Glendale makes the farthest trip. /// Photo: Carisa Weaver (view more photos) •
Arguably the most interesting 7s fixture this weekend occurs in West Linn, Ore., site of the Roy Lucas 7s. The ORSU-hosted event is the second and final Pacific Northwest qualifier, and it’s complemented by nationals-worthy teams from western regions.
ORSU and Seattle top the Pacific Northwest standings, having advanced to last weekend’s Can-Am 7s championship. The Oregon team won a thrilling sudden-death final and will channel that momentum into two sides this weekend.
“Last weekend’s tournament was a great measuring stick for us to determine where we are at as a team,” said ORSU 7s coach Nick Cutrell, who leads the team alongside San Juanita Moreno. “Our ability to improve from the first game of the day to overtime in the final was very impressive and speaks volumes about our women’s focus on performing at a high level. I’m extremely proud of our women for sticking to our pattern and showing heart when adversity presented itself. I have confidence that we can compete and succeed at the highest level of women’s rugby.”
The Saracens had entered two sides at the Bellingham, Wash., tournament but will consolidate forces Saturday. Coached by Emilie Bydwell, the roster includes capped Eagles Kelsi Stockert, Ashley Kmiecik and Carrie White; 15s Player of the Year Kristine Sommer; and well knowns like Megan Sanders and youngsters Lauren Barber and Monae Hendrickson.
Also representing the Pacific Northwest are Tacoma and Portland, which compete in Division II during the 15s season. After Saturday’s qualifier, teams will be named to the Pacific North 7s championship, to be held on July 30 in San Francisco. There, the Pacific Northwest teams will play the Northern California teams for berths to the national championship (Aug. 13-14, Commerce City, Colo.). The Pacific North receives only two seeds to nationals, meaning some very good teams will be omitted from the championship.
The All Blues represents Northern California and is looking to replicate its success from last weekend. After dropping the first two NorCal qualifiers to Life West, Berkeley won the Silicon Valley 7s last weekend. There are many new faces in the gold jerseys, but watch for Jessica Turner, Bulou Mataitoga and Elena Edwards to lead from the front.
This tournament is especially important to teams like San Diego and Glendale. The Surfers have long dominated the Pacific South, and although all of its stars won’t be present in Oregon, San Diego has brought a solid squad to challenge the field.
“We have been undefeated with our main squad so far in SoCal tournaments but have not faced any strong competition yet,” San Diego’s Kara Mathews indicated. “This weekend should be a good indicator of how a lot of the teams are looking for nationals.”
Danielle Miano will captain the squad and get support from core returners Kyla Roth, Tia Blythe and Mathews. Co-captain Elizabeth Trujillo and Eagle Deven Owsiany, fresh off the Super Series, among other contributors (UC San Diego standouts Wing Ly and Alex Beckett) were unable to make the trip, but the team will get a boost from Eagle Lauren Daly. The Rugby World Cup veteran has returned from back surgery, having last played 7s in 2013, when the Surfers finished third at nationals. Hunter Griendling is another important addition. The 7s Eagle helped ARPTC to the club 7s national championship last year and injects international experience.
Glendale makes the farthest trip and will benefit the most from this outing. The Raptors’ 7s program is relatively young and there aren’t many playing opportunities in the Frontier region (READ MORE). That said, Glendale has already secured its spot at nationals. The team is a mix of year-round Glendale players – including Eagle Joanna Kitlinski and WPL-ers Jeanna Beard (pictured) and Christen Suda; collegians like Macie Helgenberger, Madison Slaught and Charlie Thompson; and area players like Black Ice’s Lin Hill, who transferred to Glendale for the summer.
For the full schedule, click here. Below are the pools:
POOL 1
Berkeley
Glendale
ORSU A
Tacoma
POOL 2
ORSU B
Portland
San Diego
Seattle
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