Ithaca College (N.Y.) hosted its Ruck Be A Lady 15s tournament last weekend, and Syracuse University took home the title after four shutouts.
Geneseo and RIT fielded newer teams, and the former sent its seniors to the NSCRO 7s qualifier at Colgate. That resulted in some lopsided scores, but teams got plenty of field time during this early-season outing. Title-winner Syracuse defeated RIT 36-0, Ithaca 38-0 and Geneseo 51-0 during the round robin portion of the tournament.
“Syracuse was able to shut out every team with their relentless pressure on defense,” Syracuse head coach Chrissy Carpenter explained. “Molly Shoap and Katie Caprio put a lot of pressure on the opposing flyhalfs, and Anna Kilgallon and Jordan Phelps stole several rucks each game, making it difficult for the other team to maintain position for more than few minutes.”
That extra possession allowed the team to settle into its 242 offense, a newer strategy that transformed Syracuse from a 2-5 team in fall 2017 to a 5-2 team in fall 2018.
“We’ve continued working on the 242 offense, which not only confuses newer teams, but exposes the weaknesses of seasoned teams. It proved very effective against our opponents last weekend,” Carpenter noted. “In the forwards, senior Kate Conley stepped into a leadership role and had a commanding performance all day. With the opposition’s attention on Kate and her forward crew, outside backs Clare Coey and Kianna Lally were able to take advantage of overloads and uneven defense.”
The defense didn’t slacken in the final, nor did sophomore Coey or junior Lally, who led the team offensively. Syracuse ended the day with a 41-0 final win over Ithaca.
“The team worked as a unit, often having the ball go through 10-12 players’ hands before a score,” Carpenter explained that no one player had an MVP performance. “The tournament was a great experience for our new players and an opportunity to dust winter cobwebs off and get the spring started in the right direction.”
RUCK BE A LADY 15s
Ithaca College, NY
Syracuse 36-0 RIT
Syracuse 38-0 Ithaca
Syracuse 51-0 Geneseo
Ithaca 17-5 RIT
Ithaca 39-0 Geneseo
RIT 36-0 Geneseo
FINAL: Syracuse 41-0 Ithaca