It’s the fourth-straight year that Vassar, Winona State and Coast Guard feature in the final four stage of the USA Rugby DII Fall College Championship together. The newcomer this year is Rocky Mountain champion Colorado School of Mines (“Mines”), which won the Midwest pool last weekend for the team’s first berth to the fall semifinals.
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“This has been one of our goals but we know we aren’t done yet,” Mines assistant coach Andrea Prusinski considered the trip to Matthews, N.C. “We are and continue to stay focused on us and how we can be the best teammates to each other. We look forward to bringing that to the DII semifinals.”
Mines first drew attention when it defeated Colorado Mesa 59-5 in September, and the rankings tracked the Golden, Colo., squad through the fall. The field tuned in to the Nov. 2 rematch, curious whether the Mavericks would make better use of home-field advantage, but Mines reiterated its strength with a 41-19 win.
“The progress we made from the first game to the second game against Mesa was all about confidence and team-building with some work on defense,” Prusinski explained. “We felt confident in our abilities and in each other heading to playoffs.”
Mines took a bye through the Fall Round of 32 and then traveled to Columbia, Mo., for the Fall Round of 16 and quarterfinals last weekend. First up was Allegheny champ Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a regular at regionals. Mines took a 12-0 lead through Evie Oglesby and Magdalena Piwowarczyk tries and a Joyce Kruger conversion. But then a yellow card gave IUP the momentum to respond with two tries before half: 12-10 to Mines.
Immediately after the break, fullback Michaela Adams scored to re-establish Mines, while the defense held firm throughout the final 40. Lock Sophia Modar added another five points for good measure: 22-10 the final.
“The IUP game was a bit sloppy do to snowy, wet and frozen conditions,” Prusinski noted. “Everything that favored our outcome I have to say came from 100% heart and grit from every individual on our team.”
On the other side of the bracket, Cincinnati defeated Illinois 32-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Bearcats have represented the Midwest at the fall semifinal stage for the previous two years (read more). But the day belonged to Mines, which shut down Cincinnati in a 29-0 victory.
“The shutout was a huge bonus for us,” Prusinski noted. “We stopped them several times in their own 22 and were patient for the right moment to win possession back, all the way until the 80th minute. It was a way of showing just how big our hearts are and the strength of our players for 80 full minutes.”
Oglesby (2), Modar, Kruger and Piper Bailey scored the tries, while Kruger added two conversions.
“What I learned this weekend about these women – which I knew all along but didn’t understand the depth – is that they are so dynamic and willing to step into any position and learn on-the-go with the utmost confidence and respect from their teammates,” Prusinski lauded the group. “The depth of this was very apparent on the field against Cincinnati and they dominated because of it.”
The coach called out wing Charly Wollaston as MVP of the quarterfinal.
“She found work constantly on all sides of the field,” Prusinski praised. “Her work rate was through the roof!”
Oglesby stepped up her presence as pack leader and kept the forwards organized in crucial moments. Her tackles were impactful and she remained a dominant and creative force on offense.
“Piper Bailey stepped into multiple, different positions this weekend and excelled at every single one,” Prusinski continued through the highlights. “Her hard work ethic and ability to learn at a fast rate pushes this team to new levels.”
Avery Tyndall was also a symbol of the team’s adaptability, playing several new positions and doing so with confidence and energy. Same for Casey Harmon, who took on a new position and dominated with non-stop tackles and rucking; and Caelyn Rittenhouse, who played several positions while pushing through an injury – not that on-lookers could tell by the amount of heart she pumped into the game. Raquel Schnell, too, had her eye swell shut during the first half of the game and battled through, hitting great lines and planting solid tackles.
“Abigail Jocke is incredible in her thirst to tackle and get-back-up to do it all over again,” the coach continued. “She is a workhorse and makes a huge impact on our team. She never let up this weekend and was relentless in dominating tackles.”
Scrumhalf Morgan Walls put in a solid 80-minute performance, digging ball out of the rucks and keeping the pace of play high for the team.
“Honestly, I could keep going with each and every single person, as everyone stepped up,” Prusinski clarified. “The entire team had a standout weekend and some of the best rugby, best team play I have seen at this level. I am beyond proud.”
Mines will now head to Matthews, N.C., to face reigning fall champion Vassar College in the DII fall semifinals. Depending on the Dec. 7 results, Mines will play either Winona State or Coast Guard on Sunday, Dec. 8.
“Our strength is our belief that our own teammates, the women standing on our left and right, are the best players on the field, and they play with the mentality that they have each other and need each other,” Prusinski considered the team’s difference-makers. “The will, the desire, the want to win it with each other and for each other was alive and very present.”