Berkshire United High School Rugby To Host
Girls High School National Championship
The Berkshire United High School Rugby Club will host the 15th annual Girls’ High School National Invitational Championship on Saturday-Sunday, May 17-18, 2014, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and the beautiful Berkshires.
The 24-team Championship is organized by the National Girls’ Coaches Committee (NGCC), and will feature 3 divisions. The first girls’ Championship was held in 2000, and has expanded from 6 to 24 teams since then.
Quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be held Saturday, May 17, with division finals played the morning and afternoon of Sunday, May 18. All matches will be played at Taconic High School in Pittsfield. Berkshire United appreciates the support of Mayor Bianchi and the City of Pittsfield who has previously partnered with Berkshire United to host the 2012 Mass. State High School Championship and the 2013 NERFU Men’s Division 4 Championship.
High school girls’ teams wishing to compete in the 2014 Championship must return an application no later than Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Applications are available at www.rugbymag.com in the ‘Tournament’ section.
If you would like to know more, log on to www.RugbyChampionships.org, www.facebook.com/NationalHighSchoolRugbyChampionships, or reach Berkshire United President/Head Coach David Colli at collirugby@gmail.com. You can also contact John Klein, NGCC Committee Chair, at chinnychinchin_2000@yahoo.com.
We hope to see you in the Berkshires in May 2014!
WI State Tournament Player of the Match Results
At the conclusion of the match each team's captain's along with their teammates nominate two players from the opposing side worthy of recognition for their impact on the game and their character on the pitch. They then exchange medals with team captains and recipients before leaving the pitch.
The 2014 medal recipients during the State Tournament Matches are:
DSHA v CMHS
DSHA #6 Kayla Pavela; #10 Beth Pokorny
CMHS #2 Alexa Jaeger ; #10 Molly Langhenry
Kettle Moraine v Vernon
KMHS #15 Courtney Krause; #2 Julia SheckelVernon Lexi Prushiek #20 (scrumhalf); #3 Megan Zettlemier
Oak Creek v DSHA jvOCHS Monica Claudio #9; Abby Larch #4 DSHA Genevie Ruesch #9; Kately Brost #5
Brookfield v Appleton/Fond Du LacBrookfield: Madison Aprahamiah #9; Reina Anderson #17 fullbackAppl/Fond: Aleah Loll #10 flyhalf; Sarah Herdeman #11
Wisconsin State Tournament Results
Championship
DSHA 22. Catholic Memorial 7
Player of the Match Awards, as nominated by each team's players:
DSHA #6 Kayla Pavela; #10 Beth Pokorny
CMHS #2 Alexa Jaeger ; #10 Molly Langhenry
Tries:
DSHA: Trowbridge, Holahan, Walker CMHS: Else
Conv
DSHA: Braun (2) CMHS: Langhenry
Pen:
DSHA: Braun
3rd Place
Kettle Moraine 32 Vernon 10
Player of the Match Awards
KMHS #15 Courtney Krause; #2 Julia Sheckel
5th Place
Oak Creek 17 DSHA jv 17
OT decided after six kicks in favor of OCHS
7th Place
Brookfield 35 Appleton 32
---STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS SUNDAY OCT 27th---
Naga-Waukee Park651 State Highway 83 Hartland, WI 53029
3:00pm Award Ceremony
Championship DSHA (6-0) v CMHS (5-1)
3rd Place Match Vernon (2-3) v KM (3-3)
7's Exhibition Match OCHS v CMHS
5th Place Match Oak Creek (2-4) v DSHA jv (5-0)9:30am
7th Place Match Brookfield (0-5) v Appleton (2-3)
2013 DSHA Spring Rugby Season
3/26/13 Oak Creek vs DSHA A Side Dretzka Park 4:30 PM
3/26/13 Men. Falls vs DSHA B Side Dretzka Park 5:30 PM
4/6/2013- 4/7/2013 RUGGER FEST St. Louis Gateway Tournament (TBD)
CMH, DSHA, Brookfield
4/12/13 Kettle Moraine vs DSHA A Side Dretzka Park 4:30 PM
4/12/13 Muskego vs DSHA B Side Dretzka Park 5:30 P
4/20/13 Vernon vs DSHA A Side 9:00 AM
4/20/13 Vernon vs DSHA B Side 10:00 AM
4/27-4/28, Midwest Tournament A-side and B-side in Elkhart, Indiana
5/2/2013 Vernon vs DSHA –B side Dretzka Park 5:00 PM
Potential A-side game in the works!
5/9/2013 Men Falls vs DSHA A Side Dretzka Park 5:00 PM
Potential B-side game in the works!
