MONTREAL, QC – On Saturday, June 1, the Mystic River Collegiate Select XV arrived in Montreal to take on the Voyageurs, a representative U19 and Academy side from Eastern Ontario and Quebec. The travel up to Montreal seemed to weigh on the Mystics as the Voyageurs went ahead with two early tries that came from the Voyageurs’ experience from playing together. Once the Mystics settled, they started to get into a rhythm, and quickly got on the board and back into the game. Led by captain Alex Brussard, the Mystics began to rally and by half time they were only down by a conversion.
The second half was a different story, as the Mystics settled into their game plan and started using their size up front to wear down the Voyageurs’ defense. The continual pressure started to open up gaps on the fringes, and flanker Josh Patterson took full advantage, making a number of runs to get the Mystics downfield and into scoring positions. However, the Mystics couldn’t pull away and the game was tied up late in the game, with both teams fighting for the win. Neither team managed to break the deadlock and both the Mystics and the Voyageurs could only walk away with a 22-22 draw.
The Mystics showed a lot of heart and played very well together. With only a month of training under coach Kayne Bubb, they made some serious strides forward and showed they could compete with a representative team like the Voyageurs, who have been training together since November.
The Mystic River Man of the Match was Sean Sawyer, who came off the bench and contributed in multiple positions. He demonstrated what it is to be a team player by doing anything and everything the club asked of him. The Voyageurs also recognised flanker Josh Patterson as their Man of the Match during the post match celebration. Both Sean and Josh played exceptionally well, but they were joined by all players in representing both the Mystics and their country well.
Tries:
Tim Harvey
Josh Patterson
Sean Sawyer
Conversion:
Jesse Pierce
