fedelia Omaghan crash over for the opening try and a 5-0 lead to the hosts. The All Americans camped out in Ontario territory after that, but could not punch it in. Finally, Ontario cleared their lines, and after a nifty run from No. 8 Cindy Nelles, scrumhalf Britt Douglas came up in support, got the pass, and scored to make it 10-0.

Ontario kept up the pressure after that and it looked for all the world like the All Americans would get into halftime down at least three tries. But the tourists defended doggedly, and finally a chance can when center Amy Naber intercepted an Ontario pass and scampered 90 meters for the try. Megan Foster’s conversion made it 10-7.

The try might have been somewhat against the run of play, and it certainly changed the momentum as the teams went into the break separated by only three points.

The second half was much more tight, with the teams battling it out between the 22s, looking for an opportunity. It finally came when Nelles once again tested the All American defense, and this time set up center Sarah Guttin for the try. Center Sara Svoboda hit the conversion to put Ontario up 17-7.

But the All Americans finished the stronger. With 15 minutes to go, BYU No. 8 Jordan Grey went over to make it 17-12. Then, with Svoboda in the sin bin and the All Americans on a player advantage, wing Kristan Thomas showed some startling pace to outflank the Ontario back line D and score in the corner to tie the game.

Now it was all to play for, and both teams had opportunities to put it away. Little errors hear and there scuttled some prime attacking opportunities, and it wasn’t until well into injury time that the game was decided. The All American backs got a break and wing Natalie Kosko was the hero, going in under the posts.

It was an impressive victory for the All Americans as they were down late in the game against a more experienced, more savvy team. And yet they hung in there, got some key substitutions, and pulled the game out.

The All Americans play Ontario U20s on Sunday.

All Americans 24

Tries: Naber, Grey, Thomas, Kosko

Convs: Foster 2

Ontario 17

Tries: Omaghan, Douglas, Guttin

Convs: Svoboda

All-Americans

1. Catie Benson (Penn State)
2. Jessica Lewis (Cal)
3. Baylee Annis (Norwich)
4. Hayley Schaefer (AIC)
5. Bailey Johnson (Minnesota St. Cloud)
6. Erika Pedarsan (U.S. Navy Academy)
7. Hannah Bell (Norwich)
8. Jordan Grey (BYU)
9. Shelby Lin (Harvard)
10. Megan Foster (Chico State)
11. Natalie Kosko (Quinnipiac)
12. Anne Peterson (Washington State University)
13. Amy Naber (University of Arizona)
14. Kristan Thomas ( Central Florida University)
15. Erin Overcash (Glendale)

16. Christy Haney (University of Virginia)
17. Maxine Fonua (Stanford)
18. Rosie Russell (Cal)
19. Mel Olman (Malloy College)
20. Nicole Benedetti (West Chester University)
21. Lara Gartner ( Georgia Tech)
22. Ellena Cantorna (Penn State)
23. Steph Goetz (James Madison)
24. Madison Williams ( Northern Colorado State)
25. Sbrina Kraft (Cal State Fullerton)

Ontario Storm 

1. Ashley Snider (Waterloo County)
2. Gilliam Pegg (Aurora Barbarians)
3. Briana Cunningham (Waterloo County)
4. Fedelia Omoghan (Toronto Saracens)
5. Britt Kassil (Guelph Redcoats)
6. MacKenzie Fane (Aurora Barbarians)
7. Jordyn Rowntree (Aurora Barbarians)
8. Cindy Nelles (Oakville Crusaders), captain
9. Britt Douglas (Peterborough Pagans)
10. Mackenzie Higgs (Aurora Barbarians)
11. Louise Chen (Toronto Scottish)
12. Sarah Guttin (Waterloo County)
13. Sara Svoboda (Belleville Bulldogs)
14. Rebecca Matheson (Fergus Highland)
15. Stephanie Black (Oakville Crusaders)

16. Emily Barber (Lindsay RFC)
17. Erinne Vargas (Waterloo County)
18. Misha Maric (Markham Irish)
19. Alex Grant (Markham Irish)
20. Loren Baldwin (Kingston Panthers)
21. Morganne Linthewaite (Fergus Highland)
22. Sydney Mann (Aurora Barbarians)
23. Katie Svoboda (Bellevue Bulldogs)
24. Lori Josephson (Oakville Crusaders)
25. Emily Ricketts (Oakville Crusaders)