Pelican U-19 Rugby - Game Summaries

April 19, 2008: State Championship Match against The Jupiter Warriors. It was only right that the Championship came down to The Pelicans and The Warriors. Our regular season match was a supurb match that ended in a 7-7 tie. Jupiter dethroned the reigning kings of Florida rugby, The Palmetto Bears (Naples) in their semi-final match. Both squads and several hundred fans showed up for a fantastic but penalty marred match. For the Pelicans it was Robbie Cribb's day. Robbie opened the game with a 3 point penalty kick. Jupiter countered moments later with their own 3 pointer. The score at the half was tied 3 all. With only about 5 minutes left in the match, Robbie made a dash from the 22 meter line to score in the corner. He wasn't able to convert the try and the score went to 8-3. Jupiter wasn't finished though. They quickly moved inside the Pelican 22 after the kick to resume play and were able to score on a quick tap penalty. Jupiter's kicker slotted the conversion to give them the lead 10 - 8. With only about 2 minutes left in the match it looked grim for the Pelicans. Pelican scrum half, Jake McFadden, took a quick tap on a Jupiter penalty and rumbled down the touch line inside the 22. After a scrum down, the Pelicans were awarded a penalty for hands in the ruck. Captian Cribb called for the goal attempt since the penalty was in front of the goal and only about 18 meters out. Robbie took his time and sent the kick right down the middle to give the Pelicans the lead at 11 - 10. Less than a minute later the time was up and the referee ended the match. The Pelicans had won their first state championship!!

April 13, 2008: Semi-final playoff match against The Northeast Nomads from Ft. Lauderdale. The Nomads are always a big, fast team with a stout defense. We were expecting a tough match and The Nomads definately brought one to us. Challes Messal scored two tries and Andrew McNeil scored one. Robbie Cribb converted two of them to generate 19 points for the Pelicans. The Nomads pack powered over for a try in the corner in the final minute of the match. Final score: Pelicans 19 Nomads 5.

March 29, 2008: We traveled to Naples with a squad of only 15 players due to prior commitments. This was a "friendly match" and didn't count for our league record. Naples proved to be a strong team, as always, and despite the Pelicans scoring the first points of the match with an early try, Naples was able to defend their goal the remainder of the match while scoring several tries of their own. The final score was 24-5 Naples.

March 15, 2008: We had a long but enjoyable trip up to Niceville last weekend. Niceville is just outside of Ft. Walton Beach in the panhandle. It about a 7 hour drive from Tampa. We drove up together on Friday after school and camped at Three Rivers State Park which is located between Tallahassee and Niceville. Setting the tents up at 11:00 p.m. was challenging. The boys were so excited to arrive at the camp and were looking forward to the game on Saturday that they stayed awake until 2:00 a.m..

We left the camp at 8:30 for the 2 hour drive to Niceville. We arrived with plenty of time to stretch and warm up prior to the match. The weather was nice. Temperature was in the mid 70s with a stiff breeze blowing down the length of the pitch.

Niceville really supports its rugby team! There were approximately 300 spectators on the sideline for the match.

The Pelicans chose to have the wind in our faces for the first half. We took the field knowing that our defense must be strong to keep Niceville out of the try zone while they have the wind at their backs. With kicker Robbie Cribb absent for the day due to a high school baseball commitment, Jake McFadden assumed the kicking duties.

This is Niceville’s first season playing competitively. Last year they had enough boys out to hold regular practices and play some 7s matches within the squad but no matches with other teams. As first year teams go, they have a bit of a head start in terms of experience and recruiting. Niceville has a roster of about 30 players. They have a good selection of athletes and are one of the bigger packs we’ve faced this year. They were outstanding in their set pieces and particularly in lineouts. They absolutely held their own against us in lineouts and scrummages. We were a little faster to the ball at the breakdown and our backs were able to take advantage of their aggressive defense with our kicking game.

The Pelican defense rose to the occasion and held Niceville to only 3 points scored from a penalty in front of the goal late in the half. Jake McFadden also notched a penalty goal from in front of the posts during the half. Score 3 – 3 at intermission.

The second half was much better for the Pelican boys as we used the wind advantage to keep the ball in Niceville’s half for the bulk of the 35 minutes. At about the 45th minute open side flanker, Niccanor Pumba De Erizcano drifted out to the back line during a ruck to create an overload and was able to scramble through the Niceville defense to score in the corner (conversion attempt was wide). Approximately ten minutes later, Pelican fly half, Jake McFadden, took advantage of a Niceville penalty to slot another 3 pointer. In the final 5 minutes of the game, inside Center, Andrew McNeil, was able to touch down under the posts (McFadden conversion).

The final score was 18 to 3.

