Maryland readied itself for a tough outing at the Northeast Regional Cup Tournament (RCT), which was a difficult weekend in terms of player availability. The team traveled north with just 14 players for Saturday, added a 15th on Sunday, and finished the day with 13 on the pitch. Maryland also ended the day with a Tier 1 trophy.
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“They’re warriors,” Maryland All-Star coach Scott Hoffman beamed. “The girls knew it would be tough sledding, but we had a very strong side even with numbers being down.”
The Maryland select side drew mostly from North Bay, which was coming off two runner-up performances at the High School Club National Invitational Tournament and HSRC 7s (aka CRC 7s high school tournament). North Bay’s flyhalf and rising senior Alex Pipkin served as backs captain. The team also featured four strong players from the Maryland Exiles, and standout Lauren Ferridge led by example as forwards captain during the RCT weekend.
But the team was mostly forwards, with only three traditional backs on the roster.
“The girls are very receptive about what we have to do to make it work,” Hoffman said of players out of position. “As coaches, we talked about it in the car [to New Jersey], really just letting the girls play and let them try different positions. If a coach or selector asked to see a player in a certain position, then we’d entertain that.”
These scenarios always produce a couple of eye-opening performances, and this RCT was no exception. Sam Tancredi, for example, is typically found at the back of the scrum, but transferred to the centers and earned back MVP on Sunday.
“One girl who really impressed me Sunday was SaraGrace McCannon,” Hoffman said. “She’s a second row or back row historically but played wing all day Sunday. … Camile White is one of the fastest players at the high school level, and she went on this breakaway run, and SaraGrace was right with her. Where did those feet from come from? I’ve never seen her move like that.”
Maryland’s tournament began with a 38-14 win over Connecticut, a team that North Bay had also played during the Northeast Invitational earlier in the spring. Wisconsin followed. The Jeff Noe-led program was the only state to bring Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams aside from the host, and had started its day with two 55-5 wins over both New Jersey teams. Maryland led Wisconsin with no time on the clock, and then a try to end the game afforded Wisconsin the 24-20 win.
“The effect was two-fold,” Hoffman said of Saturday’s outcome. “They were confident but a little down after having Wisconsin on the ropes and letting it get away from us in the end. But we were positive heading into Sunday: We were getting back to 15.”
Ferridge and Morgan Knotts were named forward and back of the day, respectively, while Camile White was named overall MVP for Saturday. White and Pipkin had spent a week at Army West Point for the Summer Leaders Experience, and drove straight down to New Jersey for the weekend tournament.
In round three, Maryland beat New Jersey Sunday morning, and then Pennsylvania topped Wisconsin 36-20. If Maryland beat Pennsylvania in the final round, then three teams would end 3-1 and the champion would be named on point differential. Pennsylvania was sad to lose hard-charging loose forward Joannah Skucek, who scored seven tries in three games, to injury, and Maryland fought through dwindling numbers, ending the game with 13 players.
Overall tournament MVP Pipkin led the way, while forwards MVP Lilli Heineman and backs MVP Tancredi also inspired. Maryland won 36-10 and thus the Northeast RCT title.
“I thought the competition was good. It was a nice cross-section,” Hoffman considered the five-team Tier 1 field. “Everyone was weakened by player availability, but also the rules that USA Rugby puts in place in regard to [Tier 1 and Tier 2] are always going to hurt. … I was floored that we received a [Tier 1] waiver for a 15-year-old who wasn’t turning 16 until next month but has been playing varsity with [North Bay] for two years. She wouldn’t have been able to play if we didn’t get that waiver.”
Hoffman’s critiques are mirrored throughout the country (read more) and center around the differences between the girls’ and boys’ high school games. Maryland has scheduled another all-star game against Virginia and won’t apply USA Rugby’s age barriers. There won’t, however, be a replay of the Mid-Atlantic All-Star tournament, an additional fixture that occurred at Mount St. Mary’s last year. Hoffman explained that with the renewed important of the RCTs and the necessity to compete at these events to be seen, it would be a disservice to the players to not attend. Hoffman spent a good amount of time talking to collegiate coaches from Life University, LIU Post, Colby Sawyer, Dartmouth and USA Rugby scout Kitt Wagner Ruiz in New Jersey.
The RCT caps a very busy year for North Bay, which is taking a break this summer. Coaches are encouraging players to rest, heal and stay on top of strength-and-conditioning. And then in August, North Bay will start ramping up for the Pennsylvania fall 7s season. The Maryland team is allowed to participate in the regular season, driving up the competition level, but not the post-season.
MARYLAND ALL-STARS
Hailey Thomas – prop, North Bay
Keirsten Reynolds – hooker, North BayMikayla Cunningham – prop, Maryland ExilesLilli Heineman – lock, Maryland ExilesRebecca Rossi – lock, North BayMorgan Knotts – wing, North BaySaraGrace McCannon – flanker, North BayLauren Ferridge – flanker, Maryland ExilesKat Butterfield – scrumhalf, North Bay Alex Pipkin – flyhalf, North BayMaddy Hill – lock, North Bay Tori Lunsford – No. 8, North BayMaddy Herringa – center, Maryland ExilesCamile White – center, North BaySam Tancredi – No. 8, North Bay
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