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May 28, 2022
Men's Premier Cup
The chalk mostly held with the favorites advancing, except for in one game, where #6 seed Northeastern beat #3 South Carolina.
There were a few near upsets that didn't quite come to fruition, including #1 Indiana struggling with #8 Florida early on, but they came out to get the victory. #3 Dartmouth had its hands full with #6 Virginia Tech. The Hokies men and women were both here cheering each other on, but the Big Green found what they needed at the end to pull out the victory.
Another highlight was the #3 Iona - #6 Iowa Central game that came down to the very end with Iona holding on to get the victory against a very Triton-sided game. #2 Army and #7 Air Force was a great rivalry that played out in Army's advantage, just like last year's quarter finals. Both teams met with the governor of Louisiana, a West Point graduate after the fact, sharing in the true spirit of rugby. Tomorrow, some of the key match ups include #3 Dartmouth going up against #2 Notre Dame College. Notre Dame College was dominant in their win over #7 Nazareth, #1 Mount St. Mary's, and #4 Cal Maritime. Mount St. Mary’s is a #1 seed, and Cal Maritime is a small College that's stepped up to play against the big boys in the Premier Cup. Most of the teams are several divisions above them, including varsity Mount St. Mary's.
Women's Premier Cup
Three-time CRC champion #2 Penn State struggled early on against #7 Claremont College. The DII Foxes gave the Nittany Lions everything that they could handle before Penn State pulled out the victory. #1 Lindenwood was dominant as expected, defeating #8 Boise State. And #1 Life was equally dominant, beating #8 Southern Nazarene, keeping the hopes of the fourth straight final featuring the Running Eagles and Lions alive.
CRC debutante #4 UC Davis knocked off #5 Notre Dame in a tight matchup, and will draw the Running Eagles into the second round on Sunday. And #2 Grand Canyon, another CRC debutante, this one from the West Coast, advanced with a victory over #7 Southern Oregon, and their match up with #3 Virginia Tech in the second round looks like one of the games to watch.
Men's DI Club
It was Sam Houston State emerging as the cream of the crop on day one with a 3-0 record followed by SUNY Plattsburgh and UMass, who finished 3-1. Sam Houston State, having already defeated Plattsburg and UMass looks to be in the pilot seat heading into day two.
Women's DI Club
Grand Valley State topped Pool A with an undefeated 3-0 record. IUPUI also didn't lose in Pool B but did manage to draw against Wisconsin Stevens Point, which went winless on day one, proving the competitiveness of the group. Pool C was just as contentious with Wisconsin Eau Claire, Kutztown, and Texas all finishing 2-1 for the day. But it was Eau Claire advancing as the champion of the pool with the best point differential
Men's DII
Principia looks to be the team to beat with a 3-0 record having scored 114 points, and only conceded 12 on day one. Also undefeated are IUP and Norwich, which will win their pools. The Georgetown Hoyas take Pool D with the top point differential amongst themselves. Northern Iowa and UMass Lowell finished 2-1.
Men's Small College
Six of the seven pool winners all went undefeated including Christendom, Endicott, New Mexico Tech, University of Denver, and Maine. Franciscan is the lone pool winner to drop a game, finishing 2-1 which is good enough to take pool F.
The men will play two rounds on Sunday as the competition ramps up and the women will crown their champions in both Premier Cup and DI Club.
Pat Clifton
Tournament Director
Watch Day 1 on Facebook Live
Watch Day 1 on The Rugby Network
View Official Tournament Brackets
