Notre Dame College captain Lea Walsh /// Photos: Ken Klemencic (throughout the 2016-17 season)
All three collegiate champions crowned in Marietta, Ga., last weekend indicated the road to defending their respective titles were very different compared to 2016. And while their triumphs are duly celebrated, one must acknowledge Notre Dame College, the DI spring runner-up. The Falcons inarguably weathered the most tumult this year and nevertheless represented themselves very well in the spring championship.
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“Many people doubted our team’s ability this spring, and we wanted to prove that with our new coaching staff, we were going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Notre Dame College captain Lea Walsh wrote. “We all expressed how proud we were to have come so far in such a short amount of time. While we wanted a 1st-place finish, we were all still cheerful to bring home such an incredible accomplishment despite all of the adversity we were faced with throughout this year.”
Notre Dame College met Stanford in Friday’s spring semifinals, and the game ended 17-17 at regulation. Two 10-minute overtime periods followed.
“Coach Luke [Markovich] stressed that while we are meant to follow our assignments, he still wants us to implement our individuality and make it work within our game play,” Walsh recalled the pre-overtime conversations. “In overtime, I felt our fitness – thanks to coach Alex Ludwig and coach Tommy Walsh – really helped calm our nerves, because we did not seem as broken and tired as Stanford had been. They were strong for 80 full minutes, but our fitness and cohesiveness were able to help us finish in the last 20.”
The Falcons won that game 29-17 and had an even bigger fight awaiting in the final. Defending champion UC Davis jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and Notre Dame College earned a penalty try right before the half. Early in the second stanza, Walsh dotted down an important try that gave her side a 12-10 lead that held until minute 68.
“Thanks to a great ruck set by the forwards, and the combination of passes from Danielle Walko-Suia, flyhalf Emilia [Ferrara] and 8-man Hannah [Long], I was able to capitalize on the defense leaving a huge gap on the outside,” Walsh relived her try. “This game, our tight pick-and-goes were working for us, and as a result there would be a huge overload on the outside. However, we had a hard time taking advantage of the situation. When we finally did, we scored.”
That score helped reiterate the importance of trusting and implementing the team’s system, and confidence followed.
If we had to pick an MVP on the weekend, it would be flanker Karmin Macedo.
Davis retook the lead late in the match, and despite a last-minute try to pull within one point, the Aggies won the spring championship 27-19.
“There are always a ton of if’s and but’s when there is a loss,” Walsh explained. “Yes, we were tired from playing 100+ minutes of rugby the prior day. We were down to 13 players for part of the game. The calls did not seem to go our way. We were also very low in numbers due to work conflicts, injury, etc. Losing Katie Klemencic, a starter that had really stepped up this spring, was a huge hit for us as well. The determining factor could have been all or none of the above. It comes [down] to: When we play a great time like UC Davis, we have to buckle down and push past all of those reservations and excuses.”
Walsh was rushed to the emergency room immediately after the game, having broken her nose six minutes into the final. But she returned to her team after the players had decompressed a bit and celebrated with their men’s team.
Fullback Alex Strasser, excellent speed and defender
“We were definitely upset and a little aggravated as a result of the loss – it would be crazy not to be,” Walsh wrote. “I reminded a teammate that we need to remember this painful feeling, and use it to propel ourselves to work a little harder at each training, in fitness, and even in classroom sessions. I think that in losses and tough times are the best times to practice and gain mental fortitude. We lost a championship, but the team and I gained resilience and a little bit of fire in our heart.”
Although Walsh was tempted to play a fifth year with the new coaching staff, the senior is graduating and hoping to land in a senior club team. She’ll continue her referee certifications and affirmed that she’ll be coaching rugby one day.
“Playing college rugby at Notre Dame College was by far the best decision of my life,” Walsh concluded. “I encourage anyone interested in playing high-level rugby to take a look into our small school to continue their career. Coach Markovich, coach Geoff [Gainford], coach Tommy, coach Jason [Fox], and many more, have made this experience one that I will be thankful for my entire life.”