At the games -
Nothing like a 60-meter dash for a try and a one-point game with only a minute or so left in regulation to make things interesting.
That's what happened to Newfoundland's rugby team, which was leading 15-7 late in the second half Tuesday when an Albertan broke loose and dashed 60 metres for a score. The resulting conversion made it 15-14 for Newfoundland, which had to hang on for the win at the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
"Oh man," said Newfoundland's Patrick Parfrey, "when that happened, we all got a little nervous.
"We heard there was just a minute left so we just kind of came together, told each other to make our tackles and work hard for 60 seconds and we'll just finish it off and get the win."
Newfoundland did just that, registering its second win Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the province dismantled Quebec 34-0.
Devin Lacey and Stefan Mackey had the tries for Newfoundland against Alberta. Patrick McNicholas had a penalty kick and conversion. Against Quebec, Justin Grainger scored two tries, while Parfrey, Lacey and Brendan McGovern each had one. Parfrey had three conversions and one penalty kick.
The pair of wins places Newfoundland in one of today's quarter-finals, likely against Saskatchewan.
Tuesday offered a different set of outcomes than Monday's rugby opener, when Newfoundland - the third-ranked team - dropped two games to the top two seeds, Ontario and B.C., 24-3 and 33-0.
It was, in coach Pat Parfrey's words, a, "horrendous schedule.
"But it doesn't matter to us whether we're third, fourth or fifth," said the coach. "We'll be a dangerous team at the end of the week."
Coach Parfrey was very concerned with some aspects of his team's play, particularly its rucking, or fighting for possession of the ball, against Ontario and British Columbia. It was still an issue Tuesday, although Parfrey, the player, could see improvement.
"We're playing well and we're getting better every game," he said. "Our rucking is getting stronger, our tackling is better and our precision is getting better as well."
Parfrey, of course, is the son of the coach. Rugby's in the blood in that household. Older brother Kevin plays for The Rock senior team, as did Owen and Brendan.
And like his father and Brendan, Patrick Parfrey is looking to a career in medicine, even if it means forsaking hockey.
Patrick Parfrey, 17, is a very fine hockey player, drafted from the St. John's AAA Midget Fog Devils in the fifth round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League two years ago. He was selected by St. John's when it was in the league and attended the training camp of the Montreal Juniors, which the Fog Devils morphed into following the sale of the club.
But Parfrey didn't make the Juniors, and they tried to send him to the Maritime junior A league.
He declined and has all but given up hockey.
There were other options. Shawinigan and Acadie-Bathurst of the QMJHL showed interest, but Parfrey had made up his mind.
"I feel junior hockey screws your education," he said. "You don't do as many (university) courses and I'm trying to do medicine so I have to keep my grades up.
"I just chose the path to forget about hockey, stick with rugby and go to school. School is very important in our house."
Kevin Parfrey for all intends and purposes chucked a hockey career for rugby, too. In 1998-99, he played 16 games for the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts and one game for the Toronto St. Mike's Majors. He played a bit of senior hockey in St. John's, but hasn't played lately.
"I'm sticking with rugby now," said the younger Parfrey. "I've got a few opportunities, I guess, to try and make the Rock (senior) team and move from there."
Parfrey did play some high school and junior hockey last season with the St. John's Junior Caps.
"I'm basically out of hockey, unless a (major junior) team moves back to Newfoundland," he said.
[email protected]