March 1, 2008: The Old Red Eye U-19 Rugby Club from Brevard traveled accross the state to play us at home. Brevard is a big, athletic team and we knew this would be a tough match. The Pelicans played very well in the opening 25 minutes. The pack once again was strong and used mauls and rucks to pound the ball inside the Brevard 22. Wing Tony Chalk scored a "hat trick" of tries and Rob Cribb converted 2 tries and slotted a penalty kick to make the score 22 - 0. However, the Brevard boys were not going to roll over and give the game away. For the next 25 minutes it was Brevard's turn to shine. They scored 3 tries and converted 2 of them to narrow the Pelican lead at 22 - 19. Fortunately, the Pelicans' defense got their groove back late in the second half and kept Old Red Eye away from the try zone. A Brevard turn over lead to instant offense for the Pelicans and fly half Rob Cribb touched down in the corner. Rob taked on the difficult conversion to give the Pelicans a 10 point lead. The final score was Pelicans 29 - Old Red Eye 19.

February 23, 2008: No games played today. The Florida Thunder All-stars played Carmarthen College from Wales at Ft. Lauderdale Ruggerfest tournament.

February 16, 2008: This match was played in Lakeland in conjunction with The Freedom Cup match between the USA Eagles U-21s and the Canadian U-21s. Lincoln Park is one of the most formidable teams in the North and the Pelicans were ready for a dog fight. Our forwards really jelled for this game. The boys came into this game looking to ruck and maul to take advantage of the size of our pack. They did a great job of it as the team scored several tries off of rolling mauls. Tries were scored by Andrew McNeil, Dale Russle, Nicannor Pumba De Eriscano, Danny Delpino, Mike Mastermaker, I.B. Olusanya, Mark Baumbach (2), Jake McFadden, and Tony Chalk. Lincoln Park scored an unconverted try in the second half. The final score was 56 to 5.

February 9, 2008: The new Pinellas Athletic Club (PAC) crossed the Bay for their second match of the season. PAC has been growing since the begining of the season. They have some good talent on board. With some more games under their belt they will be able to compete with every team in this Union. On this day, the Pelicans were able to gain the upper hand. We started 3 new Pelicans in this game. Danny Del Pino is a freshman scrum half who has played youth rugby for several years while living in Germany with his family. Steven Wertepny is a junior at Sickles and a starter on the Gryphon football team at wide receiver. Taylor Drain is a junior and a stand out defensive tackle at Sickles. A 4th new comer, Thomas Del Pino played in the second half for us. Thomas is a seventh grade winger. Winger Zane Johnson had a career day scoring 5 tries in the match. Newcomer Steve Wertepny score 2 tries on the day. Not bad for his first rugby game ever! Tries were also scored by Mark Bombach (1) and Jake McFadden (1). Danny Del Pino converted 3 of 6 attempts. The final score was 51 to 5.

February 2, 2008: The Pelicans were at home against a strong Jupiter team. The Pelicans kept the ball in the Jupiter half of the field for the majority of the game but were not able to capitalize on the field position until mid-way through the second half when Andrew McNeil powered his way through the Jupiter back line to score under the goal. Rob Cribb converted to give the Pelicans a 7 - 0 lead. With only 4 minutes left Jupiter ran a penalty play from about 15 yards out and caught the Pelicans sleeping. The try was converted and the game ended in a 7 - 7 tie.

January 26, 2008: Winter Park was our destination this weekend. The Warriors were excellent hosts as always. ries were scored by Tony Chalk (4), Charles Messal (2), Rob Cribb, Jake McFadden, Brendan Kelly, and Roman Rodriguez. We failed to bring a kicking tee with us so Rob Cribb attempted drop goals for all conversions. He was 3 for 9 on the day. The Warriors scored on a penalty move in the second half. The final score was 56 - 5.

January 19, 2008: The Peli boys traveled to Jacksonville to take on the Jacksonville Bullydogs in their first home game ever. Pelican try scoreres included Charles Messal (3), Roman Rodriquez (2), Tony Chalk, Nicanor Pombo de Erezcano, and Zane Johnson. The Jacksonville boys have a good core of players to build around for the future. Club founder and team leader Otto Jelineck has done an outstanding job of pulling this squad together. Mr. and Mrs. Jelineck and the Bullydog boys were fantastic hosts and there was excellent sportsmanship before, during and after the match. Coach Tim has the boys building their game on a solid rugby foundation. With a few more players on the squad, the Bullydogs will be strong members of the Union.

January 12, 2008: The Pelicans visited the Tampa Barbarians in the Barbarians innaugural match. Tries were scored by Roman Rodriquez, Jake McFadden, Nicanor Pombo de Erezcano, Rob Cribb, Andrew McNeil, Tony Chalk, and Mike Mastermaker. Rob Cribb kicked 4 conversions and a drop goal. The Pelicans won 58 -0. However the score is not representative of the game that the Barbarians played. They are a well coached team with good speed. This game was just the beginning of a very competitive series!

March 17, 2007: The Pelicans traveled to Ft. Lauderdale in style on a rented custom bus. We arrived relaxed and ready to face the Northeast Nomads. The game was the first played on the Nomads new field which has just been reclaimed from a former hurricane storm debris collection site. This was a hard fought game by both teams. Andrew McNeal and Robbie Cribb both scored tries for the Pelicans and Cribb successfully converted them both. Late tries by the Nomads cemented the win for them 14 – 26.

