Gaels Fight to the End

Gaels played the University of British Columbia for the first time in program history.

After a long and uncharacteristically wild week of rain, the World News Cup, a competition where the best university team in California plays the best university team in British Columbia, kicked off in Saint Mary’s Stadium. Conditions were looking to be a factor for both teams considering the state of the field and the continuous rainfall. The Saint Mary’s Gaels would be captained by Joe Marchant while Jack Carson would take the reigns of UBC. The Gaels would open up the game kicking off. The Gaels gained momentum thanks to an early mistake from the Thunderbirds knocking the ball on from the kick off. The momentum wouldn’t last long however as UBC opened up the scoring after a series of pick and goes from the forwards off the fringes of the rucks before moving the ball wide through the hands and completing the conversion making it 7-0 only 5 minutes into the game. Saint Mary’s would come back to respond, in what seemed to be a game filled with knock ons, and would capitalize on a quick penalty with captain Joe Marchant putting his head down to score the first try for the Gaels. Converted by Joe Yacobian. SMC would go on to threaten scoring with the freshman Dominic Besag cutting through the thunderbirds defense, pinning UBC deep in their defensive zone, unfortunately due to a forward pass UBC was given possession. Upon regaining possession, hard running from Kaipono Kayoshi and King Matu would set the platform for Lleyton Delzell to touch the ball down for the try, converted by Joe Yacobian, making the score 14-7. UBC would end up taking the lead, 19-14, but shortly before the end of the first half the Gaels would work through the phases keeping their patience allowing Dominic Besag to cross over the line making the game 21-19 at the half. The Gaels would open up the second half receiving the kick off, but much of the excitement would not be in favor of the Gaels. UBC would go on to answer two converted tries unanswered, making the score 33-21, before SMC would attempt to get a foot back in the right direction. After a long maul driven down the field, the Gaels would touch down for the try with senior Josh Allan. The Gaels would come up short in this game with a final score of 33-28.