DII Games This Weekend: Round of 16 and Beyond

The DII playoffs are here and we've got 16 teams in action there.

In addition, we've got the SCRC final. The SCRC, as well as the Rocky Mountain, have remained members of USA Rugby, and so will be playing a inter-conference challenge match on the weekend of December 4 at the CRAA Finals Weekend at the Mathews Sportsplex in North Carolina.

Meanwhile, the NCR playoffs move on. One team to keep a close eye on is Northern Iowa. Yes they lost the Great Midwest Final, but they were without their starting flyhalf Jentry Staack and with Staack back in the lineup they could be a little stronger. Either way, UNI is a good team and one to watch. 

Principia, remember, won the Gateway Conference and is another team that's easy to overlook. 

"We have some real talent," said Head Coach Ward Patterson, "and some grass-green players."

They deserve to be in the Round of 16, added Patterson, who won two national DII championships with Middlebury. After that? "The draw is huge. We could win or go home right away," said Patterson.  "I have no way to get a true read on other areas with no cross play."

Principia plays a Minnesota-Duluth team we've hardly seen. Led by No. 8 DJ Martin Duluth hasn't played a lot, but with Head Coach Jeramy Katchuba (who won three national championships with Duluth) back involved, they know what the level is.

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