New fullback Melisa Efe has been a great addition to WVU. •
West Virginia University (WVU) has guaranteed its inclusion in the DII college fall playoffs, having clinched the Allegheny seed to the Round of 32. WVU defeated Slippery Rock 42-10 Saturday to improve to 3-0 against its two DII counterparts and will advance regardless of its outcome against IUP this Saturday.
The West Virginia program was established in 2000, and Brian Lemme has been leading the team the previous five years as head coach.
“When I first took over the program, it was in a transition phase. The numbers were really low and we didn’t have the core group of players who were really dedicated and had that drive to win,” Lemme said. “Then three years ago, a group of freshmen came in, and there are 5-6 still around, and we rebuilt around them.”
Those players who revitalized the WVU team are juniors today and remain influential. Difference-makers include current captains – flyhalf Holly Duncan in the backs, and utility forward Megan Zimcosky in the pack – and No. 8 Kaley Sliders, a former captain. Also integral to the core group of players are prop Samantha Morris, lock Chloe Lochbaum, scrumhalf Cassie Alves, and centers Courtney Mulcare and Erika Ridgway. That group is bolstered by incoming talent like fullback Melisa Efe (pictured) and brand-new wing Sayward Gohman-Kramer, who scored four tries Saturday. They inject athleticism into the depth chart.
“Last year, we were in this position where if we won against IUP, then we would have qualified for playoffs,” Lemme reflected on the seed-clinching game Saturday. “It didn’t go our way then, but they have a lot more confidence this year. … Coming into this fall, it really showed itself. One of the biggest factors for their success this year is that they’ve been playing together for years now. They have unity, they’re bonding, and having fun with each other.”
There are a couple of concerns, however. The team has 18-19 healthy players, and while Lemme and squad are rallying behind a “do what we have to do” mentality, numbers can make or break a long season. Additionally, the build-up hasn’t necessarily benefitted WVU. Fall 2016 is the second season in which the Allegheny conference has supported a hybrid league – one that is divided into DII and NSCRO pools and contests crossovers to fill out teams’ schedule, among other objectives. The restructuring has seen more and developing programs find a competition in which they can grow, but there are sacrifices, too.
“There are more cons for us,” Lemme said of the three-team Division II. “Other teams should be able to step back up into DII. I think it’d be better if teams were brought back and the league was larger. The DII teams see each other twice, so you’re basically checking whether you’ve made adjustments since the last time you played each other.”
That said, Lemme has been satisfied with the competition that IUP and Slippery Rock provide.
“They’re good, solid teams, and would probably hold their own in any other conference, if not be mid-pack,” the coach said. “It’s pretty much ‘the best team on the day,’ or whether you’re playing home or away [that decides victories].”
West Virginia will finish its local season against IUP, and then use its NSCRO crossover against Clarion to work its bench and tune-up for the post-season. In the fall Round of 32, the Allegheny champ will host the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) third-place team on Nov. 12 (per the publicized brackets). The victor will advance to the Midwest regional championships in Cincinnati, Nov. 19-20, for the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. The team that exists that weekend 2-0 heads to the fall final four in South Carolina.
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