WPL Nationals on the Horizon: First Round Action on Friday

The 2016 Women's Premier League regular season has concluded, and the National Tournament peers over the horizon. This season saw a shake-up in the standings. Perennial favorites, and last year's conference winners, Glendale and Twin Cities, were bested by two clubs that haven't fared so well in the WPL in recent years, and last year's WPL National Runner-Up, Berkeley, finished last in the West Conference. 

As a San Diego Surfer, I'm not going to pretend to give an unbiased report or prediction here. In fact, my bias says, "Nope Sam, don't even delve into predictions." So, I just want to give a brief run-down of what the women's rugby community will see in the first round of the WPL Nationals on Friday.

The regular season wrapped up with New York on top of the East Conference and San Diego winning the West. Last year New York finished in 4th place in the WPL Nationals and the Surfers 5th. With some lineup additions and polished veterans returning on each squad, both are now the top contenders for a National Championship. 

The two top seeds will have the two late games on Friday evening. New York will face the defending National Champions, Glendale, and San Diego will take on the Amazons. New York comes into the tournament undefeated, with the lowest Points Against total in the league, but may have their biggest challenge of the season, to date, on Friday. Glendale, after taking their only loss of the season, in their final match of the regular season, will be hungry to get back on track and defend their National Title. 

The Amazons had quite the challenge in their final match of the regular season, when their match against Atlanta went down to the wire. Averaging about 35 points a game, they will look to use their physicality to get on the board against the Surfers. On the other end of the field, the Surfers have scored more than any other team in the league (about 58 points a game), and outscored their opponents by an average of 41 points a game. 

In the lower tier, there will be no shortage of good rugby. Berkeley will meet Atlanta in the first match of the day. Though Atlanta only have two wins on the season, their last match, in which they nearly upset the Amazons, proved that they've continued to grow over the course of the season. Berkeley also had a down-to-the-wire thriller in their last match, in playing ORSU to within 12 points. Both teams are looking to build on their end of the season momentum. 

The second match of the day will see ORSU take on the DC Furies. The Furies, like Berkeley couldn't manage to pull out a win on the season, but they will be hungry for one on Friday. ORSU played in a tough West Conference, and though they couldn't break into the top 4, they hope to win the bottom tier. 

Hopefully, I'll have a chance to recap the games for all of my loyal readers (all 6 of you) on Saturday, and I won't hold back my commentary in the recaps. If you want to catch the games yourself, just head to The Rugby Channel. Games start at 10am EST. 

Scion Takes the MAC Championship

It's no surprise, after dominating performances in the first 3 Qualifier tournaments, that the Scion Rugby Academy would take the MAC Championship tournament. However, they would have to survive the punishing Virginia heat and get through a feisty NOVA squad, in the finals, to bring home the trophy. 

With only four teams fighting for the top two spots (only the top two from MAC get a berth to Nationals), the tournament was an abbreviated one for the women--the teams all played each other and the top two played in the finals. 

Scion breezed through pool play, holding their opponents scoreless while tallying a total of 124 points in three games. Just as in past tournaments, the Sirens had possession of the ball for well over half the time, in each of their matches. Relying on their breakdown savvy and offensive scheme, they were able to turnover ball quickly, run their offense smoothly and score often.

Though pool play was a breeze for Scion, the championship match would prove to be the antipode of ease. NOVA came out swinging, and hit Scion with an early score. Their scrappy defense turned the Scion offense sloppy at times, and the Sirens weren’t able to find a rhythm.

However, rhythm or no rhythm, the women of Scion are a versatile and resourceful bunch and were able to out-scrap NOVA. They pounded the ball at NOVA and put up 24, hard-earned points. NOVA was able to claw their way to 12 points and made MAC Championship a bit of a nail-biter.

Both teams will head to the USA 7s National Tournament in Glendale, CO, in a couple of weeks, and both hope to bring back some hardware to the MAC Region.  

Scion Rolling Through Competition in the Mid-Atlantic

As the 2016 7's Season is approaching its culmination at Nationals, several teams are emerging as powerhouses in their respective regions. The Scion Academy has become the dreadnought of the Mid-Atlantic region, winning the first two MAC Qualifier tournaments, and last weekend's Qualifier, in Rocky Gorge, MD, was no different.

Not only has Scion been winning tournaments, the elite side has only lost one game this season (in a non-qualifying tournament, without their full roster), and they win most of their games by 20 points or more. In fact, few teams actually score against Scion, and this past Saturday, Scion's opponents couldn't manage to put a single point on the board.

