UC Santa Barbara played in a thriller last weekend against UC San Diego. Throughout the match, UCSB either led by a try or were tied with UCSD, a team that has attended the last few women’s DI championships. With five minutes to go, UCSD scored a try to even it up, and then Santa Barbara answered with a minute left on the clock. It all came down to a difficult conversion, which No. 8 cum flyhalf Kristine Sommer nailed for the game-ending points and victory, 21-19.

Sommer’s poise in those waning minutes was enough for UCSB coach Kevin Battle to nominate his halfback as RugbyMag.com’s Player of the Week, but it’s been the 21-year-old captain’s continual leadership and devotion to the team that solidified the need for recognition.

Sommer began her career as a back, but then an injury-plagued pack forced the 5’9”, 155 lb. center into the second row her junior year. The new lock was coming off her first season playing with the Southern California Griffins, but repeating that all-star appearance took a back seat when Sommer broke her ankle last year. A devastating turn of events for the up-and-comer trickled through the ranks.

Santa Barbara struggled to be competitive last season, but the team kept their heads up for the 2011-12 season. Sommer returned to the squad as the starting No. 8 but then assumed flyhalf when injuries left the important position open.

“Coming back in my last year, I was delighted to play 8 and really get into that forward mentality,” Sommer said.  “Switching positions, I felt that I had the ball skill, but my main problem was going to be to switch back to the back mentality.  I had to force myself not to get into every ruck. It was difficult, but I seemed to manage it alright.”

UCSB showed early that it had the potential to rival the top teams in the league when they defeated UC San Diego in their opener 17-5. Repeating the feat last weekend was exceptionally gratifying for the squad.

“We have worked really hard this season to be where we are now,” Sommer said of UCSB’s second-place standing in SoCal. “Coming from a hard season the previous year, when we were killed every game, we have really stepped it up.”

Which is why last weekend’s win against UC San Diego was so emotional.

“After that kick and the final whistle, myself and all of the seniors broke into tears,” Sommers said. “We could not believe that all of our weight training, 7 a.m. runs and practices finally paid off. It was an exhilarating experience that I will never forget.”

UCSB is on the verge of clinching their berth to playoffs, but must first defeat Arizona State this weekend. Even if UCSB loses, UC San Diego will have to earn a bonus-point win over undefeated league leader UCLA to even up on points; then it’ll come down to points differential.

A berth to playoffs would be a wonderful ending to Sommer’s four years with Santa Barbara, although she plans to continue her rugby career with the SoCal Griffins and has an eye toward the national team.

“I love the sport so much, and it is going to be really difficult to leave the family I have made these past four years,” Sommer said. “But I definitely do not want to end my rugby career just because I am graduating.”

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Months have passed since the last women’s DII college rankings, including territorial championships the onset of fall-dormant leagues. With the inclusion of five previously unranked teams, we saw a bid adieu to an equal amount of teams.

Making the biggest leap on the rankings is Winona. The Black Katts won the Midwest Championship by first defeating former DI Grand Valley State 32-26 in the semifinals, then topping Pittsburgh 31-10 in the final. The Panthers are still ranked ahead of Pittsburgh, and the two teams will have the opportunity to prove the rankings right or wrong at nationals when they see each other in the round of 16.

Unranked Vassar also breached the top 10 after finishing second at the Northeast Championship. They edged Rutgers 20-19 in the semifinals before dropping to Norwich (1) in the title match.

Texas A&M also joins the rankings after finishing second in Texas. Former DII Texas won the region, but not before ending their season with a 32-29 loss to A&M. The Aggies secured the DII bid to the West Championship with a 39-0 over Texas Tech. Wyoming is also the frontrunner for the Eastern Rockies bid to territorial playoffs, although they’ll have to first defeat Colorado College to make it official. But it’s looking good for Wyoming, which defeated Colorado-Mesa 22-0, a team that beat Colorado College 24-0 earlier in the season.

The South’s Appalachian State returns to the rankings after a lengthy sabbatical. They crushed league opponents 188-5, and knocked UNC Charlotte off the list with a 14-0 win. But should ASU meet Lee University in the South final, they’ll have their hands full. The only thing that might slow down Lee is the fact that their season has been riddled with bad weather and forfeits.

So who’s looking good? It’s hard not to favor Norwich to win it all this year. Aside from winning the Northeast Championship – again – the Cadets won the first-ever College 7s Championship in the fall, and looked really good in the process. Their fitness and physicality are the makings of a championship team, and our bets are on the New Hampshire squad.

