Monthly Archives: November 2013

Stanford Claims 7th at USA Rugby’s 7’s Collegiate National Championship

Greensboro, North Carolina

A young Stanford team including only one senior and nine underclassmen performed impressively at USA Rugby’s 7’s National Championships, claiming 7th in the Country out of the field of 16 teams. On the first day of the tournament, Stanford opened Pool C with two victories over Ohio State (14-12) and George Washington (19-0). In their third match against Texas, Stanford still needed to win or tie to advance to the Quarterfinals. After allowing an early try to the Longhorns, Stanford rallied back for two first half tries, and took a 14-7 lead to the break. In the second half, Texas scored with four minutes left, while Stanford simultaneously received a yellow card and were forced to play short for much of the remainder of the match. A gutsy and composed Stanford effort saw the Cardinal hold on for the tie, and advance to the Quarterfinals as the top seed from their pool.

On day two in the Quarterfinals, Stanford faced a strong James Madison team. Stanford would strike first through a Chelsea Harris try, and looked posed to score another, but James Madison would turn the Cardinal over and rally down the field to knot the score at 7 just before the half. Another quick James Madison score before the half proved costly, as while Stanford rallied back in the second half, it wasn’t enough and James Madison would win the match 17-12. In their next match, Stanford fell to a very quick Davenport University 10-20, before rallying back in their final game with a victory over Ohio State (19-15).

The young Cardinal team played admirably, showed great promise for the future, and were a few breaks away form going even further in the National Tournament. The team now turns its attention to the 15’s season that kicks off with the Stanford Invitational at Steuber Rugby Field on Saturday January 11th and Sunday January 12th. The Invitational will include Chico State, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, UC San Diego, Western Washington, New Mexico, and Stanford.

Stanford Team:

Maxine Fonua (Senior), Jess Smith (Junior), Nikki Richardson (Junior), Chelsea Harris (Junior), Sasha Herbst de Cortina (Junior), Sara Maurer (Sophomore), Mia Hutchinson (Sophomore), Jemima Oso (Sophomore), Catherynn Vuong (Sophomore), Diana Rodriguez (Sophomore), Dani McDonald (Freshman), Madda Wilson (Freshman), Esther Melton (Freshman), Valerie Chen (Freshman)

Results:

Pool Play:

Stanford 14-Ohio State 12 …Stanford Tries (Vuong, Herbst de Cortina)

Stanford 19 – George Washington 0 …Stanford Tries (Maurer, Harris, Melton)

Stanford 14 – Texas 14….. Stanford Tries (Harris, Rodriguez)

Quarterfinals:

Stanford 12 – James Madison University 17 … Stanford Tries (Herbst de Cortina, Oso)

Consolation Semi-Final:

Stanford 10 – Davenport 20 …. Stanford Tries (Maurer-2)

7th Place Match:

Stanford 19- Ohio State 15 …. Stanford Tries (McDonald, Vuong, Maurer)

7’s Squad Readies for National Championships

Stanford, California – Thursday November 21st

The Stanford Women 7’s team departs tonight for USA Rugby’s 7’s National Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Stanford will be one of 16 teams divided into four pools vying for the Championship. Saturday 11/23 will see the Cardinal face off against their pool opponents Ohio State (9am), George Washington (12:40pm), and Texas (4:20pm). The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knock out quarterfinals on Sunday, while the bottom two will fold into the consolation rounds Sunday.

Stanford is coming off of a strong showing at the Stanford Qualifier November 9th where they finished in 2nd place with a 4-1 record. Stanford looked strong in the first four matches before losing on the final play in the Championship Game to tournament winners Cal, who will also be in Greensboro. Prior to the Stanford Qualifier, Stanford excelled in a Round Robin Tournament on October 27th with Cal, Chico State, and Santa Clara, sweeping their opponents. Last year, Stanford attended the 7’s National Championships in Texas, where they finished 13th overall, with a 2-3 record.

The squad of fourteen players representing Stanford in Greensboro is a young one, with only five upper classmen that include senior Maxine Fonua, and juniors Jess Smith, Chelsea Harris, Sasha Herbst de Cortina, and Nikki Richardson. They will be joined by nine underclassmen, including sophomores Mia Hutchinson, Sara Maurer, Jemima Oso, Catherynn Vuong, and Diana Rodriguez, along with freshmen Madda Wilson, Dani McDonald, Esther Melton, and Valerie Chen.

