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Women DII College Playoffs Ready to Go

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Women DII College Playoffs Ready to Go

Prolific Vassar goalkicker Mary Margaret McElduff has some work to do this weekend. Photo courtesy Vassar Athletics.

The USA Rugby Women's DII College playoffs are here with a massive field of 24 teams slated to play this weekend.

The top DII team in the country by some margin is Davenport. Head Coach Greg Telizcan voiced some frustration with Goff Rugby Report that his team has not been able to get many good games. Davenport has seen several teams back out of games against the Great Lakes champs, especially after they won their first three games by an average score of 121-0 (no, seriously).

Eventually, Davenport found a willing opponent in Notre Dame College (which beat the Panthers), but it's been slow going, as Davenport has played just six games. The Panthers get a bye this weekend, as do Cincinnati, Bloomsburg, and Montana State. All four will wait until the weekend of November 19-20 for the Round of 16 and quarterfinals.

In fact, Cincinnati and Davenport are set to play each other in the Round of 16 in Cincinnati. Also in that bracket will be the winner of Saturday's clash between Illinois State and Grand Valley State, and the game between St. Joseph's and West Virginia. Illinois State was dominant in the Illinois Conference, beating Western Illinois 45-7 to take that title. They've had an impressive season. WVU won the Allegheny, beating Slippery Rock and IUP twice each. 

In the Mid-Atlantic bracket, teams are shooting for a spot in the November 19-20 rounds at Kutztown. Coast Guard faces Maine-Orono for a chance to meet 2015 top four team Bloomsburg. Coast Guard capped an 8-0 New England Wide conference season with a 25-20 victory over Hartford - easily their toughest game of the year. Led by Emily Hogan and Kiera Harrison, Coast Guard has been on a roll.

Eastern Kentucky takes on Kutztown in a battle of two conference runners-up (EKU at Ohio Valley, Kutztown at MARC). Kutztown pushed Bloomsburg in the MARC, and could well make it to the playoff rounds they host. New Hampshire was set to get an at-large bid to face Rugby Northeast champs St. Michael's. St. Mike's had to wait until the final weekend of their season. Going into the final game 4-0 they met 4-0 Roger Williams, and prevailed 26-17. So they already have had that playoff atmosphere. However, UNH passed on the playoff spot, and St. Mike's waits a week to play.

In the West, Wayne State will host the Round of 16 and QFs in a week. Montana State takes a bye to that round, but sox more teams are battling to get there. Wisconsin-Lacrosse won the Point Great Waters, but it was a close-run thing. They tied UW-Stevens Point with a 5-1 record, thanks to an opening weekend loss to UW-Eau Claire. Since that game, however, Lacrosse has been almost untouchable. 

Marquette was humbled by Lacrosse late in the season, but gets a playoff game anyway, against Western Illinois. Stevens Point gets an at-large bid, one they certainly have earned with a solid record, and take on Northern Lights winners Winona State. WSU - watch out for them. They did not allow a single point in five conference games this season.

And in the Northeast Region, eight teams are fighting for a chance to make the next two rounds at Vassar. And Vassar themselves face SUNY Geneseo in one of this weekend's games. Vassar has impressed throughout the team's run to win the Tri-State. Rachel Elson is a try-scoring machine and Mariah Ghant isn't far behind. Geneseo was a little unlucky not to be Upstate NY champs, but they lost two close ones to Buffalo State. Vermont plays Roger Williams in a battle of conference runners-up. RWU scores big, but has to watch those little errors that leak tries.

Colby faces Tri-State #2 Albany. Colby won the NESCAC and beat Maine-Orono to do it. Their biggest problem has been that teams don't have the numbers to play them. Several of Colby's games have been forfeits where the players played an informal game instead. Still, they fronted up when needed.

And RPI takes on Buffalo State. Buff State won the Upstate NY Conference over Geneseo to cap a 10-0 conference and playoff season. They did it with superb defense more than anything, but were tested mightily by Geneseo. RPI was hugely competitive in the Tri-State. Led in almost every way by Katy Peoples, they've developed some real depth - No. 8 Tierny Morton is co-captain and a talent - they were 5-0 in league play but were beaten by Albany in the conference semis, but beat Siena to take 3rd, and earned an at-large bid as a result.

 

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