Mid-Atlantic Recap: Contenders Announce Their Presence
The club enjoying the most out of their early season success is Rocky Gorge. Its Division I and Division III sides swept the Washington Irish by a combined score of 101-22. Led by a hat trick from captain Nick Kuhl and a 23-point day from Ben Cima (a try and nine conversions), the DI side slammed their opponent, 63-10. The DIII squad ran out to a 26-0 lead and finished with a 38-12 victory.
“Losing always puts a sour taste in your mouth and that’s what happened at the end of last season,” Kuhl said. “We didn’t make it out of MACs and into Nationals and that always makes you work a little harder and go a little bit more… With the backline we have and Ben [Cima] running at the helm at flyhalf, we expect to do big things… It’s a process and it doesn’t end until MACs and Nationals. It’s about setting our goals high and putting in the work.”
The women’s Division I rivalry between Philadelphia and Raleigh started anew on Saturday as the Venom made the seven-hour trip north. Raleigh lacked its full complement of players from its playoff run while Philadelphia was at peak strength. Philadelphia’s Lucy Dawson, Katie Cardone, Caitlin Jackson, Laura Delgado, and Remy Bremner scored as the Philly set piece dominated play to a 27-12 victory.
“When teams are so close and one of the teams is missing some of their most important players, they suffer and that’s what you saw at the game,” coach Arturo Bravo-Nuevo said. “We won all of our set pieces and a lot of their set pieces… We had most of the ball possession and played on their side of the field for most of the game.”
The final four unbeaten teams in men’s Division II rumbled on Saturday as Doylestown faced the Lancaster Roses and James River hosted Richmond. Doylestown cut down the Roses, 41-22, as five Dragons scored six tries in the chiefly defensive battle.
“On both sides, the defense made it a spectacular game. It was a fantastic, hard-fought match and at the end, we took advantage of a couple mistakes they made and took the wind out of their sails,” coach Mike McCandless said. “Our team is starting to have some confidence in each other and taking a few meters at a time instead of expecting big breakaways. We played that type of game and moved the ball on [Lancaster].”
After a successful 2017 Division III season, James River moved up to DII this fall and has ripped off three straight victories. Against Richmond, James River used its dominant set piece to notch a 32-15 win. Flyhalf Steven O’Dwyer played like a man possessed scoring all 32 points with two converted tries and five penalties.
“The game was pretty even in the first half even though James River had the greater share of territory and possession,” coach Mark Fowler said. “In the second half, James River’s greater control at the set piece, especially the lineout, started to take its toll and allowed James River to go through the phases.”
In men’s DIII, Wilkes-Barre and Northeast Philadelphia Irish walked off the pitch with statement wins after burying Happy Valley, 94-5, and Brandywine, 74-12, respectively. Likewise in women’s DII, Severn River stayed perfect with a 46-10 defeat of James River.
| HOME | SCORE | AWAY | SCORE | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac Exiles | 27 | Schuylkill River Exiles | 36 | Men – DI |
| Rocky Gorge Rugby | 63 | Washington Irish | 10 | Men – DI |
| Norfolk Blues | Postponed | Baltimore-Chesapeake | Postponed | Men – DI |
| Lancaster Roses | 22 | Doylestown Dragons | 41 | Men – DII-North |
| Lehigh Valley Hooligans | 10 | South Jersey Devils | 53 | Men – DII-North |
| Phoenixville White Horse | 29 | Old Gaelic Rugby | 46 | Men – DII-North |
| North Penn Rugby | 10 | Philadelphia Whitemarsh | 29 | Men – DII-North |
| James River Rugby | 32 | Richmond Lions | 15 | Men – DII-South |
| Raleigh Vipers | 47 | Virginia Rugby | 15 | Men – DII-South |
| Washington Renegades | 60 | Frederick Rugby | 10 | Men – DIII-Central |
| West Potomac Beavers | 55 | Virginia Griffins | 14 | Men – DIII-Central |
| Rocky Gorge Rugby D3 | 38 | Washington Irish D3 | 12 | Men – DIII-Central |
| Severn River Rugby | 24 | North Bay Rugby | 15 | Men – DIII-Central |
| Happy Valley Barbarians | 5 | Wilkes-Barre Scranton Breakers | 94 | Men – DIII-North |
| Blackthorn Rugby | 69 | Delmarva Rugby | 0 | Men – DIII-North |
| Schuylkill River Exiles D3 | 33 | Philadelphia Gryphons | 12 | Men – DIII-North |
| Brandywine Rugby | 12 | Northeast Philadelphia Irish | 74 | Men – DIII-North |
| Rappahannock Rugby | 3 | Norfolk Blues D3 | 17 | Men – DIII-South |
| Roanoke Rugby | 50 | Blackwater Rugby | 24 | Men – DIII-South |
| Virginia Beach Falcons | 13 | Newport News Mariners | 26 | Men – DIII-South |
| Philadelphia Rugby | 27 | Raleigh Venom | 12 | Women – DI-Eastern |
| Brandywine Riot | 20 | Northeast Philadelphia Rugby | 36 | Women – DII-North |
| Severn River Rugby | 46 | James River Rugby | 10 | Women – DII-South |
| Norfolk Storm | 41 | Chesapeake Rugby | 32 | Women – DII-South |
| Rappahannock Rugby | 77 | Patuxent River Rugby | 5 | Women – DIII-South |
| Frederick Rugby | 17 | Northern Virginia Rugby D3 | 36 | Women – DIII-South |
