USA Club Rugby welcomed in the Columbus Day weekend with a bevy of matches on the men’s and women’s sides. Teams across the country battled their rivals for divisional supremacy while others put their finishing touches on their seasons.
Atlantic North
Women's
In DII Empire, Morris’ Hannah Septoff scored one minute into the match against Uticuse, but that was the end of the scoring for the New Jersey side. The upstate New York team rallied with tries through Victoria Davis (2), Christine Carpenter and Sydney Scannell, who also kicked two conversions, for a 24-5 win. It marked the Lions’ first (non-forfeit) loss of the fall.
Lauren Mollenthiel’s hat trick led Danbury to a 38-5 win over Union, and Brooklyn banked a 71-21 win over Long Island. No team is undefeated in this league, and there are still three weeks of regular-season play.
In DII New England, it doesn’t get much better than Providence vs. Worcester. Both teams produced two tries, but Providence’s two conversions afforded the 14-10 win.
“Worcester is definitely our biggest competition every year and really tests us as a team,” Providence captain Tiara Mack explained. “The game really came down to being calm under pressure and possession throughout the majority of the game. We were able to force errors on their back line by putting them under pressure, we were able to poach balls by being quick to the rucks, and we were able to capitalize on mistakes in the lineouts. Their scrums proved to be dominant in the first half—winning their ball and ours— but our scrum came together in the second half to win clean ball for our backs and play our fast-paced game.”
Both teams are 4-1, but Worcester (20) has more bonus points than Providence (17) to lead the standings. Hartford beat Charles River 39-21, and Albany defeated Burlington 41-17. There’s one more round of league play before a DIII crossover match and then NERFU playoffs.
In Division III, Amoskeag held off Seacoast 22-19 to remain undefeated, and South Shore picked up a 42-12 win over Upper Valley.
Men's
With New England idle for the holiday weekend, the Empire took center stage. Only two weeks remain in the DII schedule and the competition for the seeding of the four playoff spots is fierce. The Fairfield Yankees jumped to the top of the table when they squeezed out a 47-38 win over Long Island. After surging to a 34-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the match, the Yankees survived a furious comeback attempt by its opponent. Previously undefeated Buffalo Rugby Club dropped to second place following a 33-9 loss to New York and White Plains rounds out the top three with its fourth win in a row. White Plains’ flanker Onyeukwu Onwukonjo broke out for three tries in the 62-21 victory over versus the New Haven Old Black.
Saturday’s action in DIII was the penultimate weekend for the fall regular season. There is only room for eight teams in the playoffs as the winners of each of the four divisions advance as well as the next four top teams. Brooklyn secured the top spot in the NYC group beating the Gotham Knights, 41-38. In a game that featured eight lead changes, Brooklyn’s Daniel Newcombe scored a try at the 80-minute mark to pull out the win. Old Blue D3 also locked up a playoff spot with a crushing 71-7 defeat of the Village Lions. A third team from NYC could have a chance to make the playoffs next weekend when Gotham hosts Lansdowne. If the winner earns a bonus point victory, it will make the playoffs.
In the Atlantic group, Greenwich secured its spot in the postseason with a 58-12 win over Saratoga. Danbury kept their hopes alive by beating White Plains, 48-26, and Saturday’s match versus Saratoga will determine the final seeding of the group. The Rochester Aardvarks booked their ticket in the Upstate with a 64-13 win over Southtowns and Ken-Ton sits in second place in the group after winning 54-22 over Genesee. Buffalo is on the outside looking in after a surprise 23-7 loss to Syracuse. This sets up a big game between Ken-Ton and Buffalo this coming weekend with both teams looking for bonus point wins to gain the playoffs. Lastly in New Jersey, the Bayonne Bombers put themselves in playoff position when they beat Monmouth, 38-29. With a trip to the playoffs on the line Saturday against Morris, Bayonne will hope to avenge last month’s loss to the division leader.
Down in DIV, North Jersey remained undefeated beating Union County, 79-5. The other undefeated team, Rockaway, had a bye weekend. Both clubs are in the playoffs and will likely meet each other in the championship.
East
Women's
Atlanta debuted in the DI East with a 46-7 win over visiting D.C. Furies.
“We are excited for the opportunity to learn and grow against some of the best teams in the country,” Atlanta head coach Rebecca Martin considered the promotion into DI. “We have a lot of work to do and we are really pumped for the opportunity to work for one another.
“D.C. is a relatively familiar team with even a handful of former Quins playing for them now,” the coach added. “It didn’t breed comfort though. D.C. is a team that’s very good at making you uncomfortable. There is a lot of love and respect between the two teams and we were happy for the chance to host them in Atlanta last weekend.”