5/18-5/19- National High School Rugby Championships - Racine, WI!!
DSHA Spring Rugby Parent Meeting 1/28/13
- Practice Schedule (possible addl. dates for practices in a bigger complex)
- Discussion of Road Trips: Elkhart, Indiana/ Possible St. Louis Rugger Fest?
- Dues Explained/ CIPP registration/ Waivers needed/School ID/Insurance Card/ additional costs for Road trips. Food, etc. Hotel for girls will be covered.
- Team will be taking a bus to Elkhart, IN – For the Midwest Regional Tournament
- DSHA Rugby Team Info: www.DSHARugby.com Facebook: DSHA Rugby
- Hosting Nationals: Committee Update & Info www.RugbyChampionships.org
- Carl Wise, David Salter, Jackie Rekowski, Barb & Scott Macpherson
- Volunteers Needed: Team Liaisons, Marketing, PR, Sponsorship, Program Sales,
Vol. Coordinator, Parking, Concessions, TV, Media, What talent do you have?
Special thanks to Dan Chanen for much of the content on our website.
You can find more up to date information on his Blog at: http://lifelawrugby.blogspot.com/
The Wisconsin Girls Rugby State Tournament takes place Sunday Oct 28th @Naga-waukee Park in Delafield. Arrive early as an overflow crowd is expected to fill the parking lot.
Match Schedule:
*2:45pm Award Presentation: players, coaches, and families are all invited to the concession area*
1pm Championship: DSHA (7-0) v CMHS (6-1) Field 1
11:30am 3rd Place: Vernon (5-2) v Kettle Moraine (4-3) Field 1
11:30am 5th Place: Brookfield/Tosa (3-4) v Oak Creek (1-5-1) Field 2
10:00am 7th Place: Menomonee Falls (1-5-1) v Fond Du Lac (0-7) Field 1
10:00am JV Game: DSHA JV v Oak Creek/CMH JV Field 2
Final Conference Standings
1.DSHA 7-0
2.CMHS 6-1
3.Vernon 5-2
4.Kettle Moraine 4-3
5.Brookfield 3-4
6.Oak Creek 1-5-1 (wins tie breaker of point differential)
7.Menomonee Falls 1-5-1
8.Fond Du Lac 0-7Week 7 scores
Thursday Oct 18th
DSHA 54 Kettle Moraine 17
On a cold, rainy evening at Dretzka park, the Dashers finished off an undefeated fall conference title, their tenth in a row. Kettle Moraine scored more against their cross-town rival than they have in a long time.
Saturday Oct 20th
Vernon 0 Catholic Memorial 17
Memorial became only the second team in WGR history to make two consecutive finals with a shutout victory over the Harlequins in Vernon. The result was in doubt for much of the game as both sides battled back and forth. Vernon had a scoring opportunity in the first half, but their field goal attempt went astray. A fierce nine-minute try-line stand that went up until halftime, might have been the sequence of the match; Memorial held their ground and the game was tied at half. In the second half, the Crusaders wore down Vernon and put in three tries to advance to the finals.
Sunday Oct 21st
Oak Creek 17 Menomonee Falls 17
Friday Oct 12th
Catholic Memorial 36 Kettle Moraine 5
The Crusaders jumped out to a 24 to zero halftime lead. The Knightmares came out hard in the second half but were unable to narrow the gap.
Saturday Oct 13th
Menomonee Falls 0 Divine Savior 69
The Dashers are hitting full stride as the season draws to a close. Despite the rainy conditions they put up fifty-five points in the first thirty minutes of the match. In the second half, wholesale substitutions gave their jv team a chance to play some important minutes. Falls showed athleticism and were competitive throughout.
Sunday Oct 14th
Fond Du Lac (forfeit) Vernon
Fond Du Lac was unable to field a full side, but still took the field to allow both sides the opportunity for a fun afternoon of playing 10's.
Oak Creek 5 Brookfield 15
In a tight contest, Brookfield/Tosa was able to secure their second conference victory of the season. Brookfield has already improved over last year's conference win total, and they have two matches to go.
Wed Oct 3rd
Oak Creek 34 Muskego 17
The Oak Creek Knights played a young Muskego team in a try-filled weekday match and were able to notch a non-conference victory.
Saturday Oct 6th
DSHA 46 Vernon 8
DSHA moved to 5-0 after defeating the previously undefeated Harlequins at their home pitch. After getting out to a quick 10-0 lead, Vernon fought back with a 10-phase barrage and were awarded a penalty, that their kicker hit, for the three points. It appeared Vernon might be able to keep it close until some turnovers were converted to more points for DSHA, as they broke the game open. Vernon was able to add a try near the end of a match in which they continued to battle hard. The Dasher's senior captain, Emily Van Bibber, scored two tries and hit three conversions in the winning effort.
