Photos: Shellie Marvin
Winona State returns to the USA Rugby DII College Fall Championship final, but only after defeating the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in a 42-36 semifinal decision. There were four lead changes during the match, ensuring a constant level of tension, which will surely be replicated in Sunday’s title bout against the Colorado School of Mines.
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“I thought we controlled set pieces well, which helped us launch our attack and play go-forward rugby,” Winona State coach Josh Krzewinski considered difference-makers in the match. “It came down to maintaining possession and which team had momentum last. Luckily that happened to be us.”
In the first quarter, Winona was the aggressor and played with most of the possession. The pack was led by the tireless Diana Tapia, whose work rate and level of involvement in all things. When the flanker looked to take advantage of a slowly resetting defense, prop Madelyn Rabideau was often at her side, and that combo produced two tries over 80 minutes.
Photos: Shellie Marvin
The Black Katts also deployed a good pressure defense and had the size and skill to steal breakdowns. This skill came in handy – for all but one notable exception – when Coast Guard attempted to run out of its own 22, and that’s how the first try evolved. A dropped pass allowed Winona to swarm and hooker Lindsey Schneeberger – also a dynamo on defense – scored the opener.
Back-to-back penalties allowed Emily Becker to kick a penalty, but otherwise, the inside center didn’t drive much of a kicking game this outing. One can only assume that Winona knew of Coast Guard’s dangerous back three of Jordon Russell, Mary Sims and Hollis Roush. The Minnesotans were smart not to engage this trio, but they did lots of damage anyhow. Sims and Hollis scored tries within minutes of each other and fullback’s conversion produced the first lead change of the day: 12-8 to Coast Guard.
When Coast Guard held onto its own ball in tight and then got that linebreak a little farther away from the breakdown, the Bears were very good about further fracturing the open-field defense. The backs trio as well as Ariyanna Jurkowski had a lot of speed and difficult to contain, and scored points.
Photos: Shellie Marvin
“Coast Guard never gave up,” Krzewinski lauded. “It was like two heavyweight boxers exchanging punches. The Coast Guard backs were dangerous due to the ability of [Roush] to insert anywhere. They had some speed on the outside, which we had not come up against this season.”
Becker missed a penalty attempt in front of the posts, but Coast Guard didn’t have an exit strategy and Winona stole possession. After some pack work, the ball moved to Berker, who darted to the line for the try, 13-12 to Winona.
But it was the Bears who took the lead into the break, and did so with a fabulous counter-attack. Claire Birk nearly scored for Winona but was just pushed into touch at the five meter. Coast Guard took the lineout cleanly and confidently passed the ball across the pitch and behind its try line. Just as the defense closed in, Russell burst through for a long break and then hit Jurkowski for the try: 19-13 with Roush’s conversion.
Photos: Shellie Marvin
The final lead change occurred during the opening 10 minutes of the half, as more quick work from Tapia put Rabideau away for five. Tapia then tore away for a big break that Housh cleaned up in open field, and although a knock-on resulted, play was back in Coast Guard’s end. Becker tested the defense with a cross-field kick and fullback Autumn Patterson fielded it nicely. Tapia went quickly from the subsequent penalty and Rabideau finished the drive with another dive-over: 25-19 with Becker’s conversion.
There were still more than 30 minutes to play and Coast Guard never relented. Becker’s second – and last – open-field kick was cleanly fielded by the Bears’ back three and Sims lit up the corner for the try (25-24). By the 65-minute mark, the Black Katts led 37-24 as Birk and Tapia added tries, but more theatrics from the Coast Guard backs produced tries from Jurkowski and Sims, and Roush’s conversion tightened the scoreline to 37-36, Winona.
Photos: Shellie Marvin
As time clicked off the clock, the Coast Guard found itself with a lineout on its five meter, and although the set piece was clean, the hands-out wide was slow, and Winona caught the Bears in their own try zone. Winona reset with a five-meter scrum but the Coast Guard defense was ready for the No. 8 weakside pick and dish, and made three stellar tackles to get Winona moving sideways. Roush made the final tackle on the sideline, popped to her feet and stole possession. The senior is a through and through highlight.
Winona swarmed the ball, turned it over, and Julie Lutzen touched it down for the final try: 42-36 the final.