May 4, 2016
USA Women’s Rugby Club DII Playoffs
Doug Coil
The USA Rugby Women’s Rugby DII play0ffs teams are now set and some of the action has already taken place.
Western Regional
Two weeks ago, the Bend Ladies Roughriders became the Pacific Northwest Champions after first coming back to win 22-19 against the Tacoma Sirens and then in the Final against the Emerald City Mudhens 20-15. Emerald City beat the Budd Bay Bandits 35-5 to reach the final and were undefeated entering the Final.
The NorCal playoffs began on April 16th as Life West Gladiatrix won their semi-final 74-10 against the Berkeley All-Blues and San Francisco Golden Gate won their semi-final 52-19 against the Sacramento Amazons. Life West then became the NorCal Champions with a 72-5 against San Francisco Golden Gate on April 23rd.
The SoCal playoffs featured semi-final matches between the Ventura County Lady Outlaws beating San Fernando Valley 20-17, while the Tucson Lightning won 44-12 against the Fullerton Wolfpack. That sets up round 16 action this weekend.
This weekend will see the Pacific North decided, as the Bend Ladies Roughriders meet Life West in round 16 action and in the Pacific South, the Tucson Lightning will play Ventura County Lady Outlaws for the right to meet May 21st in the Elite 8 round. On May 22nd the winner will then play the winner of the Red River v Frontier winner.
This weekend the Red River will have their semi-final and final decided. The semi-finals matches have the Austin Valkyries against Oklahoma Roses and Houston Athletic against Little Rock Stormers. The winners play in the finals Sunday. The Winner will represent Red River in the D1 Elite 8 round on May 21st, while the second place team will advance to the Elite 8 DII playoffs against the Frontier champion.
In Frontier action this weekend, the Kansas City Jazz face Kansas State Wildcats and the Boulder Babes play the St Louis Sabres. The winners meet in the Final on Sunday. May 21st will see the Frontier and Red River second place team meeting. The winner then faces the Pacific North vs. Pacific South winner.
The Western Regionals are being held in Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona May 21-22.
Eastern Regional
The Midwest playoffs began last weekend. In quarterfinal action had the following results: Wisconsin 114-0 Chicago Sirens, Milwaukee Scylla 48-14 County Will Morrigans, Buffalo 22-5 Louisville and Cincinnati Kelts won advanced as the Pittsburgh Highlanders forfeited. This weekend the semi-final matches are Wisconsin vs. Milwaukee Scylla and Buffalo vs. Cincinnati Kelts. The winners meet in the Championship. The Midwest winner will then play the South Champion, Charlotte in the Elite 8, May 21st.
Last week the South Championship was decided. In semi-final action, Nashville Stone Lions beat Augusta Furies 17-5 and Charlotte beat Fort Miami 49-0. In the final, Charlotte won 43-7 against Nashville Stone Lions. Charlotte plays the Midwest Champion on May 21st.
The Atlantic North playoffs begin this weekend and have semi-finals matches between Burlington vs. Portland and Providence vs. Hartford Wild Roses. The winners meet on Sunday.
The Mid-Atlantic playoffs are also this weekend with Brandywine Riot vs. Northern Virginia D2 and Harrisburg Harlots playing the Doylestown Dragons. The winners meet on Sunday.
The Champions of the Atlantic North and the Mid-Atlantic regions meet May 21st the round 8. May 22nd the winner will play the Midwest Champion vs South Champion, Charlotte winner.
The Eastern Regionals are being held at Founders Field in Pittsburgh, PA, May 21-22.
The Division II playoffs conclude June 5 when Western and Eastern Region winners meet in the National Championship in Infinity Park, Glendale, Colorado.
