January 16, 2017
Cal Rugby Beats UCLA in Storer Classic
Photo: Cal Athletics – Patrick Barrientes
Cal Rugby Release: Anton Malko
Cal Takes 4-0 Record Into Home Opener: 1/15/2017 Cal Athletics
LOS ANGELES – California notched four tries and held UCLA scoreless to win the main event, 26-0, Sunday at the Dennis Storer Classic on North Athletic Field.
The Golden Bears (4-0) used a starting lineup of five freshmen and a couple of sophomores for the fourth straight match to close their sweep of the weekend event named in honor of the former Bruins and U.S. National Team head coach.
Younger Bears featured in the first half, as freshman prop Damon Wiley finished the forwards’ effort for a try after a scrum outside the UCLA try zone at minute eight, the conversion missed by Russell Webb; then first-year scrumhalf Keanu Andrade found the try zone five minutes later on a keeper that Webb converted. Bruins fullback Cian Barry missed a 42-meter penalty attempt to end the half at 12-0.
The second stanza saw seniors Kevin Sullivan and Webb score respective tries, both converted by the flyhalf (3-of-4) as the Bears worked their way through an imperfect but important start to their spring season.
“The Dennis Storer Classic is a benchmark to begin our season; now, what we want to do it build off it,” said Webb. “It was a good chance to see where we are – not the greatest performances by any means, but with video study tomorrow, we get another chance right away to make improvements.”
Younger players seemed as aware as the veterans of the opportunity to analyze and apply lessons from the weekend to prepare next for Parents Weekend, featuring the home opener Saturday, January 21, on Witter Rugby Field. The Bears’ ownership of the next steps needed in this young season jibed with the words of Dorothy Storer, widow of the late coach, who told both teams assembled after the match, “You are a positive force. Remember that and make use of it.”
The Bears boarded their bus back Sunday evening back to Berkeley, where they will also observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday before the academic semester begins on Tuesday. Training then continues ahead of the home opener vs. Arizona at 1 p.m. followed by a 2:45 p.m. match against UC Santa Cruz.
Cal and the Wildcats will both be playing the first fixture in their respective PAC Rugby Conference schedules, which continues for the Bears in Strawberry Canyon the following Saturday, Jan. 28, as Utah visits at 1 p.m., followed by a match against the Pleasanton Jesters at 2:45.
The Scoring Timeline vs UCLA
08:00 Damon Wiley 5
12:00 Keanu Andrade 5, Russell Webb 2
Halftime Score: California 12, UCLA 0
30:00 Kevin Sullivan 5, Russell Webb 2
40:00 Russell Webb 5, 2
Final Score: California 26, UCLA 0
The Team vs. UCLA
15. Lockyear, 14. Honens, 13. Barrientes, 12. Salaber, 11. Cusano, 10. R. Webb, 9. Andrade (Kawash @ 20:00), 1. Sullivan, 2. Ogburn (Joyce @ 20:00), 3. Wiley (Baylor @ 20:00), 4. Sweet, 5. Zerbino (Paylor @ 26:00), 6. Spradling (Ogburn @ 23, Spradling @ 25:00), 7. Mirhashem, 8. Salter
