ONTARIO ARROWS EARN SIX-TRY WIN OVER GLENDALE RAPTORS

The home Arrows rattled off 19 unanswered points in the second half against the Denver-based Raptors, earning a statement win under scorching conditions at York Lions Stadium.

Ontario’s Andrew Quattrin, Kolby Francis, and Lucas Hammond each notched a try in the back-and-forth opening frame, providing the Arrows with a narrow 21-18 lead heading into the interval.

The Arrows bolstered their defensive play in the second frame, effectively stymieing Glendale’s offensive opportunities; Ontario held the lion’s share of possession and routinely snuffed out any flicker of opposition momentum to keep the Raptors off the second-half scoresheet.

With their defensive play picking up, Ontario’s offence continued to fire in the second half, as a Marcello Wainwright try in the early stages of the latter frame increased the home side’s lead to 26-18. Following long spells of Ontario-controlled possession, the Arrows sealed the victory with two rapid-fire scores — a late penalty try and a Kainoa Lloyd tally — in the final minutes of the match.

Andrew Ferguson kicked three conversions in the match, while Mitch Richardson added a single two-pointer.

Nic Johnson and Kelepi Fifita provided the tries for Glendale, with Will Magie adding a conversion and two penalties.

“Our guys put in a full effort this afternoon, and did well in the 37-degree heat,” said Arrows head coach Chris Silverthorn, following the match. “We played better as the match went on, and were rewarded with a very strong second-half performance. All 23 of our players made meaningful contributions against a strong Glendale side, and the hard work put into training ahead of this match really showed on the pitch today.”

Sunday’s win was the club’s fourth consecutive exhibition season victory against American opponents. Ontario now holds a 4-1-1 record this year, which includes a victory over MLR side Utah Warriors, a pair of wins against the Mystics, and a draw against MLR’s Houston SaberCats.

“We’ve made great strides this year, and we’re pleased that we’ve been able to consistently give our home fans plenty to cheer about,” added Silverthorn. “The support we’ve received from our fans has been fantastic, and we want to see this great momentum continue. We’ve shown that we can hold our own, and then some, against MLR opponents, and we’re eager to continue this journey. There’s a lot of positivity around our side right now, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.” 

Seven Arrows made their club debuts in the victory: Andrew Coe, Riley Di Nardo, Hammond, Cole Keith, Matt Mullins, Steven Ng, and Djustice Sears-Duru. Silverthorn’s all-Canadian squad also featured eight full Canadian internationals, as well as four Canada Sevens internationals. 

The Arrows will announce plans for fall fixtures in the coming weeks.

Ontario Arrows Score Report

Tries: A. Quattrin (11), K. Francis (28), L. Hammond (32), M. Wainwright (53), Penalty Try (78), K. Lloyd (80)
Conversions: A. Ferguson 3 (12, 29, 33), M. Richardson (80')

Glendale Raptors Score Report

Tries: N. Johnson (18), K. Fifita (21)
Conversions: W. Magie (22)
Penalty Goals: W. Magie 2 (37, 40)

Ontario Arrows Lineup vs. Glendale Raptors

1. Rob Brouwer
2. Andrew Quattrin
3. Cole Keith
4. Mike Sheppard (C)
5. Paul Ciulini
6. Marcello Wainwright
7. Peter Milazzo
8. Matt Mullins
9. Andrew Ferguson
10. Pat Parfrey
11. Lucas Hammond
12. Jamie Leveridge
13. Andrew Coe
14. Kainoa Lloyd
15. Shawn Windsor
16. Steven Ng
17. Djustice Sears-Duru
18. Mike Smith
19. Tom Van Horne
20. Kolby Francis
21. John Sheridan
22. Mitch Richardson
23. Riley Di Nardo

STAFF
Head Coach: Chris Silverthorn
Assistant Coaches: David Butcher, Aaron Carpenter, Cory Hector, Graeme Moffat
General Manager: Mark Winokur
Performance Analyst: Rodin Lozada
Athletic Therapist: Chris Kelly
Team Doctor: Dr. John Gillis

About Ontario Arrows Rugby Club:

The Ontario Arrows Rugby Club is Canada’s first privately-funded high-performance rugby team.

The team is equipped to compete against top-tier North American club teams, providing emerging Canadian talent with enhanced and more frequent opportunities to hone their skills at an elite level.

For more information, visit https://ontarioarrowsrugby.com/ 

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For more information, please contact: 

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Ontario Arrows
brock@brocksmithcommunications.com 

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Photo Credit: José Romelo Lagman