Women’s Rugby Looks To Win Third-Straight Emperor 7s Title
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s rugby team looks to capture its third-straight Emperor 7s title this Sunday at West Windsor Fields in Princeton, N.J. Navy will have two teams participating in the tournament.
The remaining field consists of Penn State (two teams), host Princeton (two teams) and West Chester (two teams). The tournament begins at 10 a.m.
The teams will be divided into two groups, with the No. 1 teams playing in group A and the No. 2 teams competing in group B. Each team will play three matches and then be reseeded for an additional match to determine placements within their group.
Participating Teams
Group A: Navy No. 1, Penn State No. 1, Princeton No. 1, West Chester No. 1
Group B: Navy No. 2, Penn State No. 2, Princeton No. 2, West Chester No. 2
Tournament Schedule
10 a.m. – Princeton No. 2 vs. West Chester No. 2
10:20 a.m. – Penn State No. 2 vs. Navy No. 2
10:40 a.m. – Princeton No. 1 vs. West Chester No. 1
11 a.m. – Penn State No. 1 vs. Navy No. 1
11:20 a.m. – Princeton No. 2 vs. Navy No. 2
11:40 a.m. – West Chester No. 2 vs. Penn State No. 2
Noon – Princeton No. 1 vs. Navy No. 1
12:20 p.m. – West Chester No. 1 vs Penn State No. 1
12:40 p.m. – Navy No. 2 vs. West Chester No. 2
1 p.m. – Princeton No. 2 vs. Penn State No. 2
1:20 p.m. – West Chester No. 1 vs. Navy No. 1
1:40 p.m. – Princeton No. 1 vs. Penn State No. 1
2:20 p.m. – No. 3 seed vs. No. 4 seed (group B)
2:40 p.m. – No. 3 seed vs. No. 4 seed (group A)
3 p.m. – No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed (group B)
3:20 p.m. – No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed (group A)
Last Time Out (Tropical 7s)
The Mids placed eighth in the senior women’s division at the seventh annual Tropical 7s tournament two weeks ago.
Navy dropped its three pool phase matches during the first day of the tournament to the Chicago Lions (31-0), Faith Family Rugby (22-14) and MacDowell Rugby (33-14).
The Mids came up short in their three playoff games the following day, falling to Chicago North Shore (22-5), H.E.B Lady Hurricanes (15-0) and Phoenix Rugby (17-14) to finish in eighth place.
Abby Hershner led Navy with 12 points in the tournament from six made conversion kicks. Megan Leitz and Mia Young both tallied two tries to finish with 10 points each. Also finding the try zone were Lilliana Gemma, Siena Hall and Alexis Rohrbach.
Emperor 7s Success
The Mids have had great success competing in the Emperor 7s tournament. Navy has won the event last two years and three times since 2019.
Navy’s No. 1 team posted a 3-1 record and placed first in the group A bracket last season. The Mids opened the tournament with a win over Penn State (26-5), but were shut out in their next match by West Chester (17-0). Navy responded with a victory over Princeton (20-5) to set up a rematch against West Chester in the first-place match. The Mids avenged their loss to the Golden Rams (24-7) to take the title.
Leitz had a breakout performance against Princeton to send Navy to the championship game. The match was tied, 5-5, and she scored three-straight tries to earn a hat trick.
Opponents In 7s Matches This Season
Penn State also competed in the Tropical 7s in the U23 Elite Division. The Nittany Lions posted a 1-2 record in the pool phase and did not qualify for the playoffs.
West Chester opened 7s action at the Frostbite 7s. The Golden Rams defeated Pitt (38-0) in their first match, but then fell to American International College (38-7) and St. Bonaventure (12-0).
West Chester hosted its annual 7s tournament on March 30 and won the event for the second-consecutive season with a 4-0 record. The Golden Rams outscored their four opponents, 110-22.
Princeton began its 7s season at the West Chester 7s. The Tigers won three of their four matches to place second overall.
Up Next
The Mids will head to Frostburg, Md., next Sunday to compete in the Frostburg 7s for their final tune-up before the 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship. The tournament will start at 9 a.m.
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