Wayne State's run as the three-time defending champions in 7-on-7 women's rugby came to an end Sunday afternoon as Colgate hung on for a 15-12 win in the National Small College Rugby Organization 7-on-7 championships in Pittsburgh, Pa.
In a rematch of the 15-on-15 national championship game won by Wayne State last December, Colgate got out to a 10-0 lead in the first half with a pair of tries, the second coming after a yellow card was issued to Wayne State for a high tackle.
Wayne State got back to within three at 10-7 midway through the second half when Shelby Brown scored and Sam Warneke made the conversion kick, but Colgate came back with an insurance score with about two minutes left to take an eight-point advantage. Aljeandra Kersenbrock scored in the final seconds, but it wasn't enough as Wayne State's 23-match win streak in 7-on-7 tournament play came to an end.
Wayne State reached the finals Sunday morning with a 14-0 shutout of Colorado College in a rematch of last year's championship game. It was the fourth shutout for Wayne State in the tournament, having given up just five points in five games prior to the loss to Colgate.