CMHS (win) over Menomonee Falls (forfeit)
DSHA JV 17 CMHS 22
Both referee's at the field Saturday commented that this was the best 'jv' game they may have ever seen. Featuring a highly-skilled attack, both teams played with width, at times; kicked at times, and competed at the breakdown effectively. After at least three lead changes in a fun match, Memorial freshman winger Ellie Metz scored the decisive try late in the second half.
Sunday Oct 7th
Brookfield 15 Kettle Moraine 33
KM notched the road victory at Brookfield Christian School.
Broookfield 29 Muskego 17
Another competitive match, that went the home team's way in the end.
Fond Du Lac 15 v Oak Creek 40
Oak Creek rounded out a good week by continuing to find the tryzone. Fond Du Lac did too, touching down three times.
Thursday Sept 27th
Kettle Moraine 5 Vernon 27
Vernon gets a crucial road victory to stay in the race for first place.
Saturday Sept 29th
Catholic Memorial 45 Brookfield 10
The Crusaders win the 11th Annual Founder's Cup match in a fun and fast-paced match.
Sunday Sept 30th
Fond Du Lac Menomonee Falls (no score reported by their coaches)
Monday Oct 1st
DSHA 65 Oak Creek 5
Week 3 Scores
Catholic Memorial 7 Divine Savior Holy Angels 27
Muskego 10 Divine Savior JV 67
Kettle Moraine 53 Fond Du Lac 5
Brookfield 27 Menomonee Falls 5
Vernon 32 Oak Creek 12
Week 2 Scores
Saturday Sept 15th
Brookfield 5 Divine Savior Holy Angels High School 74
Fond Du Lac 0 Catholic Memorial High School 84
Sunday Sept 16th
Oak Creek 5 Kettle Moraine 32
Menomonee Falls 0 Vernon 42
Oak Creek JV 0 DSHA JV 32
Fall Conference Scores
Week 1, 2012
Wednesday
Divine Savior 51 Muskego 12 (jv game)
Saturday
Catholic Mem. 51 Oak Creek 0
Catholic Mem. 31 Oak Creek 0 (jv game)
Sunday
Kettle Moraine 37 Menomonee Falls 0
Kettle Moraine 46 Muskego 5
Vernon 74 Brookfield/Tosa 0
Fond Du Lac 0 Divine Savior 101
September 9, 2012
The rugby team traveled to Fond du Lac for a Sunday morning match. A Side had many players in new positions and even with a slow start, the A Side came away with an impressive victory over a feisty Fond du Lac team that would never give up. Congratulations to both teams.
September 5, 2012
B Side opens with a victory over Muskego 51-12 Wednesday night at Dretzka Park. A lot of first time jitters were on display, but the players started to get the feel of the game and ran away from Muskego.
DSHA Rugby Spirit Wear is now available.
Please go to: http://www.burghardtsportinggoods.com/ to order.
Orders placed by Sunday September 16th will be delivered the week of October 5th.
Player Registration Information
Every player must register at the USA Rugby website. Please print and sign the waiver and turn into Lindey or Emily.
https://membership.usarugby.org/default.aspx
$30 for individual player CIPP Registration.
Club is Divine Savior Holy Angels Rugby Club -
Every player must register at the USA Rugby website. Please print & sign the waiver and turn into Lindey or Emily as soon as possible.
https://membership.usarugby.org/default.aspx
$30 for individual player CIPP Registration.
Club is Divine Savior Holy Angels Rugby Club -
Girls (Club) High School
DSHA Rugby 2012 Fall Season
Thursday Sept. 6 vs. Muskego at Dretzka Park 5:00 PM
Saturday Sept. 8 vs. Fond Du Lac at Fond Du Lac 10:30 AM
Saturday Sept. 15 vs. Brookfield at Dretzka Park 9:30 AM
Saturday Sept. 15 vs. Wauwatosa at Dretzka Park 11:00 AM
Sunday Sept. 23 vs. Catholic Memorial at Minooka Park 9:30 AM
Thursday Sept. 27 vs. Oak Creek at Dretzka Park 5:00 PM
Saturday Oct. 6 vs. Vernon at Vernon Town Hall 10:00 AM
Saturday Oct. 13 vs. Menomonee Falls at MF TBA
Saturday Oct. 20 vs. Kettle Moraine at Dretzka Park 10:00 AM
Sunday Oct. 28 WI State Championship at Nagawaukee TBD.
