Four DII Clubs Left
Sunday May 17, 2009 in Amateur Competitions Division II Clubs
May 17, 2009, Boulder, Colo – Top Division II seed East Palo Alto clinched a spot in the semifinal round at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo., following a 26-11 win over Southern California club Back Bay.
East Palo Alto will face a tough match against Indianapolis in the semis on May 30. Indianapolis heads into the semis on a high note, after knocking off 2008 runners up Brandywine, 10-16, in the Round of 8.
“It was a really exciting game to watch,” said Indy head coach Carson Mouser. “Brandywine are a very tough team and they played a great game.”
Supposedly having pulling off a massive upset over the defending DII Men’s champion, Red Mountain, in day one, the Albuquerque Aardvarks continued their dominance in the final day of playoff competition.
But the Aardvarks had been playing solid ball for most of the season, while Red Mountain has fallen off a little this year. The big test was Tempe, the Arizona champs. The New Mexico club held Tempe to just one try and walked away with a 15-5 win, worthy of a semifinal spot.
Albuquerque faces Pennsylvania side Lancaster side in the semi finals in two weeks. Lancaster looks to build on its dominant day two performance in the playoffs versus the Milwaukee Harlequins. The team shot out to a 14-0 early on and held the Harlequins to just two tries in the second half to roll away with a 44-10.
“Going to Nationals is the trip of a lifetime for these guys,” said Lancaster president Mike Capp. “They’ve all grown up in rugby communities and they know guys who’ve had the opportunity to play in National Championships at various college or club levels. For many of them this is going to be the rugby experience of their lives.”
RESULTS
East
Indianapolis 16, Brandywine 10 - Round of 8
Lancaster 44, Milwaukee Harlequins 10 - Round of 8
South Shore, 42, Baton Rouge 8 - Consolation
Tampa Bay Krewe 38, Providence 13- Consolation
West
Albuquerque Aardvarks 15, Tempe 5 - Round of 8
East Palo Alto 26, Back Bay 11 - Round of 8
Red Mountain 41, North County 14 - Consolation
St. Louis Bombers 73, San Antonio 0 – Consolation
NEXT UP: Men’s Club Championships – Glendale, Colo., (May 30)
Semifinal – East Palo Alto vs. Indianapolis
Semifinal – Albuquerque Aardvarks vs. Lancaster
- ERN and USA Rugby Reports © www.rugbynews.com