It took nearly 20 minutes for the scoreboard to light up, but then Hannah Twilley scored to kick off a 29-point run. Furies No. 8 Sharifa Love-Schnur snapped the shutout, but then Sherri Kelly, Janay Peacock and Carolyn Mackey finished with tries.
Boston traveled with 16 players to Charlotte and gutted out a 34-33 thriller in North Carolina. The visitors built a nice lead in the first quarter, as Olivia Bacon, Isabel Haber, Emma Santosuosso and Margaret Reiss all scored, but then Charlotte came rallying back through Elizabeth Gijon, Julia Rebellon and Amanda Watkins. With Maddy Clark’s penalty, the home side trailed 22-18 after 40. The teams traded scores in the second half, and then Charlotte ended with back-to-back tries in the final 10 minutes, but neither conversion fell over: 34-33.
There were three first-half lead changes between Philadelphia and Raleigh, and then the former pulled away in the second half for a 39-12 win. Six players scored seven tries, with prop Caitlin Jackson doubling up in the try zone.
Frontier
Men's
In Mid-America DII, the Arkansas Gryphons opened their season with heavy hearts as one of their players, Brennan Kristek, was killed in an automobile accident on the way to play the St. Louis Royal Ramblers. The home club won 60-8, but the game was overshadowed by the loss of a teammate, brother, and friend. A GoFundMe page has been established to cover any costs and can be found on the Gryphons’ Facebook page. The only other DII match ended in a hard-fought 20-20 draw between Wichita and Kansas City.
In DIII, Sunday Morning RFC’s outside center Tyler Houck was a man possessed on Saturday as he led his team to a 48-12 victory over the Columbus Outlaws with five tries and three conversions. Sunday Morning is 3-0 and Springfield joined them in the undefeated ranks with a 39-17 win over the St. Louis Hornets. Finally, the St. Louis Bombers notched their first W following a 94-7 blowout against the Mercenaries.
Out in the Rocky Mountain Men’s Premiership (DII), the competition is wide open with each team having at least one loss on their record and no clear front-runner. The Denver Highlanders picked up a big 26-12 win at home against Boulder and the Denver Barbarians had trouble traveling across the mountains to play Park City. The Haggis doubled up the Barbos, 67-24.
For the Championship league (DIII), the Colorado Springs Grizzlies remained at the top of the class with 78-12 defeat of the Laramie Lumberjacks and the Queen City Rams and the Denver Harlequins are in close pursuit after earning their third wins on Saturday.
Mid-Atlantic
Women's
The three undefeated teams – Severn River, Doylestown and Harrisburg – were off this weekend, although the Harlots were supposed to play Chesapeake, which forfeited. Meanwhile Phoenixville cruised to a 91-5 win over Brandywine. Eight players scored 13 tries (flanker Caroline Drumgoole scored three).
James River also beat Norfolk 52-31 to improve to 2-2 and got a big performance out of Victoria Byrd, who scored three tries and converted five for 25 points. Both of Saturday’s victors – James River and Phoenixville – are in the top half of the standings.
In Division III, 4-0 South Jersey scored 19 tries to Lehigh Valley’s one. No. 8 Gabriella Wood dotted down six times, while fullback Jamie Lynn Fortuna led all scorers with 40 points on two tries and 15 conversions. York & Lancaster only had 16 players for its match against Philadelphia but triumphed 24-12. Kayla Robison, Colleen Herbert, Jessica Walker and Alyssa Stefanadis scored for the victors. In the southern pool, Rappahannock improved to 2-1 with a 59-10 win over Frederick. Scrumhalf Ellie Cassetta led with three tries.
Men's
It was the Blues Go Pink For Abby Day for the Norfolk Blues on Saturday in remembrance of Abby Hagen, the wife of the retired Blues captain, Eric Hagen. Over 300 fans, friends, and family attended the event that included a DIII test against Newport News and a DI match versus the Potomac Exiles. Norfolk came from behind to beat Newport News, 31-29, and nearly replicated the result in the DI game as the Blues fell to Potomac, 28-27.
“The day was about family,” Norfolk head coach Chris Porter said. “The rugby community really stepped up two years ago and got behind Eric…It was a show of community that year and it still continues on… On the field, it’s every man for himself, but when the game is over, we realize there is more to life than the rugby. It’s the friendships you build up and we are really building that back up in the union with the show of support they’ve shown Eric and his family.”
Including the Potomac-Norfolk result, the parity in DI was display as only 11 points separated the results of the three games. Baltimore-Chesapeake earned its third win of the season on the road at Pittsburgh. Cameron Windle’s second try in the 61st minute proved to the 18-14 game-winner. In D.C., the back three for the Washington Irish did all the scoring as they defeated Schuylkill River, 27-21.