2012 Spring Season
Rugby National Invitational Tournament May 10-13
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Players will leave Thursday after school.
Air/Hotel info to come shortly. Estimate $450-500 player.
Need player commitments ASAP.
Midwest Regional Rugby Tournament April 27 - 29.
All players will depart DSHA after school and travel by bus to Elkhart, IN.
Hotel Info: Jameson Inn
3010 Brittany Ct, Elkhart, IN
574-264-7222
http://www.jamesoninns.com/locations/elkhart.html
$65.99+Tax per night includes breakfast
Ask for DSHA Parents block
Welcome to the new players and families.
2012 Spring Rugby Season.
Thursday March 29 B Side vs. Muskego 5pm at Drezka Park
Friday March 30 A Side vs. Brookfield 5pm at Dretzka Park
Wednesday April 4 A & B Side vs. Oak Creek 4:30 at Oak Creek
Wednesday April 18 A & B Side vs. Kettle Moraine 5pm at KM
Saturday April 21 A & B Side vs. Vernon 10am at Vernon
April 27-29 Midwest Regional Tournament at Elkhart, IN
Thursday May 3 B Side vs Fond du Lac 5:30pm at Dretzka Park
Congratulations Dashers! 2011 State Champions
2011 WI State Rugby Championship held at Naga-Waukee Park, Delafield, WI
| Field 1 | | Field 2 | |
10:00 AM | | | Muskego | Tosa |
11:15 AM | Brookfield | DSHA-B | FDL | Oak Creek-B |
12:30 | Vernon | KM | MF | Oak Creek |
2:00 PM | DSHA | CMH | | |
3:30 PM | Award Ceremony |
August 31, 2011
2011 Fall Season opens with the Parent Meeting tonight in the Quad at DSHA High School. The USA Rugby Waiver Form and all school forms should be handed in to Coach Chin or Athletic Director, Peggy Seegers-Braun.
May 1, 2011
DSHA retains Midwest Girls Rugby Championship title by defeating St Joseph's Academy of Cleveland, OH 36-0 in the first round of the Championship Tournament. Next up for the Dashers was Fox Chapel, PA,. DSHA won convincingly 42-0 in the semi-final. The Championship Match pitted two old rivals together again. DSHA defeated Lakeland, Ohio 36-5 for the Championship and the #3 seed at the National Tournament May 21-22 in Sandy, Utah.
March 29, 2011
Popcorn Fundraiser Kicks Off Today!
The team is selling many different flavors of popcorn from Col Pops Popcorn in Wauwatosa. Visit www.colpops.com for additional information. All popcorn is $6.00 per bag. The girls will earn 50% of everything they sell. Each player will have their own account and have the opportunity to earn as much as they would like. An additional incentive, Earn a FREE BAG of Popcorn of your choice for every 15 bags you sell. So for every 15 bags sold you will earn $45 and a free bag of popcorn. Popcorn Turn In Date is April 13th at the DSHA vs Oak Creek game. Popcorn will be delivered to practice on Tuesday April 26th. Good Luck!
January 11, 2011
DSHA Rugby announces Open Gym schedule. Please check the Calendar Page.
DSHA Rugby looks forward to the Spring Season!
Always Remember 8 - 5.
October 31, 2010
CONGRATULATIONS DSHA
2010 Wisconsin State Rugby Champions!
DSHA 27 Kettle Moraine 3
DSHA B Side lost a close game to Fond du Lac in the final of the Division 2 tournament.
Fond du Lac 12 DSHA B Side 10
October 25, 2010
Wisconsin Girls Rugby, in combination with its State Tournament sponsors,Waukesha State Bank and Athletico, announces the field for the 2010 State Championship Tournament, Sunday Oct 31st at Naga-Waukee Park. Twelve teams will participate, with the awards ceremony twenty minutes after the conclusion of the final
Division I
Championship 2:00pm DSHA v Kettle Moraine
3rd Place 12:30pm CMHS v Brookfield
5th Place 11:15am Vernon v Menomonee Falls
7th Place 11:15am Oak Creek v Northshore
Division II
Championship 12:30pm Fond Du Lac v DSHA B Side
3rd Place 10:00am Oak Creek v Wauwatosa
October 24, 2010
The top-seeded teams advance to the Championship game next weekend at Naga-waukee Park at 2:00PM. DSHA with a win over Brookfield (22-7) will play Kettle Moraine who defeated Catholic Memorial (18-5) in the Wisconsin State Rugby Championship.
