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The National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division III 15s Championship was a rematch from 2024, and the 2025 edition mirrored that game in intensity, just not in result. On Sunday, The Colorado School of Mines won its first national title, beating 2024 champ Endicott College 38-29 in the trophy match. The game included two lead changes, a Herculean comeback, and gritty battles all over the pitch. Sophomore fullback Piper Lee was named Championship MVP. [lead photo: Jackie Finlan / TRB]
Both teams won their respective semifinals convincingly. Inside Houston’s Sabercats Stadium on Saturday, Mines beat nationals first-timer Siena College out of Loudonville, N.Y., 61-5 in a game that was called early due to injuries and lack of front row subs (see photos). Lee led the team with 27 points on three tries and six conversions — some of which were five meters off the touchline.
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Freshmen outside backs Kate Osborn and Ayana Mejorado scored a brace of tries apiece, while sophomore flanker Amy Sessions and junior center Kylie Bogert also dotted down. Mejorado also kicked two conversions. Flanker Gabriela Jimenez accounted for Siena’s try.
The match was also noteworthy due to the successful use of a Coach’s Challenge, a fun addition to this year’s championships. Each team was awarded one opportunity to review a try specifically (versus, say, a penalty), and Mines head coach Dan Roder successfully used his Coach’s Challenge to overturn a no-try ruling.
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Meanwhile, Endicott won its semifinal against East Stroudsburg, a rematch from 2024 as well. This year’s match was much closer than last year’s year, and the scoreboard did not move until 20 minutes into the match. But the Gulls found their form, taking a 22-5 lead into the break before finishing with a 43-15 win. See photos.
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Seven different players scored Endicott’s tries: sophomore Colleen Mitchell, juniors Kaila Bartolotti and Marin Shaffer, and seniors Laila Baer, Alyssa Mellin, Chloe Marconi and Laryssa Landmesser. Senior Caitlin Padeck added four conversions. ESU inside center Tara Bogansky scored two tries while All-American Julia Nilsen added one.
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On Sunday, the 3rd place match occurred first and ESU triumphed against Siena 50-10. Then Mines and Endicott took to the stadium.
Endicott controlled the opening possession but an aggressive Mines defense steadily forced the Gulls into retreat. Once the Orediggers got their hands on the ball and into scoring position, the forwards went to work at the line before ball moved wide to Osborn on the wing, 5-0.
The Gulls evened up at the 13-minute mark, as center Landmesser got involved in the forward drive at the try line and dotted down the dive-over, 5-5. Endicott got into some penalty trouble, and Mines rolled that advantage into another forwards series at the line before moving the ball to Osborn for another five points. Lee converted for the 12-5 lead.
Osborn, with Emma Acker in support / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Mines did a very good job building overloads out wide and Endicott’s defense was not shifting fast enough. Osborn went on another tear and drew a high-tackle penalty, followed by a yellow card, which helped set up lock Charlotte Siervogel’s try, 17-5.
Ten minutes later, Lee went for a big breakaway that Endicott flyer Colleen Mitchell tracked down, preventing what looked like an assured try. These two engaged in the best battle all day, one that all fans couldn’t help but appreciate.
But Mines was back in a good part of the pitch, and after another Lee break, penalty and attacking scrum, the forwards went back to work at the line before moving the ball to the other wing, Paige Kieschnick, for the try. Lee’s extras made it 24-5 into the break.
Photo: Jackie Finlan
Mines had a pretty comfortable lead, but did start the second half with a yellow card penalty for not rolling away. As the teams readied for a reset, the first wave of Mines substitutes rolled onto the pitch. The impact on the scrum was felt immediately, and Endicott drew the first of three advantageous penalties in that set piece. The Gulls used that favorable territory and player advantage to put Mitchell away for a try, 24-12.
Minutes later, Mitchell was back in the try zone after waves of big carries from players like No. 8 Marin Shaffer, prop Chloe Marconi and reserve prop Mellin got Mines shuffling on defense. Landmesser did an excellent job of running intimidatingly hard lines in the green zone and then freeing the ball for Mitchell to finish, 24-17 after seven minutes.
The momentum shift was palpable and kept building. Lee ran down Mitchell on a big breakaway, halting the fleet-footed wing right at the try line. But Endicott was in good position and stayed there with a scrum that was able to steal possession. At minute 54, Shaffer barreled over the line for the try, and Padeck’s conversion attempt hit the upright before pinging over the crossbar, 24-all.
Landmesser with ball, Williams with back (Photo: Jackie Finlan / TRB)
Landmesser kept getting through the outside defense and went for a 30-meter romp. The center couldn’t outpace Lee, but Mitchell was right there for the tackle, picked from the base and took off for the line. Incredibly, Lee popped up from the Landmesser tackle and caught Mitchell at the line, but the wing had learned her lesson from the previous chase down, wrestled her arms free and extended across the line for the dot-down.
Endicott, in the most incredible comeback in a championship final, overtook the lead 29-24.
Mines needed … something. Everyone was working hard and some truly inspirational defensive performances from players like McKenzie Williams, reserve Jade Leveille and of course Lee built some rally energy throughout the ranks. With eight minutes on the clock, Mines No. 8 Kaylyn Courtney dove over the line to tie up 29-all, and then Lee’s conversion kick hit the upright as well and then bounced over the crossbar. There was still plenty of game to play as Mines walked back to midfield with a 31-29 lead, but then Lee broke Endicott’s heart.
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From the restart, Mejorado returned the ball strongly into the defense, and then Lee picked from the base and just shot through the line. A big step on the final defender, a sprint to the try line, and Lee dotted down beneath the posts before converting her own score: 38-29. There the score held for the remainder of the game, and Lee deservedly was named Championship MVP. The sophomore is a game changer, both with ball in hand — so fast and nimble — and on defense, just relentless and solid.
Endicott of course deserves praise for the monumental turn-around in the second half, and similarly, Mines will cherish this first 15s national championship as one that was earned, not given. Here’s hoping these two teams see each other in spring 7s.
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In other championship news, the U.S. Coast Guard beat Univ. Wisconsin Eau Claire 51-12 in the DII title match, and Northeastern University earned the DI-AA trophy with a 44-10 win against Colorado University Boulder. DI Southern Nazarene University played its finale against DI-AA Univ. Northern Iowa, which replaced Wheeling University days before kickoff, and won 82-21.