Life University's women's team has had a fall full of lopsided scores, but this weekend they encountered a unique challenge.
Playing in the Upstate Challenge Bowl at the CRAA Fall Classic, the Running Eagles took on a team of USA hopefuls and top collegiate players under the banner of the Peaks Academy.
The Peaks did need a little time to put all the pieces together as a select side, but they presented an excellent challenge to Life that the Marietta, Ga. side relished.
Paced by a hard-driving try by flanker Lei Opeti and then another from the flanker from a toed-ahead ball and 50-meter chase, Life took an early lead.
Peaks came back and camped out in the Life 22, forcing the Running Eagles to commit a series of penalties. Eventually referee Liz Malazita was forced to issue a carning, and then a yellow card to Bella Vogel. Peaks then got a free kick off a scrum, scrumhalf Serena Liu went quickly, and after a phase she fed tighthead prop Lauren Ferridge for the try.
It was a good reminder to Life that they need to be disciplined and not take winning for granted.
But with five excellent playmakers on the field—Hattie Greenwood at scrumhalf and Alle English an accomplished scrumhalf at fullback, Liberty Benitez at flyhalf and centers Vogel and Nina Mason able to operate at the pivot also—Life could run very quick ball.
And when the ball was won, and it was won quickly because the forwards (and often the backs too) rucked superbly, they were able to zing the ball out.
No. 8 AJ Haughey, and the locks Lissa Salisbury and Dorothy Vunipola were an especially potent team of runners in tight, and when it was time to go wide they had all sorts of options.
The result was a try in which Mason was first to the first-receiver spot, and Benitez saw that, looped around, and took the pass to slide through a gap.
(Benitez later said this was only her second try for Life as she's usually a distributor.)
With Nevaeh Elliott and Azhinaye Barner dangerous finishers out wide, Life tested the Peaks defense.