October 24, 2010
DSHA battles Brookfield Bruisers in a rain-soaked game at Dretzka Park today. DSHA led 12-0 at halftime. DSHA converted a penalty kick for a 15-0 lead, but Brookfield cut the score to 15-7 with plenty of time on the clock. DSHA put the game away with another try and a conversion for a final score of 22-7. Next up the State Championship game vs. the winner of the Kettle Moraine / Catholic Memorial game.
October 16, 2010
DSHA moves on to the next round of the WI State Tournament with an impressive 83-0 win over Northshore today.
October 11, 2010
The final week of the regular season concluded Sunday with a fierce battle between Brookfield and Kettle Moraine that displayed just how competitive the Wisconsin Girls Rugby conference has been all year.
Brookfield scored first and led at one point 10-5, before a second-half surge saw Kettle Moraine punch in two tries.
DSHA 78 Oak Creek 0
CMHS 26 Vernon 3
Kettle Moraine 15 Brookfield 10
Three teams finished tied for the conference title, a first:
DSHA 4-1, Kettle Moraine 4-1, Catholic Memorial 4-1, Brookfield 2-3, Vernon 1-4, and Oak Creek 0-5.
The Championship tournament brackets and seeds will be officially released tomorrow.
Check out more information and get the complete story at:
http://lifelawrugby.blogspot.com/
October 8-2010
DSHA A Side and B Side defeated Oak Creek Thursday night Oct. 7 at Dretzka Park in Milwaukee. Next up for the DSHA Rugby team will be the Wisconsin state tournament. Check back for details.
October 2, 2010
DSHA met Catholic Memorial at Minooka park in Waukesha on Saturday morning. It was a hard fought game and Catholic Memorial was able to defeat DSHA 7 - 5 in the end. Catholic Memorial has earned the bragging rights of being the first team in over seven years to defeat DSHA in a Wisconsin match. Congratulations to Catholic Memorial. DSHA and Catholic Memorial are 3-1 in division play and look forward to the Wisconsin State Tournament.
September 27, 2010
DSHA and Kettle Moraine engaged in a hard fought, penalty-ridden game at Dretzka Park Monday evening. DSHA prevailed 26-7 over the Kettle Moraine Knightmares. The B Side game finished in the dark with Kettle Moraine taking the B Side game 12 - 0. Everyone was happy to wrap up the evening and get home to watch the Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears Monday night game.
September 18, 2010
DSHA and Vernon battle each other and the weather today. DSHA is victorious in both the A Side and B Side games today.
DSHA 58 Vernon 0
DSHA B Side 20 Vernon B Side 0
September 10, 2010
DSHA opens the 2010 Fall Season with a hard fought victory over the Brookfield Bruisers.
DSHA 12 Brookfield Bruisers 7
DSHA B Side 5 Brookfield B Side 5
DSHA opens league play with A and B Side games vs. Brookfield Bruisers on Friday night at Dretzka Park beginning at 5:00PM. Dretzka Park, Milwaukee, WI (Map)
DSHA kicks off 2010 Fall season with a friendly scrimmage vs. Marquette University womens rugby team. DSHA put up 30 points in the first half. The final score was much closer as Coach Chin worked to get most of his players into the game. It was a great learning experience for many of the new players on the team.
New Look Fall Season and Expanded Teams!
The official scheduling meeting occurred last week and the league has now expanded to 12 teams. In order to ensure parity in competition, the twelve A-side teams have been sorted into two Divisions.
Division I (by ranking):
1. DSHA
2. Brookfield
3. Vernon
4. Catholic Memorial
5. Kettle Moraine
6. Oak Creek
Division II (by ranking):
1. Muskego
2. Northshore Highlanders
3. Fond du Lac
4. Cudahy
5. Menomonee Falls
6. Wauwatosa
Division I B-side teams will also compete in a Division III competition. As in the past, the top 8 teams will play for the state championship (the Wisconsin Cup), with the top 2 DII teams being invited to the Div. I play-off. Division II teams will compete for the Bowl Championship. At the end of the play-off season, the 7th and 8th Ranked team will be relegated to Division II for the coming Fall.
Our newest team, Wauwatosa RFC is adopting the model of organization from Menomonee Falls and Cudahy -- i.e. working in conjunction with a Recreation Department within a public school district to create a team.
As the season progresses, and our new blog co-author comes on-line, we hope to be providing in-depth team profiles, more timely score reporting, and (hopefully) more pictures.
Posted by Dan at Saturday, June 05, 2010
DSHA's rugby streak comes to end
Dashers lose first match since 2003
By BOB GOSMAN
Posted: May 23, 2010 |
The streak finally ended.
