IUP Repeats, Downing Tough Northern Iowa for D2 Title

12.15.2024

Paced by an impressive weekend by Don Holmes, IUP won its second straight NCR D2 championship, beating Northern Iowa in an entertaining and close-run final 38-29 Sunday.

Both teams had had to work for it to get this far, but IUP especially, as they needed almost 100 minutes of rugby to dismiss Norwich on Friday night. But if they were tired and sore, they didn't play like it. Fortunately for both teams, the weather was, for the most part, more conducive to running rugby than on Friday and the teams took advantage of that.

The IUP Crimson Hawks started on the front foot, and after a UNI high tackle Holmes tapped quick and sent the ball quickly out to freshman wing Mason Steed, who got very close to the line but, crucially, kept the ball in the field of play. The forwards swarmed in and lock Ethan Miller picked up and dove over.

The quick, physically aggressive attack from IUP had Northern Iowa a little rattled, and when center Jake Staack was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle, they seemed even more on the back foot.

IUP kept up the pressure and took a lineout on a later penalty. While Northern Iowa stole that lineout throw, they were penalized again in the breakdown. No. 8 Trent Stalling tapped, surged to the tryline, and then prop Cam Taylor picked up and scored. Holmes converted and IUP led 12-0.

But Northern Iowa did not crumble. Far from it. With a couple of hard runs from No. 8 Elliott Sinnwell and with prop Tyler Kelderman also making the gainline, the Panthers got close and then flyhalf Jentry Staack slide left and cut through to stretch over the line.

Scrumhalf David Randall converted and UNI now was in a game, down 12-7.

IUP responded just past rhe midway point in the first half. A nice run from Holmes off a scrum drew in the defenders and then with quick ball scrumhalf/flyhalf Declan Cringle spun the ball wide to fullback Santino Fischio and he sidestepped his way over. Up 17-7 IUP extended that lead immediately. Off the restart wing freshman Dylan Deasy popped a high ball from inside his 22, caught it on the fly at the dotted line 10 meters inside his own half, and then sped 60 meters past an astonished UNI team. Holmes converted and IUP was in a. commanding position up 24-7.

One of the reasons UNI keeps showing up at the D2 semifinals is because they are resilient, and they showed that. IUP tried to run the next restart back but were stymied by the Panthers. Kelderman pounced on a loose pass and in the next several phases he, hooker Copper Isaacson, and lock Dylan Johnson powered on well. Isaacson got them close and flanker Elston picked up and scored. Randall converted to make it 24-14.

UNI had a bit of momentum and got some more when IUP's Taylor was yellow-carded for a tip tackle. The Panthers tried to exploit that and seemed to have numbers to score, but a thumping, try-saving tackle from Deasy halted that attempt. Finally Isaacson forced a holding-on penalty and Randall put it over. Now UNI was within a try at 24-17, and that's how the first half ended.

The second half saw rain and wind come in. Both teams had to be worried how that would affect their ball-handling, but for the most part it didn't change much. Both teams were on a roll. Jentry Staack ran well out of his own 22 and that set up a long period of pressure from the Panthers. Once again Johnson and Kelderman asked major questions of the IUP defense. Ultimately, UNI got right to the line and Johnson simply picked up the ball and tapped it on the tryline. The IUP players felt they'd held the ball up, but it was certainly a 50-50 call. Try given, and it was 24-22 after Randall's conversion attempt banged off the post.

(The game balls just didn't seem to travel very far this weekend.)

IUP responded right around the midpoint of the second half. It was about as simple a rugby play as you could want. They took a lineout off a penalty, won the lineout and quickly sent it through the hands out to Fischio—quick and accurate passing. Fischio sold a little dummy and scampered over. Holmes slotted the kick and it was a two-point game once more, 31-22 for IUP.

Northern Iowa needed to do something about that and did it, with a powerful run from Sinnwell. Randall converted and it was a two-point game once more, 31-29.

As the game started to come to a close it seemed like IUP could close it out. They did, and they did it in part thanks to a puzzling UNI decision. After earning a penalty inside their 22, the Panthers opted to tap and boot the ball down the field, rather than try for the lineout. Deasy, who has been electric all day, caught the ball and raced about 40 meters from the middle of the field. He made it to within 10 meters of the line and UNI was scrambling. Deasy kept his feet and offloaded to Taylor, and he sold an impressive sidestep and dove over under the posts.

That was it. UNI worked hard to get back down but now they had to score twice and didn't have a ton of time in which to do it. When IUP earned a penalty at a scrum they were able to run out the clock.

It was a very well-played game, with both teams playing smart and showcasing plenty of talent. For UNI, it's a tough end for some players who have been wonderful servants for the program—Staack, Randall, Isaacson, to name three. For IUP, Holmes, who scored four tries on Friday, scored zero on Sunday but was involved throughout, forcing turnovers, setting up teammates, and kicking four conversions for eight points in a nine-point game. Stalling was strong as was the halfback combo of RJ Beach and Cringle. But this was won thanks to Miller at lock, Isaacson at hooker, and props Taylor and Kelderman. In every scoring movement, these men were in the middle of it.

Yes Fischio and Deasy were impressive, but the Crimson Hawks won this championship thanks to the single-digit numbers.

Indiana U. of Pa. 38
Tries: Taylor 2, Miller, Fischio 2, Deasy
Convs: Holmes 4

University of Northern Iowa 29
Tries: Johnson, Lindner, Sinnwell, Je. Staack
Convs: Randall 3

Norwich took 3rd over Towson 72-17 paced by two tries from prop Will Moulton and 18 points from center Kristopher Wayton.

IUP Repeats, Downing Tough Northern Iowa for D2 Title

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