The DII Rocky Mountain conference pared down this year, as two teams (Montana State and Utah State) elevated to the conference’s Division I, Boise State joined the DI Pacific Mountain conference, and Colorado Springs did not participate. Attention turned to Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines – both conference semifinalists in 2016 – and the duo did not disappoint.
RELATED: DI & DII College Fall Brackets • Women’s Rugby Results: Nov. 3-5 • Rocky Mountain Rugby Conference
Last year, it was Colorado Mesa that had better success during the regular season, going 8-0 and defeating Mines twice. But when the teams met in mid-September and produced a 28-28 draw, it became clear that there was more parity in 2017.
Mines captain Syd Slouka confirmed as much. The scrumhalf described a team that is enjoying the best numbers, depth and range it’s had in Slouka’s five years. The team has also evolved in its level of commitment.
“Although we have had lots of positivity and set goals in the past, this year, each player individually has put in that extra little bit of positivity and motivation to achieve our goal, because we know each of our sisters is doing the same,” Slouka reflected. “With everyone contributing a little bit more, together, we can go a long ways. Our success this season has come from positivity, having tangible goals, and holding each other accountable for that.”
The team banked some important lessons against Colorado Mesa in September and continued through league undefeated. The duo then reunited in the conference championship on Oct. 28, with a trip to the DII fall championships on the line.
“In our first game against Mesa, we were nervous, and that nervous energy distracted us from making catches and making tackles,” Slouka recapped. “The next time we faced Mesa, what changed was that we knew we were going to make mistakes from our nerves, but it was how we reacted to our mistakes.”
Instead of lamenting an error and turning on each other, Mines recognized mistakes and worked to fix them.
“It was transforming that energy from worrying about messing up, to utilizing it for positive, forward-acting energy,” the captain continued.
Colorado Mesa took the first lead of the match, as fullback Audrey Kachin scored the first of her two first-half tries, and the game remained close through 30 minutes. But as halftime neared, Mines started to put real distance between itself and Mesa. After 80 minutes, Mines won 71-27.
Outside center Casey Harmon scored five tries in the outing, while flyhalf Shannon McCarty dotted down another three. Slouka kicked eight conversions, and No. 8 Mary Oglesby, flanker Caelyn Rittenhouse and wing Hayley Lansing added a try apiece.
The victory marked Mines’ first-ever conference title and the team will continue this season of firsts into the DII fall championships. The team will report to Lemont, Ill., on Nov. 18-19 to face the winner of North Dakota vs. UW LaCrosse in the fall Round of 16.
“To win,” Slouka asserted the team’s post-season goals. “Throughout the years we have called ourselves, ‘tiny but mighty,’ because we have always been the smaller of the schools at all our games.”
The captain explained that the Colorado School of Mines has 27% female enrollment, so the player pool is small, and thus the roster is small but special. The team does everything together and, “We simply love spending time together because we can be who we are with each other,” the captain concluded. “And because of that, our goal is to keeping winning and to get as far as we can in playoffs so that we can keep playing and keeping this family together.”
To view the full DI & DII college fall brackets, click here.
#ColoradoSchoolofMines