The Men’s DIII national final is set, as Slippery Rock will take on Allegheny conference rival Franciscan for the third time this season for a chance to hoist the trophy on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.
The weekend opened with Slippery Rock and New Mexico Tech vying for a finals berth. Rock is aiming to add a 15s title to their 7s championship this spring, while New Mexico Tech barely made it to the semifinals with two one-point wins in the postseason.
Rock took the lead 15-3 at the half, with a try from second row Kameron Kruzelyak and two tries from wing Cooper Alleman. The Miners tried to retaliate with a penalty kick by scrumhalf David Vaquera, but couldn’t catch up by halftime.
The Miners did not go scoreless in the second half, with a try from wing Akongnwi Chungong and a conversion from scrumhalf David Vaquera. With tries from flyhalf Chase Nething and eight-man Alec Harbison, supported by conversions from fullback Zachary Herrington, the Rock added another 14 points to the board, ultimately securing their 29-10 win and spot in the final.
Later in the day, seventh-ranked Franciscan locked in their bid to the final with a win over last year’s runner up, Holy Cross. The Franciscan defense was rock solid, itching for a rematch against Slippery Rock.
Franciscan led the first half 15-8 with tries from eight man and DIII point leader Christopher Ascough, center Augustine Wright and flanker William Shaifer. Holy Cross captured their eight points from a try by flyhalf Connor Long and penalty kick by prop and DIII conversion leader James Flaherty.
The Barons sealed the deal in the second half with tries grounded by flanker Dominic Grecol, Shaifer, second row Paul Keerkes (twice) and scrumhalf Nathanael Bateman. The Crusaders tried to catch up with tries from hooker Christopher Dalton and prop Michael Swords, followed by a conversion from Long, but it wasn't enough to move on to the final. Holy Cross will square up against New Mexico Tech on Sunday at 11 a.m. EST for a chance at third place.
Sunday’s final is a rubber match in the season series between Slippery Rock and Franciscan. The Barons won in the regular season, but the Rock avenged the loss in the conference championship. Tune into tv.ncr.rugby on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST to watch, with live pre-game, halftime and postgame coverage from The College Rugby Show.