Here’s the link to more event details: http://usarugby.org/college-news/item/pools-announced-for-college-7s-national-championship

We will be giving regular updates throughout the tournament on our facebook and twitter pages, and also update broadcasting information at those sites. All matches will be webcast, and semi finals and finals will be shown on ESPN 3.

www.facebook.com/stanfordrugby

www.twitter.com/stanfordrugby

Stanford Qualifies for 7’s Nationals- Strong Through Day, but Lose in Final

Stanford, California – Saturday November 9th

The Stanford Women 7’s team finished the Stanford Qualifier 4-1, coming in second place, and qualifying for an at-large bid to USA Rugby’s 7’s National Championship at Bryan Park in Greensboro, North Carolina November 23rd and 24th. Stanford will be amongst 16 Women’s Collegiate Teams competing for the 7’s National Championship. In 2012, Stanford finished 3rd at the Stanford 7’s Qualifier, and went on to finish 13th at USA Rugby’s National Championship in College Station, Texas. At this year’s qualifying event, Stanford looked much stronger then a year ago, going 4-0 and outscoring opponents 120-12 before falling to Cal in the final 10-15.

Stanford opened up pool play with a complete performance and 36-0 defeat of Saint Mary’s. Two tries each from junior Chelsea Harris and sophomore Sara Maurer led the way, along with one each from sophomore Mia Hutchinson and junior Sasha Herbst de Cortina. The second pool play match against Santa Clara was one-way traffic again, with Stanford cruising to a 29-0 victory. This time two tries came from sophomore Catherynn Vuong, while one each came from freshmen Madda Wilson and Dani McDonald, and sophomore Diana Rodriguez. Against Oregon State, also 2-0 in pool play going in, Stanford took control early and led the whole way, Harris chipped in three tries, while Herbst de Cortina added two, en route to the 29-7 victory.

In their semi-final match against Chico State, Stanford came out of the gate strong, getting out to a 21-0 half time lead behind two Herbst de Cortina tries, and one from sophomore Jemima Oso. In the second half, Stanford would concede a try to Chico State, before getting one more themselves. Final score: Stanford 26 – Chico State 5. The Championship Match against also undefeated Cal turned out to be quite a battle. Stanford jumped out to an early lead behind a Harris try, but Cal would reply with one of their own to knot the game at 5 each. Stanford’s Vuong scored shortly before the half to give Stanford a 10-5 edge at the break, a lead they would hold onto until the last minute of the half, when Cal broke through to tie the score again at 10. In injury time, fatigue showed in both sides, as multiple scoring opportunities went missing. Eventually, it was Cal who was able to finish an opportunity and take 1st place with a 15-10 victory.

Stanford now turns its focus to a pre-season 15’s scrimmage with Santa Clara this Saturday, before they head off to compete in the 7’s National Championship in two weeks time.

Next Up:

· Stanford vs. Santa Clara: Saturday November 16th at Steuber Field (Pre-Season 15’s Match)

· USA Rugby 7’s National Championship: Saturday and Sunday November 23rd and 24th at Bryan Park in Greensboro, North Carolina

Stanford Team:

Michelle Battle (Senior), Maxine Fonua (Senior), Jess Smith (Junior), Nikki Richardson (Junior), Blanche DuSault (Junior), Chelsea Harris (Junior), Sasha Herbst de Cortina (Junior), Sara Maurer (Sophomore), Mia Hutchinson (Sophomore), Jemima Oso (Sophomore), Catherynn Vuong (Sophomore), Diana Rodriguez (Sophomore), Dani McDonald (Freshman), Madda Wilson (Freshman), Esther Melton (Freshman)

Women’s Collegiate 7’s Qualifier at Stanford : November 9th, 2013

Round 1: Pool Play

Pool A: Stanford 36 – Saint Mary’s 0

Pool A: Oregon State 47 – Santa Clara 0

Pool B: Cal 43 – UC Davis 0

Pool B: Chico State 17 – Fresno State 15

Round 2: Pool Play

Pool A: Stanford 29 – Santa Clara 0

Pool A: Oregon State 47 – Saint Mary’s 0

Pool B: Cal 33 – Fresno State 10

Pool B: Chico State 12 – UC Davis 5

Round 3: Pool Play

Pool A: Stanford 29 – Oregon State 7

Pool A: Saint Mary’s 10 – Santa Clara 5

Pool B: Cal 29 – Chico State 12

Pool B: Fresno State 17 – UC Davis 12

Round 4: Semi Finals

Consolation: UC Davis 33 – Saint Mary’s 0

Consolation: Fresno State 32 – Santa Clara 0

Championship: Stanford 26 – Chico State 5

Championship: Cal 22 – Oregon State 15

Round 5: Finals

7th Place: Saint Mary’s vs. Santa Clara

5th Place: UC Davis 10 – Fresno State 5

3rd Place: Oregon State 29 – Chico State 7

1st Place: Cal 15 – Stanford 10