West Chester University is set to host Mount St. Mary’s University (MSM), Princeton University (PU) and the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) at the South Campus Rugby Field on Apr. 1.
The Golden Rams plan to put three teams in the tournament, an A-side, B-side and C-side. MSM and USNA will both have an A-side and B-side team in the tournament. PU will field one team. There will be a total of eight teams in the tournament.
The tournament will begin at 10 a.m. and the final match will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 1. All matches will be held on the South Campus Rugby Field.
The last WCU 7s tournament included MSM, WCU, Bloomsburg University, the University of Delaware and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. WCU came out as the tournament winners.
The Golden Rams will look to improve on their 3-1 record in this tournament (A-side record), as well as continue to get more playing time for all players.
“I see the WCU tournament as an opportunity to get a lot of playing time for all of our players, especially at home in front of family and friends,” head coach Tony DeRemer said.
Last 7s season, WCU was unable to defeat USNA or PU. In their last matchup, WCU lost to USNA with a score of 19-5 at Queens University 7s.
WCU is ahead of USNA in their historical 7s record. WCU has defeated USNA six times and lost four times.
The historical record between PU and WCU is 1-3. WCU has lost the last two match-ups against PU, with a close 21-19 loss in PU’s Emperor 7s. Before that, the Golden Rams fell 22-7 in the 2019 season.
“I feel like we did lose some valuable players but I also think a lot of the girls that are returning have gained more experience and gained more confidence and have really grown within themselves,” junior Emily Almoney said.
The last 7s matchup between WCU and MSM was at the last WCU 7s tournament in 2019. WCU has only played MSM in 7s twice since the team started playing 7s.
The Golden Rams shut out MSM’s A-side in the cup final and won with a score of 20-0 and also defeated their B-side 36-0.
“It’s going to be great to throw a lot of the new girls and experienced players out there and see what we can do against this high level,” Almoney said.
The WCU 7s are coming after over a month break from tournaments for the Golden Rams. The team’s schedule changed and saw them no longer attend the Harvard Crimson 7s tournament.
“This is a good time in the season for us to get tested by these other teams as we’ve had a few weeks to really focus on practice and improving our skills,” DeRemer said.
The home field advantage is there for the WCU players as they prepare and go into this tournament.
“I do like being able to come out to our field and warm up because we’re here everyday,” Almoney said. “I know the place; I feel more confident.”
In their last tournament, the Purple team (A-side) went 3-1 only falling in the championship match to American International College. The Gold team went undefeated in three matches, only allowing one try in each game.
Ty Hickey is a second-year media and culture major with a Chinese minor.