Tulane is heading to its third-straight DII Spring College Championship final after defeating Fresno State 38-17 in today’s semifinal. The Green Wave will face Claremont in the 10:30 a.m. PDT title bout Saturday.
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Play stayed in Tulane’s end for the opening 10 minutes, as Fresno State asserted itself and Tulane struggled with penalties. As the Green Wave adapted to the referee, players like Alexandra Clarke and Lily Wissinger distinguished themselves as nuisances in the breakdown, and plenty of hard-thumping tackles were delivered.
Tulane lost lock Clare Sullivan for 10 minutes, and Fresno State used that advantage to put up two tries. Flyhalf Jenna Balestra, who continued to be the go-forward, fending force for the Bulldogs, opened up the scoring with a dive-over try. She snapped the defense from Fresno State’s own end and then found scrumhalf Raquel Macias – who also did a great job turning over possession in the ruck – with the offload and long-legged try. Fullback Regan Garner converted for the 12-0 lead.
Once back to full strength, Tulane wasted no time in chipping away at the deficit. Fullback Gwen Leifer flew to the base of the ruck and sent a chip-and-chase downfield that put the team in good territory. She continued to bring a creative element to the attack and kept the defense scrambling with weaving runs. She was also a stellar final defender in the backfield.
No. 8 Maddie Brenner scored the first of her three tries, finding a seam from a meter out for the dive-over. Center Rohen Turner, with a silky strike, converted. The momentum began to shift in the second quarter, and Clarke’s try, converted by Turner, gave Tulane a lead it would not relinquish, 14-12. Before the break, a good driving maul off the lineout – which paired well with a dominant scrum – saw Brenner reel in the ball off her back and score, 19-12.
Fresno State looked to be the first team to score in the second half, getting good yardage all day from players like Megan Oleski. But the grounding was knocked on in the try zone, and Tulane escaped the points against. Instead, the team worked down field and attempted to drive the lineout maul across again, but Fresno State defended it well. Ballcarrier Brenner, however, was patient at the back and timed her break perfectly, getting over the line easily. Turner converted, 26-12.
The 60-minute water break occurred just after Fresno State caught got lucky on its try line. The Bulldogs gained possession and attempted to run the ball out of its red zone but then knocked it on. When teams returned to the pitch, work horse Wissinger stepped past a staggered defense for the try, which Brenner converted, 33-12.
While Fresno State resembled the free-flowing, open attack for which it’s known, the team was missing a crucial playmaker: Moriah Halteman. The MVP of the West Coast championship was not rostered, and she is a difference-maker. Jacklyn Blankenship did well moving into the #12 spot, but she flourishes at outside center with a little bit more room, which she demonstrated later in the match when she returned to her regular spot.
As the game wore on, Tulane continued to look strong and unfatigued, and used its pressure defense to prevent a Fresno State resurgence. Leifer created more opportunity with a kick and chase, and replacement Emily Monaco finished off the favorable territory with a try, 38-12.
The game ended with a second try from Balestra, and Tulane advanced to the final with a 38-17 win. Tulane won the 2016 DII spring title and finished runner-up to fellow SIRC team Kennesaw State last year.
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