Salisbury earlier in 2018 / Photos: Brad Moore
Salisbury’s path to the DII College Spring Championship playoffs had to wend through an at-large process and play-in game, but it has been rewarded for the diligence. After finishing fourth in the fall-based Capital conference, the small Maryland school put its collective head down and made good use of the opportunities it created.
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After a successful, competitive spring, USA Rugby approved Salisbury’s at-large bid to join the spring playoffs. But first it had to contest a play-in game against Carolinas runner-up College of Charleston in South Carolina – a week before the DII Spring Round of 16. Salisbury won that game 31-12 (read more) and booked its travel to Greenville, N.C., for official entry into the spring playoffs.
“We had a really good week of practice going into Saturday but we were a little nervous,” Salisbury coach Brock Brooks said of the Spring Round of 16 match against George Washington. “For most of them, it was their first time at [the spring championships]. But we were playing a team we played twice already and looking for vengeance from the conference championship.”
Earlier in the month, Salisbury won a 38-5 contest against the D.C. team, recompense for the triple-overtime loss to George Washington in the Capital semifinals. Brooks noted some nerves in the first 5-10 minutes, but then the communication picked up and the team cruised to a 94-10 win.
“Our team focus is on defense, and our offense pivots off of defensive play,” Brooks said. “All week we practiced different defensive schemes and assignments. We started making subs with about 20 minutes left in the game, and until then, I’m pretty sure they didn’t cross midfield.”
Outside center Ciara Harbaugh scored five tries, but Brooks explained that they weren’t breakaway, individual efforts but the result of maneuvering into position and finishing off team movements. Presley Chaney, Elisa Rivera and Haley Sheldon also scored tries through the backs. Shannon Lanham, Sophie Clendenin, Kirby Given and Kaitlyn Jones dotted down forward tries, while scrumhalf Sara Mercado handled the extras.
George Washington, which was down 6-7 starters, rebounded with a 29-28 win over Catholic University in Sunday’s consolation match.
“Coming out of the George Washington win, it boosted them but not too much, especially knowing we had another team to play the next day. It’s been a while since we went back-to-back like that,” Brooks said. “It was mostly about getting ice, seeing the trainer, staying hydrated – recovering.”
Meanwhile, Brooks was able to take in UNC Charlotte’s 48-34 win over Catholic. The coach worked out the Mean Green’s game plan and began strategizing for Sunday.
“A lot of it was one-on-one tackles that went well and were supported afterward,” Brooks said. “We would bait them into individual crashes, make the tackle and then poach. We’ve been practicing it all week.”
That speed and work rate produced good turnover ball, and then halfbacks Mercado and Rivera put the offense into motion. UNC Charlotte wasn’t at full strength either and Salisbury was able to post a 68-0 spring quarterfinal win, as Chaney, Jones, Mercado, Danielle McCreary, Marla McNeil and Maria Beteta scored tries.
Salisbury competed in the 2016 spring final four, but there are only a handful of remaining players who experienced that overtime semifinal loss to eventual champion Tulane. But the current team has its own version of overcoming adversity this season, and will lean on that journey when preparing for May 4 opponent Claremont Colleges in Fullerton, Calif. On the other side of the bracket, Tulane and Fresno State vie for a spot in the DII Spring Championship final on May 5.
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