Photos: Mark Brocker (see more) / teams’ first matrix match of ’17-’18 season
The Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) is a densely competitive region, throughout all three divisions of its women’s club play. It’s not uncommon to see one team enter the winter break in the lead and have another end up with the MAC title. That’s what happened in Division I, and now 2017 national finalist Raleigh returns to the regional championship as the MAC champion.
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“Last year we were all so happy to make it to the [national] Championship [final] and we really embraced it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Raleigh captain Chelsea Garber explained. “This year I basically said, ‘Cut that crap out. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We have the talent and culture and commitment to be a club that makes it back year in and year out.'”
But the season got off to a challenging start. The Venom lost both games to Philadelphia, which ended the regular season 6-0, and split games with NOVA. Some of that to do with personnel, including an injured Garber, who plays flyhalf. The team had to adjust to a new halfback pairing running the systems and tweaks in communication.
The Gold Cup provided additional opportunities to work out those kinks against high-level, different competition, and both Raleigh and NOVA went 6-0 in their Red River (Austin, HARC), Midwest (Detroit, Chicago) and Atlantic North (Boston, Monmouth) crossover matches.
Pittsburgh dropped out of the second half of the DI MAC, meaning there were only three teams competing in the championship. Since Philadelphia finished atop the standings, it received a bye to the final while Raleigh and NOVA contested a play-in match. The Venom took an 8-0 lead on a Garber penalty and No. 8 Shawn Gatewood try, and then NOVA ended with the first-half momentum, as fullback Nicole Benedetti and flanker Megan Hanson scored, 10-8.
“My pre-game speech to my team always includes some mention of the following, ‘Hey guys, NOVA is a good team. They will most likely score on us. I don’t care if they score, I care how we respond. Will we be the team that responds to every try of theirs with a try of our own? Or will we be the team yelling at each other in the try zone, pointing fingers and placing blame and crumbling,'” Garber recited.
“I also think being down at halftime helped light a fire under us. We came out very strong in the second half and eventually I think we all felt the tides turn,” the captain added.
The teams traded unconverted tries within minutes of each other, as Raleigh wing Jaz Gray and NOVA wing Stephanie Barros dotted down. But then back-to-back scores from outside center Sarah Roshe and Gatewood and two Garber conversions gave Raleigh a 27-15 lead. Benedetti scored her second with minutes remaining, but Raleigh held on for the 27-20 win.
“The NOVA semifinal was, yes, another classic matchup between us. They missed four penalty kicks and two conversions – could have easily gone their way on a different day,” Garber reflected. “I will say that Venom showed a lot of resilience in that game. … We made plenty of mistakes that should’ve been punished with more points, but we fought until the very end and came out on top.”
A fresh Philadelphia awaited in the final, and the first half was tight. Raleigh took a 14-3 lead on tries from Gatewood and lock T Fletcher and two Garber conversions, while No. 8 Lucy Dawson kicked a penalty for Philly. The third quarter saw the score break open, as Gray and Gatewood (3) scored for Raleigh and scrumhalf Katie Cardone for Philly, 40-8 with Garber’s extras. A penalty on Cardone added a seven-point try, and before game’s end, the scrumhalf and prop Kristin Aliberto crossed for Philly’s 25 points. Cassidy Ring scored once more for Raleigh, 47-25 the final.
“That is some of the best rugby Venom has put together in my four years as captain,” Garber described a smoother performance. “We know we cannot take [Philadelphia] lightly though – it is not a fluke that they beat us twice and NOVA twice during regular season. I am looking forward to a more competitive game with them at regionals.”
On May 12, a repechage between Mid-Atlantic #2 Philadelphia and Atlantic North #2 Albany occurred to fill the South-vacated seed to regionals. A thriller evolved as Philly scored two converted tries in the first half, and then the Sirens matched. Albany scored the go-ahead points in minute 75, as inside center Catherine Lowere converted her own try, 19-14. But at the death Cardone scored the tying try and Coryn Rank’s extras afforded the 21-19 win. Since Philly enters as the fourth seed to the Eastern Regional Championship, it will face top-seeded Raleigh in the first round (May 19), and for the fourth time this season.
“[I]t feels very good to rebook the ticket. Every year we work even harder to get back to that place,” Garber referenced the regional championship stage. “At the beginning of the spring season I told my teammates if they wanted to be pushed back to Nationals I would spend more time than ever crafting practices, making them do film analysis homework assignments, running weekend touch games, etc. They all bought in and this season has been one of tremendous individual and team growth. If we continue to play together, I anticipate we will be heading back to Glendale once again.”
Eastern regionals occur in Obetz, Ohio, this weekend, May 19-20, while western regionals occur in Fort Worth, Texas. The teams that go 2-0 on the weekend advance to the national final.
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