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Boosted by the accurate boot of flyhalf Ashley Snyder, the Northeast knocked off the No. 1 seeded MARFU team in a 42-12 final tally.
Snyder led the NRU with 12 points on the day, converting three of the team’s five tries and slotting two penalty kicks. The NRU now advances to a final showdown for the title versus the Midwest on Sunday.
After a disappointing second place finish in 2008, the Midwest U23 Women came to Pittsburgh seeking redemption and remains on track, following a 39-15 victory over the Pacific Coast.
The Midwest led by a narrow 15-10 margin at halftime, but steadily pulled away in the second half. In her All-Star tournament debut, Midwest wing Samantha Manto gave a spectacular performance, leading her team with three tries.
“The past two years we’ve come here, we haven’t been aggressive enough at the point of contact, but this year we arrived early and we’ve had two days of very physical practice,” said Midwest Coach Steve Murra following the game. “As a result, we won the point of contact all day versus the Pacific Coast.”
In the Tier 2 competition, the USA U20 Women and the West U23s both posted shutouts in their semifinal matchups and will meet in the finals on Sunday.
Propelled by a speedy backline, the U20s cruised ahead to a 44-0 victory over Southern California. Fullback Jessica Sexauer led the charge for the USA team with three tries.
Led by wing Amber Glasrud, who dotted down two tries, the West U23s notched a 32-0 victory over the South to earn a shot at promotion to Tier 1 when play resumes on Sunday.
