Bloomsburg proved that its first Mid-Atlantic 7s title wasn’t a fluke by winning the second leg of the series in East Stroudsburg Saturday. Return finalist Kutztown provided excellent competition, but the 22-12 decision to Bloomsburg awarded the conference title.

“The team is beyond excited over winning the tournament and conference 7s title,” Bloomsburg coach Kevin Castner indicated. “We continued to improve our overall team play and work rate. The players ran better support lines and the defensive effort was very impressive. The team wants to improve each match, and they always look for feedback in how they can accomplish it.”

There were four 3-0 teams at the end of pool play: Bloomsburg (109-12), Kutztown (107-5), York College (54-10), and Drexel (54-17). The eventual finalists posted shutouts in their respective Cup semifinals: Bloomsburg beat York 54-0, and Kutztown defeated Drexel 31-0.

The previous weekend, Bloomsburg beat Kutztown 27-0 for the first series title, but the MARC 15s champion closed the gap in the rematch.

“It was a great final,” Castner remembered. “Kutztown is a very well coached side. We knew they would be looking to turn the tables on us from the previous week. KU was able to convert scores on our two mental lapses in the match. But our players never worried, remained calm, and closed out the final with a long-range try.”

Bloomsburg won 22-12.

“Bloomsburg played great rugby throughout the day and didn't disappoint in the final,” Kutztown coach Sean Cobb commended. “That being said I am very happy with the way my team played. In the end we didn't get the result that we wanted, but it wasn't due to lack of effort. We played quality rugby on both sides of the ball throughout the day. Bloomsburg simply outplayed us at times and took advantage of their scoring opportunities.”

There were plenty of standout performances on the day, but two of Bloomsburg’s players started to emerge as game-changers.

“Both Meg [Reilly] and Nikki [Snyder] are brand new to the program this year,” Castner explained. “This past fall, we used Meg as our prop in 15s. She is a very quick, mobile player who has a knack for finding the ball. Nikki just started with us in the spring. She is just a natural athlete that every coach wishes they had in their program. Her pace, speed, tackle rate, and evasive skills make her a special player who has only begun to learn the game.”

The invites to the ACRA 7s Championship (May 2-3, West Point, N.Y.) have not yet been named, but Bloomsburg is hoping for an invite to the DII competition.