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Photo courtesy NOVA Women’s Rugby
Last year, NOVA dropped the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) Division I final 12-10 to Raleigh, forcing a trip to Beantown the following weekend for a play-in match to the national quarterfinals. That’s where the Virginia team’s season ended, but those frustrations helped power the next year of work. On the back of a deep bench, NOVA defeated Philadelphia 37-0 in the 2017 MAC semifinals and Raleigh 14-5 for the title, which affords the berth to nationals.
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“It was a tremendous feeling for the team as a whole,” NOVA coach Brian Walker said after the MAC championship. “To know that teams like Chicago North Shore, Beantown, Boston, Detroit – any of those teams could be there at the Eastern Conference finals – so to break through and earn a spot cleanly, that was a big step for our group.”
The first steps occurred in the fall, as NOVA focused on getting as many players who could contribute to the DI goal (NOVA also runs a DIII team) as much playing time as possible – even at the risk of losing on any given weekend. Captains Kathryn Scholfield and Emily Blease set the example for positional flexibility and versatility, all in the name of getting the player pool quality game time.
“Players want to play all 80 minutes but on these tournament weekends – whether Gold Cup or MAC finals – you have to win two games in two days, contending with weather, injuries and fatigue,” Walker said. “It’s impossible to do unless you have 28 players on the weekend roster who can contribute how you need them to. That’s been the story arch for us – constant development of technique and depth.”
As playoffs approached, the focus on outcome heightened, and NOVA performed. Leadership in the form of long-time veterans like Megan Hanson, Rachel Primo and CJ Hildreth set the stage for a 25-22 win over 2016 DI runner-up Chicago North Shore 25-22, followed by a 69-point win over Detroit the following day. And then in the final league match, NOVA defeated Raleigh 19-5.
The Venom took the top seed to the MAC playoffs on standings points and received an automatic berth to the final. Pittsburgh had dropped out of the final four and so NOVA and Philadelphia contested a finals’ play-in on Saturday.
NOVA No. 8 Kelley Frank led with three tries in the team’s 37-0 MAC semifinal win against an “underrated Philadelphia team that has only gotten better as the season’s gone on,” Walker praised. NOVA worked its roster knowing that Raleigh would be fresh on Sunday. But that’s what the Virginia side had been preparing for all year.
That said, the rematch would look like nothing like the teams’ league game a week prior. The April 22 match occurred on a small field in cold and rainy conditions, producing a tighter game that focused on handling. NOVA remained disciplined in its kicking and territory game and took opportunities for points whenever available. The April 30 MAC final occurred on a full-sized pitch in very hot conditions. Team speed, of which Raleigh has plenty, would be a difference-maker.
“We knew after winning the match last week against them that they were going to come out determined to play … and they were,” Walker said. “It was an incredible back and forth, really hard hitting.”
At the 28-minute mark, NOVA drove a five-meter lineout into the try zone, with lock Avery Rain dotting down for the 5-0 halftime lead. NOVA rolled on some fresh legs in the second half, keeping the work rate and line speed at a premium. Scrumhalf Bri Kim tacked on two penalty kicks by the 50th minute for the 11-0 lead.
In the final stretch, Raleigh wing Jazamine Gray scored a tremendous solo try from distance (11-5), but Kim had the last work with her third penalty of the day, 14-5 the final.
Walker was proud of the team effort and singled out Frank for her day-one effort and impact sub performance in the final; the veteran trio of Primo, Hanson and Hildreth for their work; Kathryn Hemlock, who’s played scrumhalf, flyhalf, wing and is always a big contributor; and Kim for her three crucial penalty kicks.
NOVA will now head to Pittsburgh for the eastern portion of the DI club national championship quarterfinals. The split season makes it difficult to schedule ideal warm-up matches between conference and national playoffs, so NOVA will focus the next three weeks on maintaining intensity and keeping contact skills sharp. NOVA’s opposition should be determined this weekend, so stay tuned.