Four Remain in CRC Men's Premier
Four Remain in CRC Men's Premier
We’re down to four teams in the CRC Men’s Premier bracket, with St Bonaventure, Belmont Abbey, Wheeling, and Queens making the semifinals.
Wheeling’s speed and team unity saw them blow past Babson 35-0 and defeat UMW 31-10. The game against Mary Washington was close for a while …
It was much the same story with Brown, as they won comfortably over Texas A&M and then Notre Dame, but were trailing the Aggies early but their pattern started to slice up the Texans. Tito Edjua just broke through from long range; Erik Estienne scored on a quick tap after a long break, and they started to take control. Edjua scored another one from long range to seal it.
UMW had survived Virginia Tech and challenged Wheeling early, but Shadreck Mandaza tested them with his speed and decision-making, and a key try late in the first half from Panashe Mugorogodi, who charged in. The freshman made a bunch of tacklers miss in the second half and broke through or 85 meters to score. Wheeling led 24-5 before former Wheeling Cardinal Aaron Juma scored on a support line, but it was too late.
Brown and Wheeling were tight at halftime, with Wheeling leading 7-5. Wheeling was content to defend and wait for a turnover and break out. It didn’t seem to be working as Wheeling gave up a penalty and Brown was able to punch through and spin it wide to Marco Lapierre. Lapierre seemed to take exception to being hit as he scored. That could have played into what happened next. A break on a pick-and-go led to a try for Wheeling and Lapierre made the tackle after the touch down, driving the Wheeling player into the fencing at the end of the field.
That led to a penalty after the try, tapped at the middle of the field and producing a try for Joseph Iye. Suddenly Wheeling was up 19-10 and they held on from there.
In the second half Wheeling broke through on a pick and go
AIC and Siena both looked good early—Siena got under Kutztown’s skin early. AIC was fast and smart. But the bracket winner was Queens. They held off AIC with really everything flowing through Hilton Olivier. They then met Siena in the quartefinal.
Queens scored in the opening try with Olivier garnering attention before getting it wide to Juan Boyd, who raced 50 meters. Augustin Yenaropulos faked everyone out with a dummy and scamper from the halfback position. A good team try capped off by Yenaropulos and Queens was up 19-0 with halftime looming. Noah Paskins raced in around the edge to make it 26-5 at the break. Siena was just not in the game and the final score was 38-14.
Everything was generally closer for St. Bonaventure’s bracket with Adrian edging Walsh and then battling in a close one with Iowa Central. Adrian was really testing ICCC before Takudzwa Mushingwini raced in for a try to make it 19-12. After that the Tritons rolled.
St. Bonaventure weren’t too bothered in their first two rounds, playing very patient, intelligent rugby 7s and unleashing Kye Terry for some long-range runs. Their patience showed well against Iowa Central. Harry Heally showed some soccer skills controlling a low pass with his feet, picking up the ball, and going through for the opener.
SBU’s defense was excellent and they pushed the Tritons all the way back to their dead-ball line. Iowa Central got out of trouble but St. Bonaventure got the ball back, sent Heally forward, and then spun it wide to Matt Marten, who soared into the corner.
A lovely chip from Koen Webb and the chase from Mushinwini got Iowa Central a try. The first half ended 12-7 and we saw no scoring after that. St. Bonaventure just frustrated Iowa Central at every turn.
And in the fourth bracket, the games were much closer than anywhere else. While the other three sections of the bracket averaged winning margins of 16 to 20 points with a total of three games decided by a try or less. This fourth group had an average winning margin of nine with four games within a try.
Indiana beat Fairfield with a try at the death to tie it and a try in overtime. Marian handled an athletic and hard-working Michigan team thanks to a ridonculous chip ahead and regather form Tomasso Lorenzetti to win it at the death. Dartmouth and Indiana scored zero points in the first half before Dartmouth scored the lone try—some slick handling and a nice offload late finally did the job for Uly Brenzel to run in late for a 7-0 win.
Dartmouth started badly with a kickoff error that gave Abbey a free kick at midfield. Thomas Bennett bounced off a couple of tacklers before charging 40 meters to score. Dartmouth most of the first half stuck in their own half but broke out when Marco Landicino booted ahead a loose ball, chased it down, gathered, and ran in to score.
Despite a couple of yellow cards Belmont Abbey stayed in the fight but in the second half Dartmouth took the lead with a gallop from Max Schlager. Down 10-7 and still shorthanded Belmont Abbey kept coming.
The Crusaders had a player down injured, so it was 5-on-7, but they kept it tight, played vertical, and finally Bennett fended off a tackler and was through. Conversion good to make it 14-10, and when they attacked once more they kept it narrow. The Crusaders went right off a scrum but not too far, switched it back left and Hayden Mousley powered down the sideline. Dartmouth had to score twice to win it, but couldn’t get it over. Belmont Abbey had toughed it out.
Round 1
Wheeling 35 Babson 0
Mary Washington 21 Virginia Tech 19
Notre Dame 28 Harvard 12
Brown 38 Texas A&M 12
Kutztown 36 Iona 0
Siena 24 Aquinas 7
AIC 17 Rio Grande 7
Queens 41 Fairfield 14
Iowa Central 34 Nazareth 5
Adrian 7 Walsh 5
Clemson 26 Purdue 7
St. Bonaventure 26 Delaware 10
Dartmouth 27 Loyola 10
Indiana 17 Fairfield 12
Marian 19 Michigan 12
Belmont Abbey 19 Drury 5
Round 2
Wheeling 31 Mary Washington 10
Brown 24 Notre Dame 12
Siena 19 Kutztown 5
Queens 26 AIC 17
Iowa Central 31 Adrian 17
St. Bonaventure 31 Clemson 0
Dartmouth 7 Indiana 0
Belmont Abbey 12 Marian 7
Round 3 (Quarterfinals)
Wheeling 19 Brown 10
Queens 38 Siena 14
St. Bonaventure 12 Iowa Central CC 7
Belmont Abbey 19 Dartmouth 10
Cup Semifinals
Wheeling vs Queens
St. Bonaventure vs Belmont Abbey
Plate Semifinals (9th Place)
Mary Washington vs Kutztown
Clemson vs Marian
Bowl Semifinals (17th Place)
Virginia Tech vs Rio Grande
Walsh vs Fairfield
Shield Semifinals (25th Place)
Harvard vs Fordham
Delaware vs Loyola Md.
