UW-Whitewater will take on North Carolina State in the final of USA Rugby’s Men’s D2 College championship after both won semifinals on Saturday.

Whitewater, two-time defending national champions, exploded for three early tries and looked like they were going to run away with it. Hooker Jeremy Bartels trundled over twice in the first ten minutes, and prop Riley Peckham’s try made it 19-0.

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But Queens would not go away and started to punish Whitewater when the wet, cold conditions led to turnovers.Tries from Doyle Hedgepeth, Lebogang Ngwenya, and John Monroe, with Ngwenya converting two, made it a tie game, 19-19, with six minutes left in the first half.

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But Whitewater has been in these situations before, and flanker Shay Hasse regained the lead before halftime.

That lead didn’t last long, as Queens got a penalty try when Treuthardt was adjudged to have made a dangerous tackle as Erik Prince was attempting to score. Penalty try, and a 26-24 Queens lead. 

Both teams struggled with a wet ball and turnovers, but Whitewater played with a little more poise and experience. With No. 8 John grams leading a strong forward effort and fullback Alec Treuthardt punishing Queens the they opted to kick, the Warhawks started to pull away. Jordan Kane’s try gave Whitewater the lead again, and Grams extended it. Kane scored another to make it 43-31, and the Warhawks held on as Queens got one more.

It was a hugely entertaining game but the old heads of Hasse, Grams, Robbie Sindic, Levi Van Lanen, and Treuthardt led Whitewater to another final.

UW Whitewater 43

Tries: Bartels 2, Kane 2, Peckham, Haase, Grams

Convs: A. Teruthardt 4

Queens 36

Tries: Hedgepeth 2, Ngwenya, Monroe, Tingom, Penalty Try

Convs: Ngwenya 2, Penalty Try

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In the second semifinal, NC State held off Iowa Central CC by playing to the conditions more successfully. Iowa CCC, being a two-year school, is, naturally, full of young players, and at times they played like it. Used to playing open, running rugby, the Tritons needed to be more careful with the ball, and saw some good scoring opportunities fall away because they were a bit too adventurous.

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NC State, behind a hard-working pack, set up No. 8 Caleb Gwaltney for an early score under the posts, and then, after scurmhalf Darren Murphy was held up in-goal, put wing Mende Carlton over in the corner.

Up 12-0, the Wolfpack added on with Tom Stockton slotting a penalty, but Iowa Central wasn’t beaten yet. A break put the Tritons close and hooker Robert Piagentini bulled over for his team’s first try.

That made it 15-5. Stockton added another penalty, and then in the second half did the same for. 21-5 NC State lead.

But Iowa Central then showed what they can do. A nifty chip to the corner from flyhalf Rhys Smith allowed wing William Howlett to race in under to score.

Moments later, Fullback Nathen Epplett capped off a strong sequence from the Tritons and it was 21-17 with 30 minutes to go.

NC State regrouped. Hard-hitting flanker Jack Kiernan surged through a group of bodies to score, and then center Greg Amaty went in after a long period of pressure.

That made it 33-17 with 20 minutes to go, and there was no further scoring. NC State controlled the game well with a strong kicking game and good work at the set piece. Iowa Central pressed to regain the momentum, but even when they came close to scoring, they rushed their options, and turned over the ball.

NC State 33

Tries: Gwaltney, J. Kiernan, Carlton, Amaty

Convs: Stockton 2

Pens: Stockton 3

Iowa Central CC 17

Tries: Piagentini, Howlette, Epplett

Convs: Smith