In one of several outcomes that necessitates a DII rankings shift, Bloomsburg defeated Kutztown 76-8 in the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) final. The titleholder had defeated Delaware 66-26 in Saturday’s semifinal, while Kutztown bettered East Stroudsburg 35-5 for the berth to the final.

On Saturday, the Lady Bears lost several key players to injury, including starting halfbacks Erica Papp and Mary Cate Matta. Some of those players might cycle back into the roster as the playoffs continue, but Kutztown coach Sean Cobb didn’t focus on the setbacks in terms of Sunday’s outcome.

“It was a rough couple of days for the girls, but let me be clear: Bloomsburg University beat us, and beat us handily,” Cobb said. “Kevin [Castner] has done a great job with Bloomsburg and has put his athletes in a system that highlights their strengths. Although we were missing some key personnel, they were simply the better team.”

Bloomsburg returned to the MARC playoffs with a different mindset this year. In 2014, the team enjoyed a breakout season and was happy to just be in the post-season. As a result, players focused more on the achievement of advancing than the continual improvement needed against increasingly talented opposition. The team then suffered what it considered an early exit out of the competition, choking against Marist in the Sweet 16s.

“There’s a hunger that burns inside of them,” Bloomsburg coach Kevin Castner said of the team’s response. “We have some fun athletes who have that desire and ambition to keep going. After a score, it’s right back to work. They take nothing for granted now.”

That energy propelled an explosive fall season, as Bloomsburg outscored its six opponents by 452 points. The Huskies produced those numbers with a varying lineup, substituting top players at half to ensure the bench got significant minutes. But that strategy left some questions unanswered as the team entered playoffs. What did Bloomsburg look like when it had its top athletes on the pitch for an entire match? Could they maintain a fast, urgent game for 80 minutes?

“The nerves kicked in with Delaware,” Castner said. “The players put more pressure on themselves. They just wanted to get started and go play. We emptied our bench against Delaware as well, giving up 19 unaccounted points in the last 25 minutes. They had one prop who did not stop; she was the life blood, the spark that made them go forward.”

Nikki Snyder scored four first-half tries, and Kelly Mason added three conversions for a 26-7 lead. In the second half, Snyder added two more tries, Mason five more conversions, while Selena Fernandez dotted down twice and Meg Reilly once.

Against East Stroudsburg, fullback CJ Dickison scored two tries, while center Taylor Sandin (later injured), Aysia Grondahl, and Laurie Seagraves scored in the 35-5 semifinal win.

“The pressure was on Kutztown, not us,” Castner said. “They were the defending champs, they were ranked higher, they needed to hold onto the title. They had more to lose than we did. All we had to do was go out there and have fun.”

Bloomsburg’s tight five had an advantage in height and pace, and the unit set the standard for continual go-forward. The centers' and wings’ evasive skills saw consistent 20-30-meter breaks out wide, and the top lineup got a lot of quality time together.

Snyder and Reilly were devastating, combining for nine tries on the day. Liz Kendrick, Michelle Ronayne, and Jade Hensinger also dotted down, while Mason added 16 points on eight conversions.

“A lot of our older players really stepped up because of what it meant to them from last year,” Castner said. “But the final MVP was Erin Duganitz. She was quiet but did the hard, unpraised work that a prop or hooker does to keep moving forward. That was the best game of the year for her.”

Casnter also singled out No. 8 Emily Eshleman, who “put in a high-level match today, just out of her skin,” the coach said. “She led from the front and in going forward in the rucks.

“Our regulars did well, too,” Castner continued. “Nikki Snyder is just an athlete among athletes. Prop Megan Reilly is able to dominate physically on the field with the picks through the rucks and inserting into the backline.”

Both teams move onto the DII fall Round of 32. Bloomsburg will host an at-large team this weekend, while Kutztown hosts Upstate NY runner-up Geneseo this weekend. Castner expressed a little concern over not knowing the team's opponent this weekend, as at-large bids have gone unfulfilled in the past, resulting in a bye.

"We want to play this weekend and have a lot to work on," Castner asserted. "We're not looking past anyone, and this weekend's match is orur last opportunity to try and get better."

For the full brackets, save the at-large bids, click here.