The results of Saturday’s Rugby Super League semifinal matches have ushered in a rematch of the 2005 RSL final, as New York Athletic Club and Belmont Shore each emerged in front of their opponents today to earn a trip to Glendale, Colo. for a shot at the 2008 title on Saturday, May 31.

The first semifinal match of the day saw the top-seeded New York Athletic Club (NYAC) defeat the No. 5 Denver Barbarians at home on Travers Island. Despite a strong defensive showing from Denver, NYAC scored early on to go up 12-3 before the half.

The Barbarians made a comeback effort with a try inside the 63rd minute to pull within nine points, but with an additional NYAC try in the game's final minutes the Winged Foot held steady for a 22-8 victory. The win marks NYAC’s return to the RSL Finals for the first time since 2005 when they came up with a huge defensive effort to stave off Belmont Shore for the league title.

“We played a solid defensive game and so did Denver. You have to give the Barbarians a massive amount of credit. They're a great team and were very capable in the lineout today. Dave Hodges has just done a phenomenal job of coaching there,” said NYAC’s Bruce McLane. “It’s always tough to travel and we were at a huge advantage playing at home in the semifinals. We put forth a true team effort all the way.”

In a rematch of the 2007 RSL final, Belmont Shore hosted the No. 8 Chicago Lions on the West Coast, with similar results this time around. The Long Beach side shut down Chicago early, taking advantage of early opportunities to go up 17-0 before the break.

Belmont Shore continued to build momentum in the second half and never allowed Chicago much of a chance to catch up. James Gillenwater led the scoring charge for Shore with a pair, while Peter Sio, Henry Bloomfield and Peter Dahl each touched down one try a piece in the eventual 34-15 victory, which marks the ninth time in 12 years that Belmont Shore has gained a berth in the RSL Final.

The Long Beach side now travels to Glendale to meet NYAC at Infinity Park next Saturday, with a kick-off slated for 6 p.m. (MDT). The game will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN Classic.

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