The Divine Savior Holy Angels girls rugby team, undefeated since midway through the 2003 season and winner of six consecutive U-19 national championships, finally met its match. The Dashers lost, 8-5, Saturday in semifinal play to Fallbrook (Calif.) High School.
DSHA bounced back to defeat the Brookfield Bruisers, 65-0, in the third-place match Sunday at Rio Tinto Stadium near Salt Lake City. The Sacramento Amazons topped Fallbrook, 32-10, in the title match.
After winning their quarterfinal matchup, 10-7, on Saturday morning, the Dashers fell behind Fallbrook, 5-0, at halftime. DSHA junior Ellie Miller scored a try to tie the score at 5-5, but that was it for the Dashers' offense.
"When I scored, I actually cried a bit, I wanted it so much," Miller said.
DSHA battled injuries the entire tournament but did not use that as an excuse.
"There was a lot of shock and disappointment," senior Erica Vandenhouten said. "As a captain, I always thought this would be my year to raise the trophy, but it didn't end the way we wanted to. It wasn't our year."
DSHA coach John "Chin" Klein raved about the way his team shook off the defeat and played at the top of its game against Brookfield.
"I've never really been more proud than I was today," he said. "Not many teams could bounce back the way they did today. That's what true character is about. The girls showed why they are true champions. Yesterday was a bad day. Today was awesome."
Against Brookfield, Miller, Alyssa Blavat and Erin McCullogh all had standout performances. This was Brookfield's first appearance at the national tournament.
Now that DSHA has finally lost a match, Klein has the chance to reflect on the streak.
"It was an incredible run," he said. "There are so many obstacles that go with being undefeated for that length of time. There were so many tough games where they refused to lose. The streak was special and one that hasn't been matched yet in rugby. Hopefully, we'll be able to start a new one."
Kent's Return to Nationals Tainted |
Scrumhalf Raechel Buoy helped Kent to a 5th place finish (Chrisey Buoy photo). By Jackie Finlan When the West forfeited its slot to the Girls U-19 National Championship due to Colorado’s withdrawal from USA Rugby competition (opting instead for a state-based high school league), the Pacific Coast inherited the extra seed. The Kent (Wash.) Crusaders were the happy recipients of the national #8 seed, which the team earned after finishing second at the PCRFU championship, just losing out (15-13) to the Sacramento Amazons. When excessive injury crippled Maryville, the South #1 team was forced to forfeit its seed the week before the national championships were to occur. USA Rugby filled the void with local team Lowland (Utah), a young team that competed at the PCRFU championships and finished fourth. But when the team was added to the national roster, it took over Maryville’s vacated #4 spot, instead of taking the #8 seed. Under normal circumstances, perhaps it’s easiest to simply substitute a replacement team into the vacated seed, since weighing the strength of various territories can be a sticky situation. However, in this particular circumstance, the replacement team’s level of competitiveness was clear cut – Lowland had lost to both the Amazons and Kent at Pac Coasts, and failed to score a single point. But they were entering the national competition ahead of Kent? This incongruity struck Kent coach Rex Norris, and he spoke to USA Rugby Competitions Committee chair Alan Sharpley days before the tournament. “First he claimed that it was a logistics issue,” Norris explained, “then he said that it was policy, and a precedent had been set. But what precedent could he be referencing? Before 2008, the National Invitational Tournament [NIT] wasn’t a USA Rugby entity.” To Norris, the logical course of action would have been to seat Lowland as #8 and bump everyone else up a spot. Norris appealed to Divine Savior coach John Klein, who agreed with the Kent coach’s rationale. Klein had raised a similar argument in 2004 to NIT organizers, indicating the seeds didn’t reflect reality, so they were changed the night before competition. What if Divine Savior had dropped out; would Lowland have taken the #1 seed? It’s a question Norris posed to USA Rugby. Isn’t it logical to place Lowland at #8 and bump everyone else up? These are the questions Norris asked, but USA Rugby was not changing the seeding. What was the result? The tournament saw one of the fiercest games in the first round–like when #1 seed Divine Savior beat #8 seed Kent 10-7–and blowouts in the latter rounds. “I’m not pouting,” Norris insisted. “We lost. There’s no doubt about it. But Divine Savior was the number one seed, and they deserved the easiest route to the final. And we didn’t get to showcase our talent in a build-up to the latter rounds.” “Nigel Melville wasn’t at the tournament,” Norris