The Glendale Raptors 2010 fall season kicked off on Saturday August 21, 2010 with a pre-season scrimmage against cross town rivals Black Ice. While the Raptors were originally slotted to play two scrimmages against Black Ice and Boulder at the ERRFU tournament, Boulder opted out of the event at the last minute.

With just two practices under their belt, the Raptors were eager to play. Black Ice and the Raptors agreed to play 3 25 minute periods, as both teams had plenty of players eager to stretch their legs. The Raptor women took some time so shift from 7s tactics to 15s, as lateral defense and a high number of 50/50 passes saw Black Ice with success penetrating the midfield. Both teams traded tries early, but as the match progressed, Glendale gradually took control. A bit more tenacity at the tackle contest saw Glendale's possession increase, which was just enough to make the difference.

Midway into the second period, Black Ice took advantage of Raptor flanker Nicole Delue's sin bin for shoulder charging, putting a second try in with Glendale down a player. While Black Ice continued to have success penetrating, fullback Claire Gregorich kept the damage to a minimum with her outstanding open field tackling. Center Andrea Prusinski's hard running helped Glendale accelerate the pace of the game, and by the third period the Raptors had taken over the match.

"The purpose of this event was to get everyone back in 15s mode again, and to get some new feet wet. We've got several first time rugby players out this season, and it's encouraging that we can put up a solid win with so many new faces on the pitch. Looking ahead we've quite a bit of work to do, especially around the tackle contest, but the athleticsm and effort of the players leads me to believe we'll have some success once we take are of that".

Final Score Glendale 29, Black Ice 15

The Raptors will be looking to improve on the score line when they play Black Ice in a full 80 minute match in two weeks. This coming weekend, the Raptors host Chicago Women at Infinity Park, while fullback Claire Gregorich and flanker Jessica Lucia represent the West at the USA Rugby National All Star 7s Championships