The scoreboards got a workout in DII as the teams put up huge numbers on Saturday. In a battle of the top teams in the EPRU, Doylestown remained undefeated with a 54-5 blitz of Old Gaelic. Elsewhere in the North, Phoenixville White Horse clipped the Roses, 57-31, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh survived against South Jersey, 27-26, and Wilmington beat North Penn, 29-22. Down in the Capital, James River moved to 2-0 with a 56-17 win over Virginia and Washington picked up a big 62-31 victory versus Richmond.
The highlights of DIII saw the Washington Irish stayed undefeated with a win over North Bay and Severn River go up early on Rocky Gorge and hold on for the 34-26 triumph in the Central; Media, Northeast Philadelphia Irish, and Harrisburg rack up victories in the North; and Virginia Beach beating Rappahannock, 74-42, in a games that featured 18 tries.
Lastly, the Patuxent River Lions and Prince William County RFC extended their unbeaten streaks in DIV. The Lions took out Severn River, 51-33, and PWCRFC beat North Bay, 36-24.
Midwest
Women's
The Chicago Lions continue to top the Division I standings, adding a bonus-point win, 52-10, against 0-7 Wisconsin. Most of the Lions’ tries were finished through the backs, save one from flanker Margaux Paris. Wing Aleia Bellcross led all scorers with 17 on six conversions and a try.
Metropolis leapfrogged Chicago (4-2) in the standings after a 70-5 win over Detroit and now sits in second with 23 points and 4-1-1 record. The Valkyries will round out league play against Wisconsin and Chicago the next two weeks.
Division II produced a pair of interesting matches, both in the East Gold. Buffalo and Pittsburgh Forge were both 3-0 heading into last weekend, and the former triumphed 33-17. After falling behind early, Buffalo established a lead 7-5 lead at 30 minutes, courtesy of Nicole Faulise’s try and Jenna Hutzler’s conversion, and built from there. Fullback Mackenzie Dirlam, who scored all three of the Forge’s tries, helped close in at the 60-minute mark, but another three scores from Chelsea Palmer, Katryna McKenna and Asha Glorioso closed out the match.
On the other side of the pool, South Buffalo held off Cleveland 43-39. The upstate New York team took a 29-10 halftime lead, but then the Ohioans rallied with 29-straight points. Cleveland held that 39-29 lead until the 67th minute, when South Buffalo’s Erin Risto and then Hannah Riccardi dotted down. Two more conversions from Jamie Gage afforded the four-point win.
In East Green, the 4-0 Cincinnati Kelts beat Fort Wayne 47-7, and Columbus, also 4-0, picked up a forfeit win against Louisville. The two undefeated teams will end the regular season against each other.
In the West, Palmer College banked another bonus point win: 70-5 against Twin Cities. The Iowa program has only allowed 22 points against in five games. For the season, Claire Tomashek leads all point scorers with 93 on five tries and 34 conversions, while Skyler Zawko leads all try scorers with nine. Minneapolis Menagerie only trailed Oconomowoc by three points at the half, but then the Wisconsin side ramped it up with five-straight tries through Amanda Christianson, Angelina Yang (2), Alyssa Kalusche and Katie McNeil in the 45-24 win.
Men's
A busy weekend in the Midwest culminated in a shakeup in the standings of DI. The Chicago Lions handed Detroit its first loss, 42-31, and the Kansas City Blues took over first place in the West with a 31-30 victory over St. Louis. Cincinnati and Palmer are right behind the leaders in the East and West at 4-2 following wins over the Chicago Griffins and Milwaukee.
With only one week left until the postseason, each game on the DII schedule was vital. Looking to shore up playoff bids for its DII and DIII sides, the Pittsburgh Forge hosted rival Cleveland Crusaders for a pair of matches. Both sides are in the thick of the playoff hunt and have a history with each other. In the DII derby, Pittsburgh completed the season sweep with a 25-24 victory on the back of two Craig Williamson tries and ten points off the boot of Andrew Knuttel. As for DIII, Forge exacted revenge on their rivals with a 40-15 blowout win. Other notable DII results included the Chicago Blaze moving into second place in the East with a 29-14 win over the South Side Irish and Green Bay and Wisconsin staying neck and neck for the top spot in the Wast.
