Keystone and Beantown contested the first game of the Women's Premier League, and if the result is any indication of what's to come this season, then we're in for an interesting couple of months.

In what many would consider an upset, Keystone beat Beantown 19-5 in Boston.

"I wouldn't say it was a surprising day," Keystone captain Devin Keller said. "We had a rough start to our season with all of this rain. We've have limited outdoor time and have been practicing indoors so far. we came out with the mentality that we had to dig deep for 80 minutes, and while there were some portions of the game when we are on, it was a strong finish and end that allowed us to win."

Keystone dominated possession during the first 20 minutes of play, and that allowed the visitors to take a 12-0 lead on tries from outside center Rachel Sachs and front row Rachel Hammond. Stacy Baker added the conversion.

"It felt like the quickest rugby of my life," Keller said. "When you're on attack, it's more fun and you have momentum. Both times we scored, we were able to turn a half-linebreak into a quick ruck, then pass the ball out wide."

The next 40 minutes remained scoreless, as some mental lapses slowed Keystone's forward progress. Beantown had the edge skill wise in the backs, who were smaller and quicker, but Keystone's size proved troubling for the hosts. Scrumhalf Kim Magrini kept the defense guessing by attacking off the base, and flyhalf Frankie Male did well to put her backs into space.

The set pieces were pretty even, and Keystone was able to disrupt some of Beantown's ball. Keller was particularly pleased with the front row's work, and praised the work of Jess Myron, who was fit, better than consistent, and a work horse around the pitch.

With about 65 minutes gone, Keystone received a yellow card and Beantown worked the man-advantage to their favor. Wing Ali Pappas scored for the home team.

"It was a scary point, as we were only up 12-5," Keller said. "I could see fatigue starting to set in and support was slow. Momentum could have changed right then."

During the last 10 minutes, Keystone decided to keep the ball in tight for some close forward phases. With a minute left, Keystone received a penalty, and instead of going for the lineout, the team opted to launch a sustained pick-and-go series that produced a final try from No. 8 Michele Kirk. Baker slotted the conversion, the whistle blew, and Beantown missed out on opportunity to bank a bonus point loss.

"That game was all about the first 20 minutes and the last 10," Keller said. "We had a lot of desire, and that was the game changer.

"Beantown is typically a tough game, and over the course of our history, they've ended up on top more often," Keller added. "If we had lost this game, not that it would be expected, but we wouldn't have felt defeated. They're a good team, and we've struggled with practice time. It all came down to who showed up on the day."

A win is a win, but Keller knows that the team has a lot to work on before getting too excited about the team's early success. Heading into this week's practices, players will focus on what needs to happen in contact, moving forward in the scrum, ruck and maul. Additionally, the team wants to be more proactive on defense, making positive tackles that prevent players from reaching the goalline.

"Everyone realized we escaped with a win, but we have a lot to do," Keller finished. "No one is thinking that we'll walk over Beantown when they come to us."

Keystone travels to Berkeley next weekend, while Beantown hosts the DC Furies.

Keystone 19
Tries: Sachs, Hammond, Kirk
Conversions: Baker 2

Beantown 5
Tries: Pappas