NorCal, Washington, and Colorado went 2-0 at the Girls U19 bracket on Day One of the Great Northwest Challenge.
But while there was plenty of action, the major game was probably Colorado vs Montana, a game that came down to one try.
Montana and Colorado came into the game with Montana having lost 29-22 to Iowa on a comeback. Colorado had won their opener comfortably against Iowa.
But this game saw a strange matchup Montana controlled a ton of possession and threatened the Colorado line repeatedly. The Montana players insisted they got the ball down on the ground in-goal, but they were called held-up, or turned over, several times. Scrumhalf Riley Molinario started to find more width to their attack and it worked. Wren Waliser was an imposing runner as was lock Catherine Hart and No. 8 Ella Biggins.
Somehow Colorado held on. And when they did get a turnover, they were able to put Montana under pressure with their kicking.
Finally, after weathering plenty of pressure in their 22, Colorado was able to kick clear and chase. Some smart offloads and ball movement put center Lucy Walker through. Walker was outstanding for Colorado, making massive hits, kicking for distance, and the try. It was all they needed.
This entire pool was exciting, with late tries from Claire Meislahn, Morgan Roth, and Sienna Lewis to seal a 29-22 comeback from a 17-12 deficit.
