Maxime Boutin ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries to help the No. 1-seeded Canadians advance in front of about 1,000 fans at Fawcett Stadium. Steven Lumbala also ran for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Canada outgained New Zealand, 515-53.
“We’ve been practicing since June 17, and for us it was the first time with a lot of physical contact,” Team Canada head coach Glen Constantin said. “It was very important to play to our level and take some of the rust out.”
Canada scored on its first five drives in building a 34-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Quarterbacks Jéremie Doyon-Roch and Brandon Bridge combined to go 13-of-16 for the game for 168 yards and two TDs.
New Zealand’s highlights included a 43-yard pass from Matino Meredith to Josiah O’Connell and a fourth-quarter goal-line stand inside its own 5-yard line.
“My hat’s off to Canada. They deserve their No. 1 ranking,” said New Zealand head coach Michael Mau’u. “There’s a lot of fight in New Zealand. We’re not going to give up.”
No comments:
Post a Comment