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All photos by Dobson
Images |
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Shalom Suniula for
Belmont |
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Marist in green
with ball |
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Boston being defended by
NOLA |
Belmont Shore didn’t just win Pool B, they dominated it from start to
finish, outscoring their three opponents by a combined score of 115-14. The
only team to keep pace at all was Marist out of Hawaii, but even that game
was never in doubt.
“Mission accomplished for day one, but like I keep telling the boys, it
doesn’t mean anything,” said Belmont Shore coach James Walker. “We expected
to go through. We thought some of the games would be a little bit tighter,
but we just clicked and the result was the result, but it doesn’t mean
anything.”
The leading try scorer for Belmont Saturday was wing Alex Ross with five.
The former San Diego State All American is a capped Eagle, and he showed
why Saturday, leaving many opposing wings in his wake en route to pay
dirt.
“It was more so the playmakers playing inside me just kind of putting me
into space and making my job easy,” he said. “I think any wing in 7s,
you’re on the field to score tries. My teammates made that pretty easy for
me today.”
Walker says Ross had a hand in his handful of tries, too.
“I think Alex is a confident player, and I think he’s been playing in our
system for the summer and he’s just gotten better and better. He’s
definitely got the talent, and now that his confidence is coming back, the
sky’s the limit. He’s got serious gas.”
Finishing second in Pool B was Marist, who is Hawaii’s first representative
at Nationals. Marist gave Belmont its toughest pool game, and then
dispatched of pesky New Orleans 17-12. The Hawaii club’s scoreline against
Belmont, versus that of the pool’s other contender, would prove to be the
difference in who moved on.
Like Marist, Boston lost to Belmont and beat New Orleans. But unlike
Marist, Boston lost big to Belmont, 48-7. And when Marist scored a centered
try at the death of day one’s final match, which converted forced a 17-17
tie, the Hawaiians’ point differential is what pushed them into the Cup
Quarterfinals.
Pool scores
Belmont 24-7 Marist
Boston 19-7 New Orleans
Belmont 48-7 Boston
Marist 17-12 New Orleans
Belmont 43-0 New Orleans
Boston 17-17 Marist