Penn State Puts Down Marker in 7s
Penn State Puts Down Marker in 7s
As CRAA's 15s playoffs loom there's some 7s to be played, as well.
The CRAA 7s Championships will be held concurrently with the 15s finals on May 6-7 in Houston, with both a Men's and a Women's tournament. Who will suit up hasn't been confirmed but it looks like Penn State's men's team will be there after winnign the Big 10 7s this past weekend.
The win was perhaps a little bit of a surprise as Penn State had to get by an Indiana team that had been playing some very good 7s this winter/spring.
Penn State actually pulled off the double, with their B side winning a robust, eight-team B tournament. The PSU Bs beat Purdue, Wisconsin, and Nebraska in pool play (all shutouts) before holding off Michigan 14-7. Andrew Whiteman scored six tries in the four matches.
In the 1st-team bracket, the Nittany Lions beat Purdue 31-12 and Ohio State 33-0.
That set up the quarterfinals with PSU beating Nebraska 36-0 and torching hosts Notre Dame 40-0.
So that set up the final, where Penn State outlasted Indiana 19-14.
Junior Ian Roudybush has outstanding throughout the tournament. He scored several tries and was solid on defense, and caped off the day with the game-winner in the final.
"Great tournament for the team after just coming off a few 15s games this spring," said Head Coach Justin Hundley, whose team beat Life University in 15s during that spell. "With two weeks of 7s preparation the team were very happy with how they played but know there are certainly areas for improvement as we prepare for the USA Rugby CRAA 7s Championship in Houston in May."
The key, added Hundley, was defense, with the players staying connected and working really hard to keep the scoresheet clean.
"The attack is coming together," added Hundley, who played for the USA in 7s. "We're breaking 15s habits and adjusting to the space and time in 7s."