March 3, 2007: The Naples Bears U-19 club arrived for a cool and soggy match at the USF rugby pitch in a chartered bus. This game was played in conjunction with USF’s match against Florida State. A nice crowd was on hand to take in the event. Naples, the three time Florida U-19 champions, out played the Pelicans in the first half posting a three try to zero lead at the half. After a little half time motivational talk from the coaches and captain Robbie Cribb the Pelicans play was much improved in the second half. Cribb delivered the offense going three for three in penalty kicks. The final score: Naples 26 Pelicans 9.

February 24, 2007: The Pelicans trekked to West Palm Beach to face an improved Jupiter U-19 club. The addition of several experienced players with accents has helped Jupiter become one of the best teams in Florida. The Jupiter offense was well balanced. Their forwards and backs proved capable of moving the ball and scoring. Both teams played well defensively but the Jupiter offense was able to pierce the Pelican defense several times. Robbie Cribb notched the only score of the game for the Pelicans with a penalty kick. The final score: Jupiter 15 Pelicans 3.

February 17, 2007: Brevard “Old Red Eye” traveled to Tampa take on the Pelicans. Brevard brought an aggressive style of forward play that is similar to our own. Once again, the tackling on both sides was very good. That made for an excellent match. In the first half both teams put two tries and one conversion on the board. For the Pelicans, it was the Andrew McNeal show as he scored his fourth and fifth tries of the season off of his famous “Andrew” penalty play. Robbie Cribb slotted the conversion. The score was 12 – 12 at the whistle.

In the second half, the defenses were even stingier. Pelican new comer, Darragh Carr, chased down a Brevard kick that was blocked and scored the only try of the half. The conversion attempt was off the mark. The final score was Pelicans 17, Brevard 12.

February 10, 2007: Taravella High School traveled from Coral Springs to play us on our home pitch. Taravella is one of the original high school teams in Florida and their experience showed. The game was hard fought with excellent defense played by both teams. Taravella scored a try but missed the conversion kick to lead 5 – 0 at the half. The experience of the Taravella forwards was evident in the second half as they began to take the ball away in many of the Pelican line outs and scrum downs. Taravella scored a second try and conversion approximately 15 minutes into the second half to lead 12 – 0. The Pelicans fought back with an outstanding try run in from 60 meters by number 8, Andrew McNeal. Robby Crib converted to make the score 12 – 7. The Pelicans brought the ball back to within a few meters of the Taravella goal but their defense held. Some nice kicking a strong running lead to a final try and conversion by Taravella in the last second of the match to make the final score 19 – 7 Taravella.

February 3, 2007: The Pelicans were in Port St. Lucie for a match with the Lincoln Park Academy. The boys came out determined to score more points this week and proved that they can post a strong score. Once again, the pelican pack accounted for all of the teams tries on the day. Two tries were scored by #8 Andrew McNeil making Andrew the top try scorer for the team with 3 so far. Flanker Nicanor Pombo de Erezcano (Nick), and lock Mike Mastermaker both scored their first tries of the season. Scrum half Robbie Cribb’s golden foot provided the rest of the offense as he hit on 3 penalty kicks and a conversion. The Pelcians took home the win with a final score of 31 - 17.

January 27, 2007: The Pelicans traveled to Orlando to face the Winter Park Warriors in our first regular season game. Both teams displayed tenacious defenses with many “text book” open field tackles made throughout the game. The Warriors’ offense posted two unconverted tries in the first half. The Pelican’s Robbie Cribb helped to keep the game close by driving home a 26 meter penalty kick to make the score 10 to 3 in favor of the Warriors at the half. The Pelicans fought their way back in the second half. Jake McFadden went weak off of a ruck at the Warriors’ 22 meter line and streaked to the corner for a try. Robbie Cribb’s conversion attempt was a bit wide. The Warriors’ lead was narrowed 10 to 8. With approximately 5 minutes left, Jason Nipper hustled in to touch down a beautiful grub kick by Robbie Cribb and score a try for the Pelicans. Robbie Cribb knocked home the conversion from a difficult angle to give the Pelicans the lead at 15 to 10. The Warriors put a lot of pressure on the Pelicans defense for the last 5 minutes taking the ball to within 10 meters of the try line on several occasions. But the Pelicans defense held to preserve the win for the Pelicans in the first official game ever played by the team.

January 19, 2007: The Winter Park Warriors traveled to Tampa for a pre-season scrimmage under the lights at Ed Radice Field. The game was played in front of 150 fans out to see the junior Pelicans in their first action ever. The Warriors are a team that has been around for 3 years and are one of the top U-19 teams in Florida. The Pelicans’ defense was strong and held the Warriors to 5 points. On this night the Pelican forwards ruled the game. Andrew McNeil and Charles Messal scored in attacking moves by the Pelican pack to give the Pelicans a 10 to 5 win.