“Women’s Rugby at Kansas State” is the team’s new official name / Photo: Patricia Noriega
Of the DII college conferences competing in the Midwest, the majority of them compete toward USA Rugby DII Fall Championship. In the following recap, only Mid-America participates in the spring playoffs, but the conference is hosting some league games in the fall.
RELATED: DI College Review (Midwest included) • DII College Fall Conferences Explained • Scores: Sept. 15-17
ALLEGHENY
Kent State is the newcomer and lone DI team in this hybrid league. The Golden Flashes won a 26-19 pre-season game against DI Mason Dixon’s Pittsburgh before defeating conference mate Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) 34-0 in Saturday’s season opener.
Former head coach Jeff Horton is still nearby building the new Youngstown State program, which is competing as a developmental squad this fall, and Hannah Henry (KSU class of 2016) is now head coach of Kent State. She gets help from team captain Alexis Barnes and forwards captain Hannah Trommer.
In Saturday’s league win, Brittany Davis and Dakota Steed scored two tries apiece, and Cheyenne Polverine scored one. Nicole Fogwell added nine points on a try and two conversions.
“We took Davis from the pack this season and put her at outside center – I think we’ve found a new home for her there,” Henry praised the try-scorer. “Hannah Parker also had a phenomenal game at scrumhalf.”
The Golden Flashes will play West Virginia, which defeated Slippery Rock 57-22 Saturday, in Ohio this weekend.
GREAT LAKES
A number of friendlies took place in this Michigan-based conference, and Grand Valley State banked a forfeit league win over Saginaw Valley. Had the game been official, then Grand Valley would have won 27-0, with Shelby Booth, Jordan Hubers, Elizabeth Randall, Mackenzie Moore and Brooke Scheafdenberger all contributing points.
GREAT WATERS
Five players scored tries and two kicked conversions in UW Stevens Point’s 75-0 win over Michigan Tech.
Freshman inside center Kendra Stoltz, in her first-ever rugby game, made 11 line-breaks, scored four tries and assisted two more, and carried for approximately 320 meters. Junior flyhalf Maham Khan scored four tries and senior Gigi Stahl added another three – two from wing and one from flanker. Loose forwards Rebecca Norton and Nalik Riopelle each added a try, and sophomore wing Alexi Olig (2) and freshman Lily Sletten (3) kicked conversions.
UW Eau Claire defeated Loyola 60-17 (scorers to come).
MID-AMERICA
The conference is no longer divided into east and west pools, and all nine teams must play each other. Women’s Rugby at Kansas State (KSU) has scheduled five of its eight league games in the fall and took on Missouri in its opener. Even though KSU scored four tries to Mizzou’s one, the first half was still manageable at 20-7. But then a steady second-half onslaught saw KSU pull away for the 50-12 win.
Scrumhalf Lilly Smith had a big day, scoring six tries, three of which occurred in the final seven minutes of the match. Inside center Bri Leonard scored a try on either side of the halftime break, and outside center Rayvin White and lock Katelyn Waldeier also dotted down. The reigning Mid-America champion will face University of Central Missouri this weekend.
NORTHERN LIGHTS
DII fall championship runner-up started the season with a 94-5 victory over UM Duluth. Former head coach Roger Riley, who is still involved with the program, explained that “after two huge graduation classes, we are very young, so it was gratifying to know that 14 of the 16 tries came from new or nearly new players.”
Backs Sydney Gould (3 tries) and Kaylee Klatt (2 tries) and No. 8 Alexandra Beardmore (3 tries) qualify as rugby rookies. Whereas back-three Haley Cederburg (1 try) and lock Summer Downs (1 try) are second-year Black Katts.
Fortunately there’s a healthy contingent of young players who are arriving with good high school experience, including back Abby Andler, who scored three tries and is a Bruisers (Wisc.) alumna; former Knightmares (Wisc.) players Tiffany Raash and Emily Becker, who scored a try apiece; and in-state product Dania Tapia, a flanker out of Armstrong who also scored a try.
In other conference news, St. Cloud State defeated North Dakota State 74-0. Sophia Opatz had a big day with five tries, and Brooke Feddema, Darian Lindsay, Cassie Brown and Erica McCann added a try piece. Jewelle Jacklen handled the kicking duties and tacked on another 10 points with two tries.
There are two NSCRO teams that requested to play DII competition before realigning with the small-school playoffs: Gustavus Aldophus and MSU Moorhead. The former defeated Mankato State 39-24. Kristen White and Sarah Bruihler scored two tries apiece for Gustavus Adolphus, while Quinn Bents, Jess Dirks and Sabrina Smith also dotted down. MSU Moorhead fell 26-10 to North Dakota, which got its tries from Breea Longley, Brooke Johnson, Katie Krepp and Emily Zok.
OHIO VALLEY
Ball State improved to 2-0, defeating Dayton 93-0. Of the nine try-scorers, Sydnee Bland led with five tries. • Ohio University bested Cedarville 52-7, and Cincinnati edged Eastern Kentucky 19-15. • Kentucky topped Western Kentucky 44-24 and saw Hannah Carrillo lead with 19 points on three tries and two conversions. Christina Rice dotted down two tries, and Jillian Gibney, Katie Simmons and Sarah Knox added a try apiece.
To submit match information, e-mail editor@therugbybreakdown.com by the Monday following the match.