Photos: Amy Kish
The first of three Midwest club 7s qualifiers occurred in Cottage Grove, Wisc., last weekend, and the Chicago Lions finished the day with a Madtown 7s trophy and the maximum amount of standings points. Two more qualifiers – July 8 in Cleveland and July 15 in Brighton, Mich. – will occur before the Midwest club 7s championship on July 29 in Cincinnati, and series standings will seed teams into the regional tournament.
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But there is an interesting caveat to the Midwest 7s series this year, and it affects the Chicago Lions. If a team wins all three Midwest qualifiers, then it will bypass the regional championship and take the number-one seed directly to nationals. The Midwest 7s championship will then be used to determine the second seed to the club 7s national championship.
The automatic berth is quite the incentive, but there is an ever-broadening, talented field that will make consecutive tournament wins difficult.
“It has been exciting to watch the competition in the Midwest steadily improve over the past few years,” remarked Chicago Lions veteran and vice captain Sarah Kish. “Last weekend, the returning qualifier teams looked like they had continued training in the off-season and were picking up where they had ended last summer. Everyone is ready to step their game up to a new level. Minneapolis [formerly Youngbloodz] and Cincinnati were both fierce opponents in the bracket. Both teams are led by strong veterans but also have young players that will add depth to their squads.”
The 7s-only Lions find themselves in a similar situation, with veteran returners forming the core, and newcomers adding dimension to the team’s game.
“Last weekend, returning individuals like Devon Gold played a significant role in our success while additions like Danielle Ordway and Jess Enderby make us more dynamic and add depth to our roster,” Kish explained. “Additionally, for the first time this summer, we have enough players to field a competitive open side. These girls are tremendous athletes who broaden our development pool and make us stronger as a club.”
The Chicago Lions’ qualifier team went 5-0 Saturday, defeating 1823 25-5, Circle City Tempests 34-0 and Chicago Griffins 24-0 during pool play. The team then bettered the Cincinnati Wolfhounds in the semifinals before defeating Minneapolis 26-10 in the final. Minneapolis is the Youngbloodz rebranded, and the women’s side is coached by Katie Johnson.
“As far as this summer goes, I’m excited to see the new teams competing in the qualifier bracket,” wrote Kish, who is eager for the high-quality that awaits.
And while an automatic berth to nationals is attractive, Kish asserted that winning the Midwest 7s championship is a team goal. The Lions will test and evaluate its squad throughout the summer, potentially sacrificing a first-place trophy in order to build depth, but gaining insight as a reward. Additionally, the Midwest 7s championship is a good competition to have before nationals, as the intensity on the pitch changes once season-ending stakes are at play.
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