SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts-The American International College women's rugby team swept pool play, but fell in the championship quarterfinal round of the AIC 7s Invitational, hosted by the Yellow Jackets on Sunday at Abdow Field.
RESULTS
Juniors Bridget Kahele and Kayla Clark were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performance.
The Yellow Jackets opened the day against West Chester with a 17-14 victory, quickly jumping out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a try by Domonique Cammock in the first minute. However, the Rams would respond with a try of their own by Sophia Schwab, and Schwab kicked the two-pointer successfully to put her side up 7-5.
That would be the only time the Rams got ahead of the Yellow Jackets, as Cammock put the home team back atop the scoreboard with her second try of the half just over 90 seconds later, and Clark pushed past the defense to extend the lead to 15-7; Allyson Pothier converted the two-pointer to make it 17-7 at the half.
That last try proved crucial as the only scoring in the second frame was a late try by Haley Spangler for the Rams in the final minute, leaving AIC with a 17-14 win in the opener.
In the next showdown in pool play, the Yellow Jackets cruised to a 24-7 victory over the University of New Hampshire, earning the third seed for the championship round. Hilaria Lymas gave AIC the 5-0 lead 30 seconds in, and Pothier had the kick to push the lead to 7-0.
Molly Plante then added a try and Pothier a conversion; Cammock had another try to give AIC a 19-0 lead headed into the half.
Pothier then had a try halfway through the second half to push the Jackets' lead to 24-0. That lead would hold until time expired, when UNH scored with no time on the clock and converted for two more points to make the final score 24-7.
In the quarterfinals of the championship round, AIC faced off against Norwich's A team, again getting out to an early lead with a try from Lymas again just 30 seconds into the contest. Norwich tied it up shortly thereafter, and converted on the kick to take the lead at 7-5.
Kahele gave the lead back to the Yellow Jackets at 10-7 with a try at the 2:52 mark, and then Cammock had a try with around 45 seconds left and Pothier converted on the kick to push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 17-7. However, with time expired in the first half, Norwich added a try to bring the score within 17-12.
That would be all of the points AIC would score in the contest, however, as the Cadets scored 22 points in the second half to run away with a 34-17 win.
AIC will next be in action at the Brown 7s Tournament on Sunday, April 9, in Providence, Rhode Island.
AIC 7s Invitational All-Tournament Team
Sophia Buono - Norwich
Kayla Clark - AIC
Erica DellaVolpe - Springfield
Bayleigh Gable - Army
Bridget Kahele - AIC
Regine Jacques - BU
Ilona Maher** - Quinnipiac
Audrey Meakin Norwich
Katherine Morgan - Army
Sam Perez Menendez - BU
Flora Poole - Quinnipiac
Sophia Schwab - West Chester
Shelby Stevenson - Endicott
Caitlin Weigel - Harvard
**named Tournament MVP