Scion rolled through NOVA B, in their first match, and then the DC Furies, in pool play (the Academy did play itself in a cross-pool match, and mixed their elite and select squads for a fun, fast match). In the semi-finals, they routed Philly, and were geared up to continue sailing through the competition when a summer storm hit Maryland. Due to lightening, the tournament final was cancelled, so Scion and NOVA A split the Qualifier points.

Scion's ability to shutout opponents is partly due to their connection and physicality on the defensive end, partly to their success in the breakdown, and partly to the seamless way they seem to run their offense. It's hard for a team to score when they don't have the ball, and Scion keeps the ball from their opponents. They turn over ball quickly and frequently, and then they take care of the ball and let their offense work.

This weekend, the Scion Academy will look to win the MAC Finals in Richmond, VA. With the momentum they have going into this tournament, it will be hard to stop them.

Eagles Fall Short in Utah, But Look Forward to Growing

The 2015 Super Series saw the Women's National 15s team cap 17 new players, and during this year's event another 8 players played in their first test matches. With only 4 players, who played in the 2014 World Cup, on the roster, and over half the team entering the event with less than 4 caps, the Eagles were not only looking to make a statement with their athleticism, but also get their young squad some field time.

This year's Super Series, hosted by First15 Sport and Utah Rugby, brought two European teams, in France and England, and two North American teams, in Canada and USA, together to compete over two weeks. Though the Eagles couldn't muster a win out of the three-match Super Series, they learned valuable lessons in each of their contests.

In their first match, against France, the USA WNT failed to hold on to a first half lead and let France tick off 3 tries in about 20 minutes, early in the second half. This momentary lapse in otherwise solid play, coupled with missed opportunities, were the Eagles' undoing. Those missed opportunities included 7 trips to France's 22 in the first half alone, and with only one try to show for their effort, the Eagles missed having a larger cushion to start the second half.

They also missed a scoring opportunity at the end of the match. Battering on the French defenses, the Eagles got to within feet of scoring, with no time left on the clock, and a clutch French steal after about 5 minutes of unwavering defense, cemented the French win, 19-13. Though the Eagles out-played the French for most of the match, they couldn't manage the win. Lesson learned: scoring opportunities are rare; be aware and take advantage of them.

The Eagles' second match, against Canada, shaped up differently than the first. Canada had the momentum for most of the match, and the Eagles couldn't seem to find a rhythm. Handling errors and set-piece woes also plagued the Eagles, which could've been the reason for their lack of flow.

At halftime, the 17-5 score didn't have the feel of a Canadian trouncing of the USA, but the second half saw the Canadians adding to their tally, while the Eagles fell silent. Canada continued to cause trouble in the scrum and turn over Eagle ball, and in doing so, ran up the score for a 33-5 victory. Lesson learned: It's hard to get a rhythm, when you're having trouble in the set piece.

In their last match, the Eagles' set pieces tightened up, but their defense let them down. The match started with some crushing hits by the Eagles--one that sent the English flyhalf to the sidelines early--however, the USA offense took a while to warm-up. A penalty kick, with 5 minutes left in the first half, finally broke the Eagles' scoring drought, and sent the teams into the second half at 17-3.

The Eagles were able to put 10 points on the board in the second half, but they allowed 22 from England, including some vicious line-breaks. The hard-running Eagles had some breaks of their own and moments in which they looked better than any of the teams in Utah, but again they couldn't finish, and England took the match 39-13. Lesson learned: consistency, consistency, consistency.

While the 2016 Super Series may not have turned out the way the USA would've liked, the Women's Eagles learned and grew over the two week series. Players and coaches realize that the WNT needs more rugby time together, and over the next year, the Eagles hope to convene more so that they can hone their skills. With some exceptional talent and a fine group of athletes, the USA WNT has a great foundation to build a world class rugby team.

The Scion Rugby Academy Takes the Championship in First Two Tournaments

The Scion Sirens have started the 2016 7's season undefeated with two tournament wins.

The Academy kicked off its inaugural 7's season, as an official ODA on June 1 with its first practice. Two and a half weeks later, the Scion women took the Monk Vaughn 7s tournament in Richmond, VA.

With four of the elite side players (Stacy Bridges, Kiki Morgan, Sam Pankey and Kimber Rozier) sidelined in preparation for the upcoming Super Series, the college players, like Dana Briosos and Kathryn Hobbs, stepped up and played some excellent rugby. Their play, along with consistent performances from Niamh Byrne and Kylie Noll, as well as some smashing hits and runs from Abby Gustaitis, Sarah Parsons and Emily Fulbrook combined to turn Scion into an unstoppable force.

