For the second time in three years, Endicott is the Women’s DIII national champion, holding off the Colorado School of Mines in a highly competitive national championship game Saturday, 22-15, at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, TX. Try scorer and Gulls fullback Tess Merrill was awarded MVP for her work gaining the hard yards with big tackles and carries all day.
The Mines struck first through scrumhalf Giovanna Arellio eight minutes in, the phase after a penalty play deep inside Endicott’s 22. She picked the ball from the base of the ruck and dove over the try line before the defense had time to form, giving the Orediggers an early 5-0 lead. From there, they struggled to maintain possession most of the match, with the Gulls playing suffocating defense and consistently contesting the rucks, often finding success.
Despite being a player down to a yellow card, Endicott leveled the table in the 25th minute with a try from All-American Tess Merrill. Inside center Bailey Tymeson earned a penalty in the defensive breakdown, giving the Gulls the ball in the attacking end. A pair of big carries from prop Chloe Marconi highlighted a series of pick-and-goes that led to Merrill running in a try from point-blank range to make it 5-5, which is how the half would end.
Marconi was big for the Gulls all day, both in the counter rucks and with ball in hand to set her teammates up for success. She scored herself three minutes into the second half to give Endicott its first lead of the game, 12-5.
A pair of high tackles gave the Orediggers possession in the middle of the field in the 52nd minute, and they managed a handful of phases before finding flanker McKenzie Williams, who fended her way past three Gulls to find pay dirt. Lee’s conversion was no good, and Endicott clung to a 12-10 advantage.
Endicott’s penalty count mounted in the second half, with Merrill being warned for a trio of high tackles, but it was the Orediggers who were shown yellow in the 63rd minute, with Jocelyn Miller being sent off for playing the ball off her feet.
The Gulls took over at the attacking 22, methodically working toward the goal line with a long series of pick-and-goes, before Laryssa Landmesser was able to diove over for the score. Landmesser made it a double in short order, reversing fields off the back of an attacking scrum to give Endicott a two-score lead, 22-10, with five minutes to play.
The Orediggers dug in once more, with Lee chasing down a box kick in the try zone, barely beating Endicott to the ball for a try. She picked up a bloody nose during the grounding, cutting the lead to a converted try going into the 80th minute. But Endicott tackled Mines into touch off the kickoff, securing the win.
Watch the match on The Rugby Network+.
