Excitement and Expectations in D2 Round of 16
Excitement and Expectations in D2 Round of 16
Expectations were largely met in the NCR Men’s D2 college playoffs.
A Thriller
Perhaps the most exciting Round of 16 game was Georgetown vs RPI. The Hoyas edged the Engineers 21-20 in a wild one.
“The difference for us was playing to our set pieces and being patient in open play,” said Georgetown Head Coach Craig Rowlings. The team made smart offload decisions and their offensive ruck support was solid. They needed all of that.
“RPI were excellent in open play and tested our defense with a few good breakaways. but we held strong for the most part,” added Rowlings. “Our forwards were the tipping point of the game with remarkable work rate despite injured players staying on the field and gritting it out.”
Michael Suozzi was player of the game at loose forward. This is his first ever season of rugby and he put in a big game when it mattered.
Quinn Zebowski was excellent in the backline while flyhalf Conor Sippel was the field general and led brilliantly.
It was a tough loss for a very good RPI side.
Georgetown will play Norwich, which won in convincing fashion 43-0 over Villanova.
A Surprise
Perhaps the big upset was UNC-Wilmington 25 Vermont 17.
This was a massive team effort from UNCW, said Head Coach Jim Wiseman. “We were able to pressure them well on defense and we were able to take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.”
Flyhalf Daniel Marsh was crucial as he put over several key penalty goals and his kicking was a major factor.
“It was a great win for us as Vermont is without question a very quality side,” said Wiseman. “It is obviously they are very well coached and a great group of young men.”
IUP won the other game in this bracket, beating Salisbury 64-0. The Crimson Hawks will take on the Seahawks Sunday.
Still Rolling
Grand Valley State defeated Memphis 29-12 to advance. It was a good showing by GVSU, but not perfect. However, it was impressive given that their starting halfback combo of Cal Schwandt and Reinhardt Stipp were unable to play and they were also without lock Justin Anderson and prop Anthony Coleman.
Still GVSU started strong and played hard but, said Head Coach John Mullett, “we got sloppier as we went with way too many unforced errors.”
Drops, knock-ons, and bad passes plagued GVSU but they hung in there.
“Lots to clean up, but we won, so I’ll take it,” said Mullett.
GVSU will play Towson, which beat Loyola 43-26. Towson was the #8 seed out of the MARC but blew through the field with three straight wins and then this one.
“We played to our strength, very physical rugby,” said Towson’s Sean Cornell. “We wanted to send a message as soon as the game started.”
The Towson forward pack was huge in this game, while Aidan Parson scored four tries to lead the Tigers.
As Expected
Northern Iowa beat St. Louis University 74-10 in another big victory for UNI. Montana State took care of Chicago 48-19. These two will meet up.
So Sunday’s matchups in the quarterfinals are:
Towson vs Grand Valley State
Northern Iowa vs Montana State
Norwich vs Georgetown
UNC-Wilmington vs IUP
