Suns Invitational is a Shining Success!
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Saturday, August 18 2012 - The first-year Sacramento Suns hosted the Suns Invitational Tournament at Nugget Fields in Davis, California. Players from eight different USAFL teams participated in the tournament. Participating in the women’s bracket were the Sacramento Suns and the San Francisco Iron Maidens along with a few players from the Denver Bulldogs and the Arizona Lady Hawks. On the men’s side the teams were the Sacramento Suns, Golden Gate Roos, and a combination team with players from the Denver Bulldogs and the Las Vegas Gamblers.
The tournament activities started off with an Umpiring Clinic run by USAFL Umpiring Director Jeff Persson. Almost 30 people spent Friday evening and Saturday morning learning the duties and roles of a USAFL umpire in a classroom and on-field session.
After the umpiring clinic concluded a brief kids footy clinic was held. Children from ages 4 to 13 learned the basics of the game, practiced handballs and kicks, did fun drills, and played a small game. All involved had a great time and hopefully will be the Suns of the future.
The tournament kicked off with the first game between the Roos and Bulldogs/Gamblers. The Roos took charge from the beginning, winning the midfield and pushing the ball up toward the forwards who piled on the points. At the halftime the score was Roos 4.3.27, Bulldogs/Gamblers 0.1.1. In the second half the Bulldogs/Gamblers team brought their defense to the fore and held the Roos to 2 behinds while also getting the ball into the attacking third. But they had trouble finding the center of the posts and scored only one goal to five behinds. Final Score: Golden Gate 4.5.29, Denver/Las Vegas 1.6.12.
The first women’s game followed, matching the newly formed San Francisco Iron Maidens (plus 2 Denver players) against the Sacramento Suns (joined by 1 Arizona player). The Iron Maidens controlled the game from the beginning, clamping down on defense and running the ball down for shots. By halftime the score was Iron Maidens 1.6.12 to Suns 0.0.0. The second was more of the same with the Iron Maidens scoring and the the Suns not able to get a point on the board. Final Score: San Francisco 3.9.27, Sacramento 0.0.0.
The second men’s game matched Denver/Vegas versus the hometown Sacramento Suns. Whatever kicking issues the Bulldogs/Gambers had in the first game had been resolved, as both their shots were through the big posts while the Suns’ shots were just outside. At half-time the score was Bulldogs/Gamblers 2.0.12, Suns 0.2.2. The Suns came back stronger in the second to record two goals and two behinds, but the Bulldogs/Gamblers scored two more goals and kept the lead. Final Score: Denver/Vegas 4.0.24, Sacramento 2.4.16.
The second women’s game was a rematch of the first between the Suns and the Iron Maidens and the Iron Maidens picked up right where they left off, scoring points and keeping the Suns at zero. The halftime score was Iron Maidens 1.2.8, Suns 0.0.0. The lower scores from the Iron Maidens showed the Suns were finding their game, and they followed up in the second half with two goals and a behind for their first points of the day. However, the Iron Maidens held firm and put their own goals on the board to end up with the win. Final score: San Francisco 3.6.24, Sacramento 2.1.13.
The final game of the day was the Sacramento Suns versus the Golden Gate Roos. The strength of the Roos in the morning indicated that the game would be a tough one for the Suns, but the Suns were up to the challenge. Both teams battled fiercely up and down the field and the halftime score was a very tight Roos 2.0.12, Suns 1.2 8. The second half was just as hard-fought as the first and the teams traded the lead back and forth. In the end it came down to who was on top at the final horn and when it sounded the Suns came out the winners, Final Score: 4.2.26 to 4.1.25. All in attendance agreed the game was the thriller of the day and that each team put everything onto the field in what is certainly to be a great Northern California rivalry in the future.
At the post-game celebration at Sudwerks in Davis, the tournament championship cups were given to the Golden Gate Roos on the men’s side and the San Francisco Iron Maidens on the women’s side. Named Best on Ground for the day were Jessica Estrada of the Iron Maidens and Tim Wilson of the Denver Bulldogs. Once the evening had closed, everyone in attendance agreed that the tournament was a big success and that a great day of footy had been enjoyed by all!
WOMEN’S GAME RESULTS
MEN'S GAME RESULTS
Tournament Champions
Best on Ground
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