Sun Shines on CRC 7s Championship Day

The 2023 Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) 7s took over the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., and survived a deluge on day one. A Herculean effort to rework the schedule and take advantage of a sunny Saturday was rewarded with four knockout women’s finals. In fact, all of the games in the stadium – which is intimate and well connected to the exterior fields – were stellar, and spectators joyfully cheered them on.

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The Small College 7s National Championship featured the 2022 15s national finalists: Endicott College and Lee University. But the duo had to get through some tough competition in order to see each again in a title fight.

“It was definitely in the back of our minds when we saw the lineup,” Endicott senior Jourdan VanAmburgh said of a potential rematch with Lee. “But we knew we had tasks at hand; we had to get through each game and then hope we’d see them there.”

Endicott had its hands full with Colby College in the opening round of pool play and beat the Maine squad 5-0. In Round 2, the Gulls shut out Univ. South Dakota 22-0. Meanwhile, Lee also posted two shutouts: 24-0 against Colorado College and 22-0 versus Marywood.

The unrelenting rain forced an early end to Friday’s games, as the facility had to protect the integrity of the grass fields, especially as two more days of competition awaited. That meant the quarterfinal round was eliminated, and semifinals kicked off Saturday’s play. Endicott took down York College 24-7, and Lee eliminated St. Bonaventure from title contention with a 22-10 victory.

“We were hoping to meet them there,” VanAmburgh said of Lee in the final. “In the tunnel, having banter, that’s fun, but we knew as soon as we stepped onto the field, it was go-time and we had to prove why we were national champions in the fall.”

Lee scored first through Alena Seaquist, and then Endicott answered through Tess Merrill: 5-5 into halftime.

“We definitely needed to check in with each other,” VanAmburgh said. “When they scored first we were all like, ‘This is going to be a long game. This is something we’re going to have to put our grit and heart into.’ Everything we worked for all season needed to come out today.”

The try-trading continued in the second half, as VanAmburgh and the dynamic Ava Zopf dotted down, 10-10. The scoreline held past regulation, but the game was being contested deep in Lee’s end.

“The ball was in the middle of the field,” VanAmburgh recounted the final 30 seconds of the match. “We were in 15s mode. We’re a very forwards team so it’s the crash, the crash, the crash. And then I saw there was no one in one corner, so from the top of my lungs I’m screaming to my teammates, ‘Pass it right! Pass it right!'”

The ball did move right, and VanAmburgh took on a final defender to dive over the try line: 15-10 the final.

“From sophomore year and not having to play rugby with masks, to being here now, it’s just a great feeling,” the graduating senior said. “It’s an amazing program, an amazing team and an amazing experience I wouldn’t change for the world.”

Grace Kenkel was named MVP for influential play on both sides of the ball.

The women’s Division II final followed and featured CRC returning champion Roger Williams University and CRC newcomer Colorado School of Mines. The Hawks advanced to the playoffs after first shutting out Shippensburg (39-0) and UT San Antonio (38-0) in pool play. Mines topped Salisbury 22-0 and then Wayne State College 10-0 on Friday. Like Small College, the quarterfinal round was scrapped due to bad weather.

In the Saturday sun, tries from Bianca Caprio, Casey Dunbar and Emma Wright helped Roger Williams to a 24-5 semifinal win against Grand Valley State University. Meanwhile, Mines kept its shutout streak intact with a 17-0 victory against UW Eau Claire (the reigning DII 15s national champion).

The finalists were really well matched, and the first half of the championship evolved without a score.

“At halftime, it was just saying that we need to be making those tackles,” said senior Tiana Adams, who co-captains the team alongside Dunbar. “They were quick to counter-ruck, too, so we needed to be there for the seal and everything like that.”

The teams traded scores in the second half, 5-5, and the Hawks survived a yellow card disadvantage. Well after the final buzzer, Natalia Comiskey scored the game-winner, 10-5.

“When we saw that last try, the two captains, me and Casey, we collapsed,” Adams said. “For me to get a yellow card, and for the team to pick it up and continue and win – it’s absolutely amazing.

“I absolutely love games like that, instead of when it’s easy,” the graduating senior added. “I’d rather win when we’re really fighting. This is just what I wanted to end [my college career].”

Coincidentally, the Division I Club finalists went 2-1 during Friday pool play. Clemson University beat Cornell 34-0 and Pittsburgh 38-0, and then dropped its third match 19-12 to Boise State. UMASS bested Colgate 22-0 and Wisconsin 12-7, and then ended Friday with a 17-10 loss to Baylor University.

Those third-round teams all advanced to the Saturday semifinals and two intense games evolved. UMASS and Boise State necessitated two sudden-death overtimes before the former won 17-12. Clemson held off Baylor 10-5 in an equally thrilling game.

“We were kind of the underdog coming into this. We didn’t know what to expect,” said Clemson captain Ava Weston, who noted the size and physicality of the opposition. “But yes, we were 100%, ‘Let’s win this.’ And we knew we could do it.”

Clemson and UMASS scored two tries apiece in the first half. Manessa Molinaro and Weston dotted down for the Tigers, while Erin Bergeron scored twice for UMASS. Clemson notched a conversion, though: 12-10 to the South Carolina squad.

Two lead changes followed in the second half, but Clemson had the legs to log two extra tries: 29-17 the final. Grace Mowery was named championship MVP.

The women’s competitions culminated with the Premier title game, which occurred under sunny skies and packed stands.

The Premier division was the only single-elimination competition, so there was no room for an early-round loss. Eventual finalist Army beat Aquinas 44-0 in the Round of 16 and Southern Nazarene 57-0 in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, fellow NCAA DI varsity program Brown knocked out Kutztown 54-0 in the opening round, then Northern Iowa 29-0 in the Round of 8.

Under faster conditions but against stiffer defenses, Army beat Penn State 17-5 in Saturday’s semifinals, and Brown topped Navy 19-0 for a berth to the trophy match. A really fast and physical game played out, and Army took a 14-7 halftime lead. Kaylee Cargile and Cecelia Ollis scored tries and Sydney Schaaf kicked the extras. Championship MVP Mahdia Parker split those scores with the first of two tries, dummying through the middle and burning through the defense.

After the break, Parker was yellow carded but Brown rallied with six players on the pitch, seeing Nikki Lynch into the try zone. The conversion tied it up: 14-all. Army retook the lead when Olivia Popp sprinted down the sideline for a long-range try in the corner, 19-14, but the Bears had one more try in the tank. Akilah Cathey got the ball and just busted through the middle of the field for a massive breakaway that electrified the crowd.

“As you can, she’s such a powerhouse,” Parker said of the USA U20 player. “I told her, ‘Keep running. Back yourself! Back yourself!’ When she felt a little tug on her shorts, that’s when she gave it to me, so we have pretty good communication. I’m so proud of her. She’s only a sophomore. I’m so excited to see what she does for the next two years.”

Cathey offloaded to Parker just short of the try line, and the graduating senior scored the go-ahead points, 21-19. Army had a chance to build another score, working off of back-to-back penalty advantages, but Brown held on for the win.

“They’re such fierce competitors,” Parker said of Army. “They wear their hearts on their sleeves as well. They gave us a battle until the very end. Just grateful to have that challenge. It proves where Brown is right now and where we’re going. We’re out there. We’re at the top right now.”