Kaitlyn Broughton was very influential for Old Blue today. /// Photo courtesy Old Blue Women’s RFC •
Want upsets, breakout performances and everything in between? Then welcome to the Women’s Club 7s National Championship. Sixteen teams played four games apiece at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., today and now four sides are still in contention for the trophy.
Two of those teams are official National Development Academy (NDA) sides – American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC) and Scion – and a third, Old Blue, is fueled by all but one Northeast Academy member. ORSU is the club representative in tomorrow’s Cup semifinals.
The Cup quarterfinals started with two shutout victories. Scion exerted so much pressure in its 45-0 win over Berkeley, and saw hooker Sam Pankey account for three tries. Pankey, Abby Gustaitis (try-scorer), Stacey Bridges and Sara Parsons were able to create separation with would-be tacklers and kept the ball alive through the middle of the field. Saskia Morgan was influential in contact and the straightaway as well and added five points.
Berkeley was starved for the ball, but also tired from a long game of defense. Emily Fulbrook took advantage, quickly popped to her feet after the tackle and sprinted into unguarded territory for the penultimate try. And Michelle Perna ended the match with some nice stop-and-go on the sideline for the corner try. Kimber Rozier slotted her five conversion attempts for the 45-0 win.
ARPTC only led NOVA 12-0 at the break, as the Virginia side was clearly amped in facing the reigning national champion. Abby Vestal and Elizabeth Stratton scored the first-half tries, and Wooden converted. The academy side stayed consistent in the second half, adding three more tries through Stratton, Michaela Baker and Ashley Perry, who ended the game with an intercept try, 33-0.
The other side of the bracket was more closely contested, and the team that scored first ended up winning. ORSU came out firing against San Diego, as Paris Hart broke down the sideline for a big gain. The ball worked to the opposite touchling, where San Juanita Moreno pushed off one defender for the try. Molly Luft kept that momentum going, breaking through the middle into San Diego’s 10 meter. A phase later, the flyhalf looped around the weak side of the tackle for Rachel Johnson’s pop pass into the try zone, 10-0.
San Diego answered before the break, using a one-player advantage to send Danielle Miano in for five points, 10-5 into halftime.
Substitutes worked their magic in the second half. ORSU’s Beckett Royce stood up Kyla Roth as she barreled to the try line, but Tia Blythe was right there for the pick-and-dive, 12-10.
ORSU countered San Diego’s momentum with an immediate try. Anna Symonds powered through two defenders in the middle of the field and pulled away until Blythe planted the pursuit tackle. Support on both sides of the ball was quick, but Johnson saw room on the short side for an easy try, 15-12. San Diego had a couple more chances that ended in turnovers, and the Oregon team held on for the semifinal berth.
Seattle hurt itself early on when it committed three high-tackle penalties in quick succession during its quarterfinal against Old Blue. Averi Kitsch was yellow-carded on the third offense and Old Blue attacked from inside Seattle’s 22 meter. Kate Daley found room for the centered try, converted by Kat Ramage.
Daley was instrumental in the next try, working the defense out wide and shipping the ball to Sarah Buonopane once the defense stepped inside. The hooker flew down the sideline for the score, and Ramage’s conversion made it 14-0 at halftime.
Again, the reserves were key. Kelsi Stockert came on in the second half, and she make a difference. She took the final pop pass from Megan Sanders at pace and just rumbled past the sweeper to beneath the posts, 7-0 with Sanders’ conversion.
The deep restart took a fortuitous bounce into touch at Old Blue’s five meter. Seattle laid the pressure on thick, trying to force a turnover or tackle in the try zone. Finally, Old Blue was called for offsides, and Sanders tapped through the mark and dove over for her converted try, 14-all.
And then it was time for Old Blue’s reserve to make an impact. Tahlia Brody immediately answered with a try, cutting back across the defense for a long-range score, converted by Ramage, 21-14 and the win.
There were many great games and performances that preceded the quarterfinals, including: the Chicago Griffins, who were the essence of drama, dropping three single-digit games and pushing Seattle to 17-7; NOVA winning two two-point games; and Florida’s Phoenix and Orlando winning their respective Bowl quarterfinals over Boston and Austin.
Sunday’s Cup semifinals begin with ARPTC vs. Scion at 11:20 a.m. Mountain, followed by Old Blue vs. ORSU at 11:40 a.m.
CLUB 7s CHAMPIONSHIPSaturday, Aug. 13Cup QuarterfinalsScion 45-0 Berkeley ARPTC 33-0 NOVAORSU 15-12 San DiegoOld Blue 21-14 Seattle
Bowl QuarterfinalsOrlando 14-5 Austin Glendale 29-10 TempePhoenix 12-5 Boston
Youngbloodz 22-17 Chicago Griffins
POOL PLAY
Pool AARPTC 45-0 Phoenix ARPTC 38-7 Old Blue ARPTC 26-10 Youngbloodz Old Blue 19-17 Youngbloodz Old Blue 33-0 Phoenix Youngbloodz 29-12 Phoenix
Pool BSeattle 45-7 Boston Seattle 40-0 NOVASeattle 17-7 Chicago Griffins NOVA 14-12 Chicago Griffins NOVA 14-12 Boston Boston 17-15 Chicago Griffins
Pool CSan Diego 38-5 Austin San Diego 26-7 Glendale San Diego 31-5 Berkeley Berkeley 22-5 Glendale Berkeley 24-7 Austin Glendale 15-7 Austin
Pool DScion 41-0 TempeScion 26-0 OrlandoScion 22-19 ORSU ORSU 17-7 OrlandoORSU 38-5 Tempe Orlando 34-12 Tempe
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