Photos courtesy George Washington Women’s Rugby
For the first time in at least four years, the 15-team Capital conference did not feature Salisbury or Mary Washington in the championship match. Instead, two Washington, D.C., teams emerged as the teams to beat in fall 2017, and George Washington defeated Catholic University 19-5 for the DII title.
George Washington reached a turning point in spring 2015, when Adam Benavides approached the team about joining the coaching staff. He recalled a team that had experienced success in the past but more recently struggled with player and coach retention. He promised consistency and laid out his plan to rebuild to the team, and the players bought in.
“We do have a lot more people today, but it’s the amount of dedication that has really increased, and it shows,” said Benavides, who relies on veteran leaders Medha Menon, forwards captain Kelsey Ohm and backs captain Jordyn Watson to set the example. “We’re also recruiting better. Instead of looking for people who could be your best friend, we’re looking for athletes.”
The team includes soccer players, gymnasts, swimmers – athletes of every creed. Benavides explained that George Washington hasn’t been able to tap into the local high school rugby market, but the team did inherit a valuable addition this fall.
“Allie Mennella, she is ridiculous,” Benavides said of the freshman from Morris, N.J. “I had to throttle back a bit. College is a totally new experience, a new life, and I put her in the 10 role because it was needed. I’d like to say I did a good job of not pressuring her too much. She responded in kind and has been a great addition.”
Last year, George Washington finished third in the conference and approximately 80% of that squad carried over to fall 2017. Benavides knew it was going to be a good season after a big win against MARC’s Delaware in a non-conference friendly. From there, George Washington grew into a high-octane offense where, “once you get carried away, you get carried away,” Benavides pointed to the scores. An undefeated record followed, but not without a good test.
“I was a little worried about that game,” Benavides recalled the league match against Catholic. “We had a really big win against George Mason and then went on fall break. Then we had one practice before a matrix game, which was a really windy day – it was a recipe for a disaster. We had never lost to Catholic before but that didn’t mean they weren’t good.”
Benavides tipped his hat to Catholic coach Alex Schaefer, who brought 40 players to the pitch that day. It was an intimidating display, especially for the 17-strong George Washington. But Benavides had been working on building the team’s mental fortitude, and the players toughened for a 31-24 victory.
“This fall, I felt like I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel as far as goals for them and how we gain them,” Benavides said. “We took success one game, one half, one play at a time. And we’ve done that. We’ve changed the dynamic.”
In the first round of conference playoffs, George Washington defeated UMBC 67-17, and Salisbury beat Mary Washington 46-5. On the other side of the bracket, Catholic eliminated then-reigning champion Towson 31-14, while DII returner William & Mary shut out Georgetown 84-0.
The victors then advanced to a final four weekend. Catholic beat William & Mary 39-5 in the semifinals, while George Washington and Salisbury ended regulation tied at 30. The overtime periods included two 10-minute halves, and this game needed a second overtime period.
“There’s nothing you can coach at that point,” Benavides said. “You’re just beat up and it’s a mental opportunity for everyone. Are you going to win or act exhausted?”
In the 39th minute of overtime, George Washington scored the tiebreaker, 40-35, and raced to recover for the final against Catholic the following day.
“Everyone was excited because we were two D.C. teams in the final. We had this big chant going, ‘D.C. takeover,’ into the finals. The buzz was great,” Benavides said. “The great part was that we were routing for each other the whole time. There’s no animosity between us, and we’re Catholic’s biggest fans.”
Another dog fight evolved, and George Washington entered the break leading 12-5.
“Historically, the rugby I coach is not exactly forwards forward, but more back focused. But the fun part was that our forwards won the day,” said Benavides, who pointed to Ohm in particular for her go-forward and leadership. “Catholic does play off the ruck, and we’ve struggled with ruck control in the past, but it’s something we shined on in the weekend.”
George Washington added a third try (two of them came from Mennella) in the second half for the 19-5 win.
“It was a very validating experience,” Benavides remembered the final whistle sounding. “We put in the work and the time, and everyone went nuts [at the buzzer]. There was a lot emotion. It was a great moment for the school and them, and I was happy to share it with them.”
George Washington has secured the automatic berth to the DII spring championships (the DII fall championships are currently underway). As the team heals and regroups, a second build-up will be required in the New Year. Money must be raised, time scheduled away from school and work, and more rugby played at the next level.
“We have to get that into the culture of this team, too – when you do this [win the conference], it does not end there. You get to go to nationals, and you want to do something when you get there. We have the team to do it,” Benavides concluded.
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