The Mystic D1 squad came out with guns blazing on Saturday at Pine Banks against last year’s D1 champions, NYAC. The Mystics lost a hard-fought match to NYAC in the national semi-finals, so were out for blood on their home turf.
The Mystics struck first with a driving try from Luke Schlotman to give them a 5-0 lead. The Mystics followed that up with a try from Alatasi Tupou under the posts, which he duly converted to push the Mystics out to a 12-0 lead. The Mystics then had to move into defensive mode, as NYAC declined a number of penalty kicks at goal and kept up the pressure in the Mystic 22. The Mystic defense held, and eventually managed to relieve the pressure before Chris Frazier latched on to a long pass and raced in for a third Mystic try and a half time lead of 19-0.
Soon after the restart, Alatasi Tupou finished off another strong run from the backs to secure a bonus point and move the Mystics into a 26-0 lead. Jon Kokinda then extended the lead to 29-0 with a successful penalty kick. Chris Frazier was on hand to finish off another backline break, giving him a brace and the Mystics a 36-0 lead. Jon Kokinda then followed up with a second penalty to give the Mystics a 39 point lead. NYAC finally got on the board with an unconverted try, but the last points of the match went to Kokinda as he slotted a final penalty to give the Mystics a 42-5 victory over NYAC.
The Mystics are now 3-0 on the season, and their final league match of the fall will see the Mystics on the road against Old Blue. That should be another cracking match, as Old Blue are also coming off a big victory over Boston on the road.
Media Coverage
RugbyToday.com – Mystic River Blast Reigning DI Champs NYAC
New England Rugby – ARP Week 5 Mystic River 42 NYAC 5