Scion won their pool play against a tough DC Furies side and the always-formidable NOVA squad, put down James River in a cross-pool match, and then went on to dominate Norfolk and NOVA B in the semi finals and finals respectively. Not only did they go undefeated, the Scion Sirens only allowed their opponents a total of 4 tries on the day.

Their second tournament of the season was a MAC Qualifier in Wilmington, DE. Scion opened the day with a thrashing of Doylestown, 44-5, followed by another whopping victory against NOVA B, 29-5. Again, it was a combination of consistent play and some outstanding runs and hits that led Scion to victory, and with the addition of Leigh Thierfelder and Maggie Myles to the roster, Scion added some depth.

The semi finals pitted Scion against NOVA A, and it would be the Sirens' toughest game of the day. Scion managed to pull out a 7-point victory against a strong NOVA squad. This win catapulted the Scion Rugby Academy into the finals against Philly.

Philly would give Scion another tough match, though not quite the nail biter that NOVA gave them. Scion took home the championship trophy with a 24-14 victory against Philly, a 2015 National qualifying team.

Next up for the Scion Rugby academy is the fun-in-the-sun tournament in Cape Fear, NC. Though this isn't a MAC qualifier, the Sirens hope to continue their winning streak and take home some prize money.

Four Scion Academy Residents Will Represent the USA In July's Super Series

Among the 26 players chosen to don the red, white and blue for the Women's National 15s team in Utah, there are four Scion Academy residents. Stacey Bridges, Samantha Pankey and Kimber Rozier, three original Scion Academy residents, are no strangers to the international stage and will potentially add to their caps total in a couple of weeks. Kiki Morgan, from Brown University and current Scion Academy resident, will look to suit up for the Eagles in her first international match.

All four players recently competed in the WNT Top 50 camp in Greeley, CO, which Pete Steinberg described as "the most competitive camp I have had in my 5 years as the head coach of the Eagles."

The Super Series, hosted in conjunction with Rugby Utah and Utah Sports Commission, and produced by First15 Sport Performance, will feature 6 matches, pitting 4 teams from the Top 6 in the world against one another. The Eagles will play France on July 1 (5pm MT), Canada on July 5 (5pm MT) and England on July 9 (3pm MT).

The Eagles seek to ride the momentum of last year's Super Series, in which they beat Canada and played some wonderfully skilled and hard hitting rugby against New Zealand and England, and the uber competitive Top 50 camp into this year's event. Like last year, a good number of players, 7 to be exact, will potentially step on the field for the first time as Eagles.

Not only will four Scion Academy residents represent the USA, but 3 other players, selected to the roster and reserve roster have competed with past Scion teams--Cheta Emba, Alycia Washington and Lauren Rhode, This Eagles squad is an exciting mix of some young, explosive speedsters and experienced, athletic veterans, who hope to leave a mark, or several, in Utah this July.

Stay tuned for updates on where you can find the matches and post-match recaps.

Scion in Atlanta: Day 2

With both its Elite Side and High School Side in the semi-finals of the Atlanta 7's Festival, the Scion Academy had established the foundation for a successful tournament on their first day out. Heading into the second day of play, both sides were looking for more solid defensive stands and cohesive offensive series.

The Scion High School Side hit the ground running in the morning of the second day. Behind solid overall play, they beat a tough Summit team in the semi-finals, sending them into the finals against a very talented Atlantis team. Though they would strike first, Scion couldn't hold onto an early lead. The Atlantis offense was too much for them, and they wound up settling for second in the tournament. Of course, this isn't the result they wanted, however Scion can be proud of a second place finish with their first ever High School Side.

Day 1 for the Scion Elite Side was the Day of Defense, as no team could manage to put points on the board against them. However, Day 2 would start off on a very different footing for the Elites. The Northeast Academy came with their game faces in a snarl and with some great striking lines, were able to draw first blood against Scion. That first score for the NE Academy would also be their last, as the Scion Elites turned up the defensive pressure and turned on their offense. After ticking off 4 tries and an extra two on a kick, they beat the NE Academy 22-5 to move into the finals.

In the finals, the Scion Elites would face a familiar foe in ARPTC. In their first match of the tournament, the Elites held the women out of Arkansas scoreless. However, this recharged ARPTC would make the championship game a little closer, but in the end, not close enough. Scion was led in the finals by some strong runs from Emily Fulbrook and clutch decision making from Kimber Rozier, and they would beat ARPTC 24-5 and claim the Atlanta 7's Festival championship.

All in all, it was a great weekend for the Scion Rugby Academy. Not only were they able to come away with some hardware in their Elite Championship victory, but they sewed the seeds of growth in the Women's Rugby game by fielding their first High School side.