Tulane’s Lily Wissinger in last year’s spring final. /// Photo: Jackie Finlan
The Women’s DII College Spring Championship is bringing two South Independent Rugby Conference (SIRC) and two Gold Coast teams apiece to Stanford University this weekend. Semifinals occur Saturday, the final and third-place matches on Sunday, and then spring champion will earn a berth to the national championship against fall titleholder Davenport (May 6, Marietta, Ga.).
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Reigning champion Tulane University is the one team in Palo Alto, Calif., that has experienced the spring final four before, so while the Green Wave will have that advantage over the rest of the field, the Louisiana school is also dealing with a new set of demands.
“We certainly have a new set of mental challenges to face but we know what needs to be done to be successful,” explained Tulane coach Jessica Mallindine. “The question will be whether or not we are able to take on this final four with the same composure and poise when there are expectations. Experience can make a difference on and off the field, but Tulane recognizes their first opponent, Grand Canyon University, as a threat because they know exactly what kind of drive and energy comes with being a first-year team.”
Last year, Tulane was that team marching into the unknown, with every step deeper into playoffs becoming the program’s biggest achievement.
“I never doubted that the athletes were capable of success but we didn’t know the club’s performance threshold,” Mallindine reflected. “For me personally as a coach, the manner in which the squad maintained poise and composure in the face of overwhelming odds and the complete unknown is something that I still reflect on and hope they carry throughout their lives beyond rugby.”
Tulane’s resolve has already been tested. In the team’s spring quarterfinal against the University of South Carolina, Tulane overcame a second-half deficit and two yellow cards to triumph 15-12. Spring championship returners No. 8 Lily Wissinger, lock Alexandra Clarke and scrumhalf Gwen Leifer dotted down those tries and continue to serve as leaders.
Grand Canyon takes on the spring champion in Saturday’s semifinal and the first-year team has brewed its own sense of confidence. The Lopes took down two undefeated conference champions – Western Washington 29-5 and Fresno State 36-28 – in the first two rounds of regional playoffs. The performance afforded special recognition, and captain Jasmine Fifer recounted the special season as Canterbury College Player of the Week.
Grand Canyon has some powerful ballcarriers in the pack, Fifer chief among them, and has good finishers in players like fullback Sarah Lawson. But this weekend will emulate Tulane’s in 2016; the team will be testing its performance threshold.
UC Irvine and Kennesaw State have both existed longer than Tulane and Grand Canyon, but this weekend will be the teams’ deepest foray into playoffs as well. The Lady Owls won the SIRC and, akin to Tulane, needed a second half surge to overcome Kansas State in the spring quarterfinals, 33-30.
“This come-from-behind win has told me that we have what it takes to compete with the best and hopefully advance to the national championships,” Kennesaw State president and scrumhalf Akilah Guzman relayed. “It has also told me that our team never gives up, no matter the circumstances!”
Guzman is an important force for the Georgia squad, and she pairs nicely with fellow halfback Angela Lam. Alicia Morrison, Rose Walker and Chelsea Jones are all reliable go-forward ballcarriers, and keep an eye on center Caitlane Fricia. The former Canterbury College Player of the Week single-handedly took the SIRC title from Tulane.
UC Irvine had a shorter path to the spring semifinals, receiving a bye through the first round and then defeating West Coast #2 Santa Clara 30-17 in the spring quarterfinals. But the Gold Coast champion has benefitted from some more consistent competition during the league season, with teams like Grand Canyon, NSCRO Pacific Coast champion Claremont College and Long Beach State providing opportunities to gauge performance and grow.
It won’t take long to recognize Elona Williams as a difference-maker. The fullback scored five tries against Santa Clara and was the Canterbury College Player of February. The team will be missing the influence of regular flyhalf Maria Ruano, who will be on the reserve list, and Margaux Debette will continue as #10, building off her performance against Santa Clara.
DII College Spring Championship
Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.
(all times Pacific)
Saturday, April 22: Semifinals
9 a.m. Kennesaw State vs. UC Irvine
11 a.m. Tulane vs. Grand Canyon
Sunday, April 23
9 a.m. 3rd Place
11 a.m. Spring Championship