Spartan rugby goes 1-1 in a tough week of match ups

The Chisago Lakes Spartans rugby club had the brutal task of playing two rugby matches in three games, and they came away with a split record and a couple bumps and bruises, but Head Coach Tony Randall thinks they are better off because of it. The Spartans opened last week with a 27-12 win over Minnetonka, who is traditionally a Tier 2 squad, in the same class as Chisago Lakes. “The girls really came out excited for the game. They played hard and they played well,” Randall said. He especially complimented their rucking skills, which is something they were able to work on being crammed indoors for so long. Randall lost a couple of his top players in that game due to some minor bumps and bruises, and the quick turnaround against powerhouse Mounds View on Thursday, May 8 was a tough one as CL fell behind early. “I thought the girls showed a lot of character and kept playing hard all night,” Randall said. Randall pointed to a few of his players who played well in both games, saying Courtney Benson, Grace Sapp, Kaitlyn Owens, Maddie Alliegro, Reba Berg, Hannah Barrett, Brenna Gilman, Gabby Randall, Katelyn Sargeant, Ann Goosen and Amanda Shoquist all played particularily well at points. But, they still need work before they get to the postseason. “We have to work on tackling and pasing,” Randall explained. “We need to get the ball to the wings efficiently and support the ball carrier.” The Spartans host two-time defending state champ Robbinsdale Armstrong at 5:30 on Thursday, May 22.