COUGARS CLAW PAST DOLPHINS 7-5

By Shania Bulala

Week 2 of ISA Rugby continued with girls varsity action at the Guam High field on a rainy Wednesday evening. Two of the league’s top teams, the Academy Cougars and the Southern Dolphins, went head-to-head in the last game of the evening. The Cougars secured a narrow 7-5 victory over the Dolphins as senior star Maria Paulino led the Cougars, scoring her team’s only try and conversion points for the defending champs.

First Half: Cougars Strike First
The Cougars wasted no time asserting their offensive presence right from the kickoff. Academy’s Serenity Sulla set the tone early with a powerful run, but unfortunately an out-of-bounds call was made, resulting in a line-out throw to be made.

Southern’s defense remained relentless, with tackles coming from all directions, making it difficult for the Cougars offense to advance. However, Cougars’ Paulino saw an opportunity and skillfully exploited a gap in the Dolphins’ defense. “With speed and precision, she sprinted down the field with a big 60-yard run. Paulino then capitalized on her effort by successfully converting the try, putting the Cougars up 7-0.

Second Half: Dolphins Fight Back
The Dolphins returned from halftime with renewed determination, controlling much of the possession in the second half. Capitalizing on the Cougars’ penalties and mistakes, the Dolphins used it to gain crucial yardage and move closer toward the tryzone.

Dolphins’ Skylar Nangauta managed to use her skill and strength to power her way into the try zone, scoring much-needed points for her team. However, the Dolphins’ conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving them just two points behind with time winding down.

Despite a late push from the Dolphins, the Cougars’ defense managed to fight to hold onto the lead until the last whistle.

“We stayed strong to the very end, but we could’ve done better. We did our best to work together as a team… this was just one game, and it shows we have a lot to work on.”

– Cougars senior Maria Paulino