By Andrew Buntrock
Madison, WI, was the scene of the last qualifier for USA Rugby's DII 7s Championships, and Wisconsin-Whitewater emerged winners on Saturday to take the final spot in USA Rugby's tournament.
The Warhawks Whitewater won the tournament after a controlled, systematic approach, beating UW-Milwaukee 30-0 in the championship game.
This was after Milwaukee beat out defending national champions UM-Duluth in the semifinals 26-5.
Whitewater tailored its game coming into the tournament, focusing on what it could directly influence in the game.
"We settled down into our game, and didn't take anything that we weren't given," Whitewater head coach Matt Pederson said.
All American wing Alex Treuthardt didn't see much playing time as he was tending to a nagging injury. But made an impact in the small amount -- only three minutes -- that he played, scoring twice and then heading off to the bench.
Key to the success of Whitewater was play from Garret Shibilski and Eric Pachowitz. Shibilski was a driving force in gameplay, heavily contesting into the breakdown and making his presence known by having quick poaches for the ball. Pachowitz, a fifth-year senior for the club, was able to direct the team using his age and experience as a driving factor to be a leader for his team and keep Whitewater on track.
The tournament had eight teams in attendance: UM-Duluth, UW Eau Claire, UW La Crosse, and UW Platteville in Pool A; and UW Whitewater, UW Milwaukee, UW Stout, and UW Madison in Pool B. Madison is a DI team so it was there to even out the numbers but did not advance to the semis.
Madison, WI, was the scene of the last qualifier for USA Rugby's DII 7s Championships, and Wisconsin-Whitewater emerged winners on Saturday to take the final spot in USA Rugby's tournament.
The Warhawks Whitewater won the tournament after a controlled, systematic approach, beating UW-Milwaukee 30-0 in the championship game.
This was after Milwaukee beat out defending national champions UM-Duluth in the semifinals 26-5.
Whitewater tailored its game coming into the tournament, focusing on what it could directly influence in the game.
"We settled down into our game, and didn't take anything that we weren't given," Whitewater head coach Matt Pederson said.
All American wing Alex Treuthardt didn't see much playing time as he was tending to a nagging injury. But made an impact in the small amount -- only three minutes -- that he played, scoring twice and then heading off to the bench.
Key to the success of Whitewater was play from Garret Shibilski and Eric Pachowitz. Shibilski was a driving force in gameplay, heavily contesting into the breakdown and making his presence known by having quick poaches for the ball. Pachowitz, a fifth-year senior for the club, was able to direct the team using his age and experience as a driving factor to be a leader for his team and keep Whitewater on track.
The tournament had eight teams in attendance: UM-Duluth, UW Eau Claire, UW La Crosse, and UW Platteville in Pool A; and UW Whitewater, UW Milwaukee, UW Stout, and UW Madison in Pool B. Madison is a DI team so it was there to even out the numbers but did not advance to the semis.