Atlantic Super Regional Club XV’s Semifinal Results
By Matt O’Rourke
The 2024 USA Club Rugby Atlantic Super Regional (ASR) semifinals were contested on Saturday, April 20th, at home pitch sites from North Hampton, NH to Fredericksburg, VA to kick off the 2024 Senior Club XV’s national playoffs.
In total, thirteen matches were contested amongst men’s Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4 while women’s Divisions 1, 2, and 3 squads played for the opportunity to advance to their respective Super Regional championship match on Saturday, May 4th, at Alapocus Run State Park in Wilmington, Delaware hosted by the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union (EPRU).
Women’s Division 1 and 2 winners and men’s Division 1, 2, and 3 winners on May 4th will qualify to compete in the XV’s senior club national championships ‘final four’ at Round Rock Multipurpose Complex in Round Rock, Texas, May 17-19.
The EPRU, New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU), and Capital Rugby Union (CRU) ASR qualified teams all posted combined 3-4 conference records on semifinal Saturday while the Empire Geographic Union (EGU) teams went 4-1 combined on the day.
In total, the EGU and NERFU will have four teams each competing for Atlantic Super Regional titles on May 4th while the CRU and EPRU will each see three of their member teams compete in Wilmington.
Atlantic Super Regional women’s semifinal results
Northern Virginia (NOVA) 81 – Providence 14
ASR women’s Division 1 semifinal – Frederick, MD
The two-time defending Atlantic champion and 2023 national runner-up earned a convincing win over the visiting side from Rhode Island in Maryland on Saturday to kick off what the Piranhas hope is the start of another title campaign. Fly half Camille Johnson scored four of NOVA’s thirteen tries and added eight successful conversion kicks, totaling thirty-six points in the winning effort. Josephine-Ann Asumang (two tries), Anna Clark, Emily Fulbrook (two tries), Ariel Johnson, Katherine Lutton (two tries), and Mary Petronzio all added tries for NOVA as well.
Philadelphia 39 – Boston 14
ASR women’s Division 1 semifinal – Canton, MA
Six different players accounted for the seven tries on Saturday in Philadelphia Rugby Football Club’s Super Regional semifinal road victory over Boston Women’s Rugby Club. Prop Robin Watkins scored a team-high ten points for Philadelphia with a pair of tries while Emma Auld added a pair of conversion kicks in the win. Isabella Byrne, Katie Cardone, Mekayla McAdoo, Rebecca Silver, and Alexis Ward all found the try zone for Philadelphia who advances to the Regional final to face NOVA for the second time in the last three ASR’s.
ASR women’s Division 1 final: NOVA vs. Philadelphia – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
Severn River 43 – New Haven 8
ASR women’s Division 2 semifinal – Severna Park, MD
The defending Super Regional champion and national runner-up kicked off another postseason push with a win over a familiar foe at home on Saturday. The Honey Badgers have now met New Haven in each of the first three Atlantic Super Regional semifinals and have emerged victories each time. Alyson McCarty scored four of Severn River’s tries all from the 46th to 75th minutes to lead all scorers in the winning effort, helping to send the Honey Badgers to the Super Regional title match for a third straight season. Katie Marshall and Hannah Whiteley added tries for Severn River as well.
Phoenixville Whitehorse 48 – Albany Knickerbockers 10
ASR women’s Division 2 semifinal – Canton, MA
Wing Corinne Gallagher accounted for twenty-three of Phoenixville’s forty-eight points on Saturday in Canton in the Whitehorse victory over Albany in the Atlantic women’s Division 2 semifinal. The three-time ASR qualifying team out of the EPRU will return to the ASR title match on May 4th against the reigning champion Honey Badgers in Delaware; only one try separated Severn River and Phoenixville in the 2023 final in Richmond. Gallagher found the try zone three times against the Knicks and converted after four tries. Averie Brittin, Natalie Cruz, Madalyn Morley, and Jessica Rodearmel (two tries) all scored in the Phoenixville win.
ASR women’s Division 2 final: Severn River vs. Phoenixville – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
Union County Lady Mudturtles 29 – Frederick 24
ASR women’s Division 3 semifinal – Frederick, MD
The defending ASR runner-up took a commanding 29-0 lead into halftime of the Super Regional semifinal on the road in Maryland on Saturday following five tries and two successful conversions. Monica Chen found the try zone twice for Union County, Ashley Purper and Mercedez Roper each earned one try, and Allison Bronander added a pair of conversions in the first half. In the second half, Frederick mounted a comeback attempt starting with a try by Sankara Price and a Carsen DePartee conversion at the 55-minute mark. Frederick was awarded a penalty try before Alicia Wojcik found the try zone for the home team and DePartee followed up with another conversion in the 69th minute. DePartee brought Frederick to within five points of the Lady Mudturtles with a penalty kick in the 74th minute. After seeing the big halftime lead chipped away by Frederick and after suffering a pair of penalty cards, the Union County women embraced their ‘hold the rope’ mantra late in the match, ultimately helping to see them through to the win and secure a chance to play for the Atlantic title for the second straight season.
North Bay 45 – South Shore 5
ASR women’s Division 3 semifinal – Marshfield, MA
A solid North Bay side traveled to the Cape Cod region to take on the defending ASR champion Sirens on Saturday, ultimately heading back to Maryland with an impressive victory. Jalana Garcia and Veronica Blair led North Bay with two tries apiece while Jen Holland and SaraGrace McCannon each added a score. North Bay was also awarded a penalty try in the match. Garcia added a conversion kick to the points total while Savannah Purdy added six team points via three conversion kicks in the win. In only the clubs’ first season as a XV’s D3 side, North Bay will take on Union County for the Atlantic Super Regional title just a short forty-five minute trip up Route 95 from Aberdeen.
