Cal Berkeley
Feb. 1, 2009
BERKELEY - Jeremy Deterding got the Bears going with an unconverted try for a 5-0 lead before the Broncos knocked on the door several times in the next 20 minutes, forcing Cal to play try-line defense after being whistled for penalties. Santa Clara opted to kick for points after the Bears thwarted one 5-meter restart, and Broncos inside center Daniel Iritani connected on one to trim Cal’s lead to 5-3.
Cal scored three quick ties over the next 20 minutes before Broncos sophomore flyhalf Chris Spirz finished a Santa Clara sequence with a converted try to make it 22-10 at the half.
Cal scored 45 second half points and Santa Clara fought to the last minute but wasn’t able to score.
Santa Clara head coach Chris Kron was happy with the positive moments his team was able to manufacture against the Bears in the first half. “The style of play we’re going for is open rugby, and we were able to find some gaps. That’s exactly what we’re looking for,” Kron said. “We’re looking at continuous improvement and it’s going in the right direction.”
The Scoring Timeline vs. Santa Clara:
15:00 Santa Clara (Daniel Iritani) 3
36:00 Santa Clara (Chris Spirz) 5, 2
Halftime: California 22, Santa Clara 10
Final Score: California 67, Santa Clara 10