Photo: Jo Nordhoff-Beard •
Around this time last year, Claremont was celebrating an unexpected win over CSU Long Beach. While the standings points were short-lived (the match was later recorded as a forfeit loss due to a late change in kickoff), the effects were not. After years of rebuilding, the DII Gold Coast team is in a position to contend, an evolution that was reinforced by Saturday’s 25-10 conference win over the 49ers.
Head coach Evan Wollen is in his fifth year with the club and spoke to Claremont’s revival after last year’s league game against Long Beach. The Foxes’ leadership continues to drive a healthy team culture, accrue respect from campus, and attract talented newcomers.
“The team is very happy. We’ve put in a lot of work, added [three] more assistant coaches, added more structure, and that’s helped with retention,” Wollen said. “We’re in a great league, and we’re looking forward to playing everybody.”
On Saturday, Claremont attempted to play a faster game and move the ball away from Long Beach’s forwards. While the strategy wasn’t always successful, the Foxes found advantage in its backline. Backs captain and outside center Katelyn Faust was particularly destructive, scoring 20 of Claremont’s 25 points on two tries, two penalties and two conversions. Faust, a varsity soccer player, spent last spring at Trinity College in Ireland and played flyhalf for the Dublin team.
“Long Beach is definitely forward-oriented. Every single lineout, they will try to drive it and keep it tight,” Wollen said of the hard-running squad. “One thing I told them: Don’t aimlessly kick it to them because they’ll have a fullback who runs it down your throat.”
The Claremont forwards stood up, led by captain Lily Lisle, president and scrumhalf Joey Yamada (who scored the other try), and loose forward Stephanie Wong. Wollen was pleased with rookie props Michelle Ramirez and Marisa de Souza, who lent stability to a typically undersized scrum. Flanker Sophie Baker, who played inside center in the fall, showcased her athleticism Saturday and has been a welcomed addition so far.
The Long Beach win set a good tone for the rest of the conference season, but the only game that affects the post-season – for Claremont – occurs on Feb. 18 against Occidental. The Gold Coast is a hybrid conference, in that five of seven teams follow a DII post-season, and Claremont and Occidental will now follow NSCRO – as opposed to DIII, a trial competition that is now defunct. The victor of Claremont vs. Occidental will attend the NSCRO (National Small College Rugby Organization) Pacific Coast Championship on April 1-2. Three other teams – one from the West Coast, Cascades, and a fourth at-large team – will contest a final four and name a champion.
The NSCRO Pacific Coast Championship is a new competition that aims to include the small schools on the West Coast. The national championship occurs in early December every year, so NSCRO needed to get creative when crafting a means for spring-based programs to participate. As NSCRO women’s commissioner Bryn Chivers explained, the Pacific Coast finalists will contest a rematch in fall 2017 – essentially to re-test the strength of the champion after the summer turnover – and that winner will advance to the NSCRO national round of 16 that begins in November.
While that post-season path is a real possibility for Claremont, the Foxes aren’t looking farther than the next conference game, which occurs Feb. 4 against UC Riverside (0-2).
In other Gold Coast news, Grand Canyon kicked off its first-ever season with a 27-15 win over UC Riverside (more to come), and USC beat Occidental 63-0.
Fore more info on the Gold Coast schedule, results and standings, click here.