This story originally appeared on infinityparkatglendale.com.
Make that two please.
The Glendale Raptors, jilted by critics after the 2014 Women’s Premier League championship game, celebrated their second consecutive national championship thanks to a 26-17 win over the Berkeley All Blues on Sunday at Infinity Park.
No controversy. No questions. And absolutely no mercy this time around.
Flanker Jojo Kitlinski led a quick, bruising defensive attack, and was named the match’s Most Valuable Player. The Raptors’ offense went on a 26-5 run after trailing early, and when all was said and done, the team jubilantly mobbed each other and lifted the trophy in front of its own fans.
Really though, just another day in the park.
“Before the game we didn’t address any kind of pressure or anything like that,” said Glendale coach Mark Bullock, whose team finished undefeated at home. “We talked about our goals like we always do.”
“We wanted to be physical and relentless, which I think we really were.”
Hannah Stolba, last year’s WPL player of the year, converted four penalty kicks and Christen Suda and Kandis Ruiz each scored tries in the Raptor’s sixth win in a row.
Meanwhile the All Blues, who the Raptors split the season series with 1-1, never could get much going.
Through most of the afternoon the Glendale defense circled its prey -and then pounced- just as it had done less than 40 hours prior when it smothered New York Rugby in a 44-20 win in the semifinals.
“I thought the last two games we played our best defense of the year,” Bullock said. “It’s like in football when the defense is getting to the quarterback so their chances become limited. That’s what I thought we did.”
After leading 15-5 at the break, Stolba converted two successive penalties and Ruiz scored a dazzling try to put the Raptors up 26-10 in the 67th minute.
Berkeley answered with a try in the 77th minute, but time ran out and the celebration was on.
“This is a conclusion to a lot of work by these players,” Bullock said.
The Raptors won the 2014 WPL title after a forfeit propelled them into the championship game.
This year? It was all thanks to their play.
Image credit: Seth McConnell