Around the Grounds - NY, Austin Double Up, Outlaws Win Battle

On the first real big day of the 2019 season, it was good to play away from home.

The New York Magpies men and women both came away with full points, as did the Austin Crows, the Minnesota Freeze, and the San Diego Lions.  All playing in hinterlands.

Montreal Women’s Tournament
Montreal Angels 1.2.8 def by New York Magpies 7.12.54

Christina Licata and company went North of the Border and came home with the Montreal Tourney trophy for the first time in four years.  The Magpies (1-2) had their full complement of players; their rookies stood out and swarmed the Angels (0-2) in a 46-point victory.  New York will look to take the momentum with them to Raleigh, where they’ll try for their fourth regional title in five years.

EAFL Men’s Round 2
Philadelphia Hawks 4.4.28 def by New York Magpies 6.5.41

While the Magpies women were winning in one country, the men (1-0) were doing the same at the other.  The Hawks (0-1) clawed their way back from a 19-point deficit to tie the 40-minute match midway through the second half, but New York’s forwards took advantage of the space created for them to kick away in the final phase.  The win puts the ‘Pies second on percentage behind Columbus, who are also 2-0, on the EAFL ladder.

USAFL Men’s (4x20 game)
Baltimore Dockers 9.18.72 def Nashville Kangaroos 7.4.46

Baltimore (4-0) just continues to keep rollicking along, as their win streak goes to eight matches going back to last year’s Nationals.  The Kangas (1-1) managed to stay within arms’ length of the Dock Show, trailing by 13 at the major break.  The two sides let out their scoring wings in the final term, cashing in for a combined 72 points in the last twenty-minute stanza, but the D4 champs were too good.

USAFL Men’s (4x20 game)
Atlanta Kookaburras 16.12.108 def Rome Redbacks 14.9.93

What a start for the Kookas (3-1), but more than another win they are putting together a great series of matches with the Redbacks (0-2) in the second game of the Peach State Showdown.  After a 102-point loss, Rome came fighting back in their match last weekend, only falling to Atlanta by fifteen points in a supreme road effort.

Texas Cup – Leg 1 (@ Dallas)
Men’s:
Dallas 1.1.7 def by Austin 10.16.76
Austin 6.6.42 def Houston 2.1.13
Dallas 7.10.52 drew Houston 8.4.52
Women’s:
Dallas 1.1.7 def by Houston 7.5.47

The first set of matches in the Texas Cup saw the Austin Crows (2-0) pull off two wins to open their USAFL account for the year, extending their league winning streak to 15 matches.  Houston (2-1-1) put up the most fighting chance against the defending D1 champions, but their match against the Dingoes (1-1-1) was one of the games of the year.  Just like their Central Regional clash last year, it came down to the last few seconds, and when the hooter went, the two teams split the table points.  It was the first regular season USAFL draw since the Dallas (then the Magpies) tied Denver 31-31 in the 2016 Central Regional.

On the women’s side, the experienced Lonestars showed their class over a largely up-and-coming Dallas side, though the Dingoes played strongly for the full length of the match.

USAFL Men’s (4x20 game)
Chicago Swans 5.10.40 def by Minnesota Freeze 9.9.63

The Swannies (0-2) felt the full force effect of Bill Robert’s first law of footy – if you kick too many behinds, you get your behind kicked.  Minnesota (1-0) took advantage of Chicago’s wayward kicking to withstand the red charge in the third term.  Heading into the final quarter at 1.8, the Bloods kicked 4.2 in the last stanza but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Freeze’s advantage.

USAFL Men’s (4x20 game)
Arizona Outlaws 17.7.109 def Arizona Hawks 6.3.39

John King booted home a bag o’ goals for the Arizona Outlaws (1-0), who were in control for most of the game over an improving Hawks (0-2) outfit in the first official Battle of Arizona.   The Andersons, Matt and Brett were also multiple goal kickers for the Outlaws, while defender Peter Abernathy kept the clamps on the Hawks forwards.  High flying James Bingaman kicked a couple in defeat.  The game, played by all accounts with spirit, sets the stage for a rematch later this year.

BCAFL Men Round 5
Burnaby Eagles 17.14.116 def Seattle Grizzlies 2.4.16

James Kinder split the sticks for the Grizzlies in a heavy defeat to the Eagles in Vancouver, as the Grizz dropped to 1-4 in BCAFL play, and 2-4 overall.

SCAFL Round 3 (@ Orange County)
Orange County 11.9.75 def Beachside Sharks (LA) 7.2.44
San Diego 15.5.105 def South Bay Outlaws (LA) 1.3.9

At home in Irvine, the Giants clinched a spot in the SCAFL Grand Final in three weeks’ time, seeing off the Sharks by 31 points.  San Diego went to 2-0 with a rout of the Outlaws, and can punch their ticket with a win in either of their final games against the Sharks or the Giants.