ASR women’s Division 3 final: Union County vs. North Bay – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
Atlantic Super Regional men’s semifinal results
Northern Virginia (NOVA) 43 – Schuylkill River 24
ASR men’s Division 1 semifinal/Mid-Atlantic Conference final – Philadelphia, PA
Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) heavyweights collided on Saturday in Philadelphia with the MAC title and advancement to the Super Regional championship on the line. After scoring only five points against Schuylkill River in their recent meeting on March 24th, NOVA erupted for six tries on the way to the road win on Saturday. Michael Weir converted on five kicks and added a penalty kick as well. Jasean Davis, Timothy Katz, Kit Waddington, Dacoda Worth, and Robert Zvitkovitz all scored tries for NOVA who advances to the ASR championship against Mystic River with the Regional title and a spot in the USA Club Rugby national final four in Texas on the line.
ASR men’s Division 1 final: NOVA vs. Mystic River – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
Boston Irish Wolfhounds 41 – Old Gaelic 11
ASR men’s Division 2 semifinal – Canton, MA
While a handful of other teams converged on the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, MA for Super Regional semifinals on Saturday, the defending ASR champion Irish Wolfhounds enjoyed a truly home playoff match on the home pitch. Boston put the first points on the board with fly half Jack Connolly’s first of two successful penalty kicks on the day. Old Gaelic tied the score with a completed penalty goal courtesy of Brady Reisman in the 10th minute, but Boston would jump out to a 24-6 advantage by halftime. Two more tries and conversions and a Connolly penalty kick widened the margin as Old Gaelic was held to only one score in the second half by way of a Micah Wagner try in the 70th minute. Connolly accounted for twenty-three points the match while five different players each scored one try for Boston in the win.
New York Rugby Club (NYRC) 37 – Rappahannock Golden Boars 12
ASR men’s Division 2 semifinal – Fredericksburg, VA
After a scoreless opening twenty plus minutes in Fredericksburg, VA, the Golden Boars took the first lead of the Super Regional semifinal against visiting NYRC on an Akito Williams try and Jacob Pryor conversion. However, nineteen points in the span of ten minutes from the 28th to the 38th gave NYRC a 19-7 lead approaching halftime. Late in the second half, NYRC added a penalty kick at minute-63 before Daniel King (71st minute) and Ben Booth (74th minute) added tries to extend the NYRC lead who held Rappahannock scoreless in the last forty minutes. Liam Hawkins, Sam Murphy, and Enriquez Rosa also scored tries for NYRC who will meet the defending ASR champion Irish Wolfhounds on May 4th in Delaware.
ASR men’s Division 2 final: Boston Irish Wolfhounds vs. New York Rugby Club – Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
New York Old Blue 31 – North Bay 27
ASR men’s Division 3 semifinal – Newark, DE
Old Blue took down the defending ASR champions at the University of Delaware on sunny Saturday in Newark in one of the weekend’s closest tests from start to finish. Each squad scored four tries and one penalty kick apiece, but New York fly half Samuel Nicholson was perfect on conversion kicks going 4-for-4 while North Bay went 2-for-4 in conversions. Ryan Manning, Luke Vakasisikakala, Akinola Raymond, and Godfrey Pollydore all found the try zone for Old Blue in the win.
Charles River 34 – Lehigh Valley Hooligans 12
ASR men’s Division 3 semifinal – North Hampton, NH
Semifinal foes from the first Super Regional in 2022 met again on Saturday for another ASR showdown. The Rats scored a try and added the conversion only two minutes into the contest and never looked back to earn a quality win over a solid Hooligans side. Charles River added fourteen points in the final ten minutes of the match with two tries and conversions to seal the match. Lock Bryce Jahner led Charles River with fourteen points (four conversions, two penalty kicks). Cormac Hughes and Willem Van Zyl each accounted for one of Charles River’s four tries in the test.
ASR men’s Division 3 final: New York Old Blue vs. Charles River – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
Seacoast 36 – Happy Valley Barbarians 27
ASR men’s Division 4 semifinal – North Hampton, NH
First time ASR qualifier Seacoast earned a spot to play for Regional bragging rights in Wilmington with a quality win over a Barbarians squad on Saturday. Nick DeVos scored two tries for Seacoast while Jonathan Cheyne, Ford Freemantle, and Edward Leimkuhler all found the try zone once each. Ian Hanley added eleven points for Seacoast (four conversions, one penalty kick) in the winning effort. In Happy Valley’s second appearance at the Super Regional, five different players accounted for all five of the team’s tries while River William Ocden added a conversion kick.
Rockaway 36 – Frederick 29
ASR men’s Division 4 semifinal – Frederick, MD
The second MD4 semifinal featured another close result nearly 500 miles away from the Seacoast/Happy Valley match as first time ASR qualifiers Frederick and Rockaway squared off in central Maryland. Ultimately, the Fisheads secured the 36-29 road victory to earn a spot in May 4th’s Atlantic Super Regional championship.
ASR men’s Division 4 final: Seacoast vs. Rockaway – Saturday, May 4th, 2024
Alapocus Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware
