Bowling Green won this year’s Mid American Conference Sevens Championship with an offensive outburst in the final, 46-0 over fellow finalists Cincinnati.

Played at BG’s College Park rugby pitch on the first decent weather rugby day this entire spring, the Falcons were one of five teams to end pool play with 2-1 records.

BGSU, Miami, Ohio University and Cincinnati advanced to the championship finals while Western Michigan, suffering the effects of a bad 47-5 first game loss to Ohio, had to move into the consolation bracket. 

Knowing that only a massive loss to Louisville would keep the Falcons out of the finals, BG turned over the match to their subs to win or lose, and Louisville prevailed 14-12.

The strategy may have proved crucial, as BG was able to rest all of its 1st VII entering the finals matches just as other squads started to show fatigue.

“Player substitution management is almost as important as tactics in a sevens tournament, “ said Bowling Green Head Coach Tony Mazzarella. “Taking one or two people out too early or too late can cost you the match.”

In the first Cup semifinal, Cincinnati surged to an early big lead only to have to hold off a determined Bobcat comeback before beating Ohio 22-12.

The second Cup semi was also close as sevens matches go. Longtime rivals Bowling Green and Miami faced off and the Redhawks drew first blood with a lightning quick try. Taking control of the scrums, the Falcons weren’t concerned with knock-ons because the forwards immediately won the ball back. Center Adam Regini scored twice Bowling Green put up twenty four points before a late Miami try made the final score 24-12.

A pool game rematch between Bowling Green and Cincinnati in the final had to have the Bearcats' Nick Lauterbach and Bowling Green's Mazzarella wondering which squad was going to show up in this season ending rubber match.

Cincinnati had dealt the Falcons their only 7s loss of the season at the Ohio State Sevens by a score of 28-7. BG on the other hand had crushed the Bearcats 48-0 in pool play.

The final was over almost as soon as it started as the Falcons poured in eight tries to win easily 46-0. Regini got a hat trick plus a conversion and scrum half Mitch Sora showed he was over the injury bug by touching down twice and setting up a try by wing Cole Shaffer with an interception. Prop Sean McFarland and wing Andrew Slonkosky added tries and fly half Nick Ross added two conversions.

Coach Tony Mazzarella likes to tress as much defensive work as offensive plays. “When these guys are clicking, they really exciting to watch, but putting the other team’s players on the ground, counter rucking and scrum control puts a lot of ball in their hands.”

BGSU will advance to the National Collegiate Sevens Championship in Cary, North Carolina over Labor Day Weekend.

Dayton took the Shield final over Kent 26-10 and Western Michigan won the Bowl final with a hard fought 12-7 victory over Louisville. Ohio University capped a 149 point day and got revenge for their only pool match loss with a 42-0 shut out over Miami to win the Plate Final.

“I want to send a shout out to Kent State,” said Mazzarella, who is also the MAC commissioner. “They struggled the entire day and had only scored one try before entering the Shield final. But they went into the last match playing just as hard as if it had been the Cup final. That is the real rugby spirit”