said, “but he agreed with my argument when I did talk to him and encouraged me file a complaint.” “The last thing I want to do, however, is detract from Sacramento accomplished,” Norris added. “They were the class of the tournament. The point is that when you watch your team work so hard all season, bend over backward fundraising to get to nationals–to have the experience tainted, it was just a bad situation.” Norris tried to keep the controversy out of the team’s purview, but the players found USA Rugby programs printed for the event that had Kent listed as the #7 seed and Lowland as #8. Hmm … Despite the distraction, the Kent players put in an impressive performance and convinced the nation that the team deserved to be there. In the opening round, they played the majority of the first half in DSHA’s end, using the wind to their advantage and getting the ball wide to their quick backs. Kent squandered a few opportunities to score, but scrumhalf Raechel Buoy found the try zone to put the Crusaders up 7-0 at half. “The second half was a complete reversal,” Norris recollected. “We struggled to get out of our end, but I was really proud of the way the girls defended.” Flyhalf Kelsie Saalfeld led the defensive effort and made a number of tackles on the wing. Divine Savior inched closer with a penalty, before Kent made a tactical error with only four minutes to go. The Crusaders received a penalty inside DSHA’s 22 meter, and instead of kicking it touch, ran the ball. The Holy Angels stole possession and sent a clearing kick to a freshman fullback, who had just been subbed into the game. Kent’s #15 attempted to return fire, but the kick was blocked and bounced right into the hands of a DSHA player, who returned the ball 60 meters for the go-ahead try and one minute to go. “It was disappointing because we’ve been coming close all year,” Norris said. “When we lost to Sacramento [at the Pacific Coast Championship], we had missed a conversion and penalty that would have given us the win. We know we’re capable; we just couldn’t finish on some games.” Kent went on to beat Lowland 45-0 in the consolation semis and West Carroll 17-5 for fifth place. Only U-19 Eagle Katie Humphreys had been on the team when Kent last went to Nationals in 2007, but Norris commended the players on how they handled the pressure. “We play a tough schedule,” he explained. “We played Sacramento, Fallbrook, Fullerton, Canadian traveling squads. The last two years, we’ve gone 48-6.” And the talent didn’t escape the scouts’ attention, including Penn State coach Pete Steinberg, who chatted up outside center Amanda Henneman (sister to Lisa), Buoy and Humphreys about their collegiate rugby futures. “We took on some of the best teams in country,” Norris said…with a rhetorical “what if…” that seemed to linger on his mind. |
|
Congratulations 2010 Midwest Girls Champions!
DSHA 25 vs. Brookfield Bruisers 0
For the Girls brackets and results click here.
Both DSHA and Brookfield Bruisers RFC qualified for the 2010 National tournament in Salt Lake City, UT. Congratulations to all the Wisconsin rugby programs.
Wisconsin girls high school rugby teams are having a fantastic weekend at the Midwest Girls Chapionship
May 8 - 9, 2010.
First Round
DSHA Milw, WI 48 St. Charles, IL 0
Brownsburg IN 40 Traverse City, MI 12
Brookfield, WI 17 Fox Chapel, PA 15
Lakewood, OH 12 Armstrong, MN 0
Second Round
DSHA Milw. WI 52 Brownsburg, IN 7
Brookfield, WI 10 Lakewood, OH 7
Championship Sunday 5-9-2010
DSHA Milw, WI 25 vs. Brookfield, WI 0
2009 Wisconsin Girls Rugby State Championship
---All-Tournament Team---
#1 Jamie Wojciechowski* senior Vernon Harlequins
#2 Stephanie Gammon senior Brookfield Bruisers
#3 Hope Kollauf junior Vernon Harlequins
#4 Erin Davis* senior Catholic Memorial High School
#5 Sonya Pavela junior Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
#6 Talia Carrasquillo junior Kettle Moraine High School
#7 Brianna Klein junior Brookfield Bruisers
#8 Elizabeth Linnemanstons* sr Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
#9 Rachel Santulli* junior Brookfield Bruisers
#10 Cayla Clark senior Muskego High School
#11 Rachel Gaenslen junior Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
#12 Kate Cashin junior Brookfield Bruisers
#13 Ellie Miller junior Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
#14 Emily Zemplinski junior Vernon Harlequins
#15 Anita Dillett senior Catholic Memorial High School
#16 Taylor Rozman sophomore Kettle Moraine High School
#17 Samantha Capelle junior Kettle Moraine High School
#18 Alli Cales sophomore Oak Creek High School
#19 Madison Wieland junior Northshore Highlanders
#20 Kaylinne Vega* sophomore Oak Creek High School
#21 Maggie Armstrong junior Catholic Memorial High School
#22 Kali Schulte sophomore Muskego High School
Special thanks to Dan Chanen from the Brookfield Bruisers RFC.
Congratulations Dashers!