DIII featured a series of top teams battling it out. In a battle of the unbeaten in the Chicago Area, an 80th minute try from John Hildebrand won the game for the Fox Valley Maoris over the Peoria Pigs, 27-22. The cold, rain/snow mix weather in Minnesota didn’t stop the St. Cloud Bottom Feeders and St. Paul Jazz Pigs from having some good, hard-nosed fun for first place. St. Paul took the 19-17 lead in the 61st minute and the defense did the rest. Finally, the Wisconsin Sharks dealt the Oshkosh Pigs their first loss, 48-24. WRC’s backline play was unmatched by Oshkosh, but the Pigs need to have a short memory as first place Oconomowoc comes to town on Saturday.
In DIV, the Westside Outcasts and Columbus Castaways remain at the top in the Buckeye, the Chicago Blaze and Kenosha are #1 and #2 in the Central; Cedar Rapids won at home versus Iowa Falls, 48-38, in Iowa; and Grand Rapids clipped Fort Wayne, 31-12, in the North.
Pacific Northwest
Women's
Emerald City improved to 5-0 in the DII Pacific Northwest with a 39-5 victory over ORSU, finishing most of its tries through backs, save scores from hooker Amanda Bell and No. 8 Kayla Carter. The Mudhens are in firm control of the standings heading into the final week of the fall portion of the season. Bend is right behind the Seattle squad, having dropped a 20-point contest to Emerald City, and added a 64-5 win against Eugene to its fall resume. Portland tacked on five standings points with its 36-8 win over Boise United, while Tacoma took the forfeit win against Chuckanut Bay. In non-league action, South Sound ended the fall with a 60-11 win against Emerald City’s B side.
Men's
The top clubs in DII enjoyed victories on Saturday following their clash last week. Tacoma endured a sloppy game against the Valley Kangaroos to win comfortably 41-7 and move to 3-1 in the division. On the other hand, Boise finally woke up from their summer holiday versus Portland and played forward-foot rugby with both the forwards and backs working phase ball and at times, sound defense. The first half ended with the United up 43-0 and the final score was 74-17. The Pigs played with grit and worked every minute of the match, which is a testament to the culture and pride within their storied club.
In DIII, the Seattle Quake defeated Tacoma in a close match, 35-29, and Spokane, a DIV team, won out against Chuckanut Bay in a cross-divisional friendly, 55-43.
South
Women's
Carolinas-Georgia leaders Augusta and Savannah, both 2-0, were idle this weekend, but Eno River and Southern Pines picked up their first wins of the DII season. Eno River beat Columbia 47-19, and outside center Kelsey Rene accounted for 25 of Eno River’s points, dotting down three tries and kicking five conversions. Scrumhalf Molly Caffelle and inside center Jamie Tolent scored two tries apiece in Southern Pines’ 39-0 win over Camp Lejeune.
In the True South, Memphis beat reigning GU champ Knoxville 31-20, a big turn-around for the Minx after years of lopsided scores. Memphis held a 31-5 lead until the final 10 minutes – a finishing aspect of the game that head coach Tim Brennan will address going forward.
“Had a bunch of happy girls and happy coaches,” Brennan said of the post-win reaction. “I always tell them, ‘It’s not a rivalry until you win a game,’ and it hasn’t been a rivalry for five years. There’s always a bit of excitement when you beat somebody you haven’t beat in a while, but winning this game was more about a sense of accomplishment. Everyone felt good about the work they put in.”
Men's
The American Rugby Premiership took the show south on Saturday. In a rematch of the season-opener in New York, NYAC ventured to Georgia to face Life. The Running Eagles fought back a tough Winged Foot side for the 27-14 win to push its record to 3-2. With the match between 404 Rugby ATL and Mystic River scrapped, 404 made alternate arrangements and played a friendly against the NOLA Academy in New Orleans. On the road, Rugby ATL’s development academy walked away with the 55-24 victory. Life and 404 will fly north this coming weekend to play Mystic River and Old Blue, respectively.
In Carolinas DII action, Asheville was up 22-6 at the half but Southern Pines scored three straight tries to take the 23-22 lead with less than 15 minutes to go. The advantage was short-lived as Will Teague responded immediately giving Asheville the eventual 29-25 win. Charlotte matched Asheville’s win total as it rolled into Raleigh and out with a convincing 59-19 victory to remain undefeated. Will Sult and Matt Aronowitz each scored a pair of tries in the win.
With a dominant 75-19 win over Camp Lejeune, Cape Fear appears to be early favorites in the Carolinas DIII. The Charleston Outlaws also impressed over the weekend with a 71-10 blowout against the Clayton Bootleggers.
The True South kicked off its DII season with a physical test between Birmingham and Nashville. In a rematch of last year’s divisional semifinal, Nashville nearly pulled off a comeback in the final moments but Birmingham prevented a game-changing score to win 19-14.