We’re really looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic Championship. The EPRU was tight as always, and Shippensburg and Temple finished particularly strongly. George Washington is a perennial threat for a title grab and allowed 18 points all league season. GW did however lose 69-0 to Pittsburgh at the VWIT, and while nothing should be taken away from Pitt and their hefty pre-season build-up to nationals, we’re reluctant to overly punish GW for the tournament loss.

American International College could be a dark horse at nationals, as well. They won Rugby Northeast, but encountered some eligibility issues, so it’s unsure what kind of squad will be showing up at the first round. They haven’t been tested outside the small college sphere, but they have the talent to produce some upsets.

Out west, Humboldt and Arizona have put in solid seasons thus far. Humboldt defeated opponents 232-42 and have SF Bats left on the schedule. Although the latter are playing in a full league schedule, they aren’t yet eligible for playoffs, so Humboldt have sealed their berth to playoffs. They’ll come up against in the Pacific Coast semifinals when they see Western Washington, who second place finish in the Pacific Northwest was essentially determined in the fall when they lost to Washington State 17-12.

Arizona is one of three teams in Southern California with a 4-1 record, with CSU Fullerton and Cal State Northridge in close proximity. The Wildcats defeated CSUN 43-24 earlier in the season, and their 17-0 defeat to CSUF came during a double-header weekend when they were without their star and USA 7s player Amy Naber. With a full roster, we think Arizona will beat anyone in So Cal.

Stay tuned as the playoff picture works out in half the nation, while more pre-season play gives a better idea at how squads are shaping up.

Women DII College Top 25 - March 7, 2012
1 (1) Norwich (8-0). #1 in Northeast; won first USA Rugby College 7s Championship

2 (3) Shippensburg (9-0). Won the EPRU championship.

3 (4) Washington State (5-0). Defeated Western Washington 17-12.

5 (unr) Winona (10-1). Won Midwest Championship by first defeating Grand Valley 32-26 in semis then Pittsburgh 31-10 in final.

7 (2) Grand Valley (10-1). Lost to Midwest champion Winona 32-26 in Midwest semis; defeated UW La Crosse for third. Defeated Notre Dame 68-7 in preseason friendly.

9 (7) Rutgers (8-1).Finished third in NRU after losing to Vassar 20-19 in semis and defeating Bowdoin 20-12 for 3rd.

11 (9) AIC (6-0-1). Won Rugby Northeast with a 47-0 win over St. Michael’s.

13 (unr) Texas A&M (2-2). Finished 2nd in Texas; defeated Texas 32-29 and Texas Tech 39-0 in last two rounds.

15 (17) Mary Washington (5-1). Taking 2nd VRU seed to MARFUs; played four friendlies in 2012, including wins over William & Mary (26-0) and Salisbury (39-25) and losses to DI James Madison (36-10) and George Washington (36-0)

17 (22) Humboldt (4-0). Defeated league opponents 232-42 with one more game against also undefeated SF Bats.

19 (8) UW La Crosse (7-2). Finished fourth in Midwest, losing to Pittsburgh and Grand Valley State

21 (24) William & Mary (4-1). Top seed in MARFU’s VRU. No state championship so seeds determined on head-to-head, and not overall point differential during league.

23 (unr) Appalachian State (4-0). Defeated UNC Charlotte 14-0 to win South's Dogwood conference.

25 (20) Stonehill (3-2). Finished third in RNE but still a solid team.

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USA Rugby’s Women’s High Performance Director Alex Williams has lost her job following a restructuring at USA Rugby.

Williams’ position has essentially been eliminated as Nigel Melville will take a more direct role as Director of Rugby for all national teams.

“I don't really feel like I am in a position to respond properly at this point,” Williams told RUGBYMag.com, “other than to say that this took me completely by surprise and is not in any way my choice.”

All four senior national team coaches will now report directly to Melville, also USA Rugby’s CEO. Laterally with the Head Coaches, former USA star Luke Gross will be working to map out a pathway for the men’s teams. Gross will also consult with Melville and a panel including WNT 15s Coach Pete Steinberg, WNT 7s Coach Ric Suggitt, former WNT 7s Coach Julie McCoy, and recent women Eagles Farrah Douglas, Christy Ringgenberg to develop a clearer pathway for potential women Eagles.

“We need to get that pathway up to speed,” Melville told RUGBYMag.com. “I will be working with the national coaches – we’ve got four good national coaches and we need to make sure the pathway is right.”

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