2009 Wisconsin State Champions
DSHA 54 Brookfield Bruisers 7
DSHA B Side 26 Menomonee Falls 0
Coach Chin introduces team to our newest coaching addition.
It seems we have adopted John Wooden as our inspiration. Here are some quotes to get us going in the morning:
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
"Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character."
"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to
become the best that you are capable of becoming."
"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but
by what you should have accomplished with your ability."
"Be more concerned with your character than your
reputation, because your character is what you really are,
while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
John Wooden
Parent Meeting Monday January 25th at 7:00 PM DSHA High School
Midwest Tournament will be in Indianapolis, IN May 8-9, 2010
Nationals Salt Lake City, Utah May 21-23, 2010
Sunday October 25, 2009
Congratulations DSHA Girls Rugby on winning the Wisconsin State Title.
Championship Game
DSHA 54 Brookfield Bruisers 7
DSHA B Side 26 Menomonee Falls 0
Saturday October 17, 2009
DSHA 27 Catholic Memorial 0
DSHA B Side 12 Catholic Memorial 12
DSHA moves into the State Final against Brookfield on Sunday Oct 25 at
Naga-Waukee Park in Hartland. All are welcome to come and cheer on the Dashers as they compete for the State Title in Hartland. There will be a day filled with girls high school rugby. 6 games will be played Sunday October 25th at Naga-Waukee Park.
Wednesday October 7, 2009
DSHA moves on to the next round of the state playoffs with a convincing win over Oak Creek at Dretzka Park. Excellent pizzas and food shared by all after the game.
Saturday October 3, 2009
Congratulations to both teams in their victories over the
Brookfield Bruisers
DSHA A Side 53 Brookfield Bruisers 3
DSHA B Side 12 Brookfield Bruisers 0
Tuesday September 29
B Side game vs. Fond du Lac at 5:15
DSHA B Side 50 Fond du Lac 0
Friday September 25, 2009
DSHA played Kettle Moraine at Naga-Waukee Park. It was a cold rain filled evening.
DSHA A Side 38 Kettle Moraine 15
DSHA B Side 17 Kettle Moraine 0
Saturday September 19, 2009
DSHA played Muskego on Saturday at Bluhm Farm Park in Muskego. DSHA A Side defeated Muskego 65 - 0 in the first game. DSHA B Side won 19 - 0 in the second game. Congratulations to both teams on a hard fought contest. Muskego Rugby Club were gracious hosts and had a wonderful feast for everyone to enjoy.
Thursday, September 10
North Shore A 0 vs DSHA A 55
Fond du Lac A 0 vs DSHA B 45
A special Thank You to Dan at Web Blog:
Wisconsin U19 Girls Rugby
A weblog that provides match reports and discussion about U19 girls rugby in Wisconsin and information updates for for youth rugby U6-U14.
What's With Those Hawaiian Shirts?
Some have the Maori Haka. Brookfield had its bagpipers for a time. And Wisconsin's local rugby fans have the Hawaiian shirts.
Some fans have come to associate Hawaiian shirts with DSHA rugby. Its origins are a bit more complex than that. In this, the first recorded picture of Hawaiian shirts being used as coach's attire roughly a decade ago, it does in fact show three coaches wearing the dazzling duds. But, it should be noted that two of the coaches are wearing borrowed shirts from the third's extensive collection.
The current head coach of DSHA did not originate this now time-honored tradition; although he must be recognized for his efforts. He has embraced this tradition, even being captured in an ESPN interview wearing the now famed black and red Hawaiian print. Still, others may forget that Kettle Moraine used the 'originals' prints pictured as good-luck Hawaiian shirts and did so continuously throughout the height of their trips to Nationals and Midwest. Perhaps as coaches and players prepare for the upcoming fall competition, some should consider finding an old Hawaiian shirt ....
(Thanks to our guest feature columnist for this story and picture)!
Congratulations to Sarah C., (in red-below) from DSHA, pictured here as she receives the MVP award for her role at the USA Rugby National Championships!
Also in the news, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett dropped by DSHA on Thursday to declare May 21, 2009 "DIVINE SAVIOR HOLY ANGELS HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY CLUB NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DAY" for all Milwaukee! Talk about raising the image of rugby. Below is s a copy of the official proclamation.
I want to note that, despite the fact that DSHA has a lot to be proud of, almost all my information comes from individuals who are not affiliated with the club. I wish Chin and his cohorts were a little less modest ... so I don't have to hear about them third hand. Besides, DSHA's continued success is only possible because they have teams to play. We should all take pride that a Wisconsin club does so very, very well!
