It's dawn on Saturday morning, March 26, 2022 and it's been snowing for three hours in South Bend, Indiana. The Kutztown men's rugby team is starting to stir as 20 mile an hour winds, with 30 mile an hour gusts rattle the windows in their dark but warm hotel rooms. A bit later the coaches rally the team and they meet in the breakfast room before departing for the campus of the University of Notre Dame. When they arrive at the rugby grounds, they become one, of thirty two division one, collegiate rugby teams, that all have the same goal in mind. Endure the snow covered fields, the 30 degree temperature and a bone chilling wind chill factor. As they all compete against one another, in the first national sevens tournament qualifier of the young season. The prize is a free pass to the big dance in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Collegiate Rugby 7's Championship, other wise known as the CRC, will be broadcast on CBS, over the Memorial Day weekend. Seventy two collegiate teams, divided into three divisions, will compete for the coveted national 7's championship. 
 
The Golden Bears have been training since early February and are competing in their first post-pandemic, national qualifier since 2020, when they won the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament. 
 
Led by captain Thorne O'Connell (Johannesburg, South Africa/Jeppe) and co-captain Kekoa Kauwe, this year's squad opened up with a snow covered field and the University of Michigan. The boys passed the pill and off loaded to one another like it was a sunny day in August. Their minds and hearts oblivious to the bone chilling weather, as they attacked the blue and gold jerseys. All was going well, when only two minutes into the contest, Kutztown's vey talented, Helmut Baschleben (Maui, Hawaii) went down with an ankle injury. He was lost for the rest of the tournament. Player injury in these conditions was predictable and certainly a major concern to the Kutztown coaching staff. However, all went well for the remainder of the contest and the Golden Bears were impressive to tally 41-0, in Tundra like conditions. Kobie Tuckson (Washington, D.C./Bishop McNamara) led the way with two try's, followed by Baschleben, P.J. O'Reilly (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara), Aiden Smith (Trumbull, Conn.), Cameron Thurtell (London, England),and Kauwe who all crossed the try line one time. 
 
 After the game, the entire team and coaching staff made a bee line to their rental cars and the anticipation of warm air jettisoning from the dashboard. Then one and a half hours later, they were preparing for another frozen contest on the snow covered turf of Notre Dame's Stinson Rugby Stadium. The opponents were the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota. This would be the first time in Kutztown Rugby history that the Golden Bears would face off against one of the original Big Ten icons. The boys from the land of 1000 lakes drew first blood and went up early in the contest. Kutztown came roaring right back as Kutztown's Thurtell, Breyten Maritz (Cape Town, South Africa/Paul Roos) and Smith, added their contributions with one try each but Steven Doyling (Warwick, Bermuda/Bermuda Institute) stole the show with three try's, when he showcased his blistering speed on the outside. The final numbers on the stadium scoreboard read KU 34 and Minnesota 10. The Golden Bears followed up with a dash to the awaiting warmth of their vehicles. Where chattering teeth and turf burns soon faded into the familiar banter of teammates reliving the prior moments of victory. 

The next game kicked of two hours later against familiar Rugby East Conference foe, Notre Dame College. The Falcons have always been an excellent seven's side and proved to be worthy opponents once again. Kutztown put forth a determined effort but a crucial dropped pass, a penalty try, and a yellow card where to much to overcome. The game belonged to Notre Dame College on this day, as they prevailed 19-5 over Kutztown. Tuckson was the only Golden Bear to take it to the house. 

In the first round of the consolation bracket , Kutztown was scheduled to play only 20 minutes after the Notre Dame College game. Obviously still fatigued and cold from that endeavor, they ran into an Ohio State side that gave Kutztown everything they could handle. Pushed to the limits of exhaustion, the Golden Bears had also lost the services of their captain, O'Connell with a severe hand injury during the loss to NDC. The Buckeyes were energized and realized the situation that Kutztown had been placed in by the tournament schedule. They came at Kutztown like a buzz saw on attack, constantly pressuring the Golden Bears to stop them at the gain line. Ohio State had several line breaks that added to the mental and physical exhaustion of the Kutztown team, while the Golden Bears ignored  the darkened, snow filled sky and low temperatures. It was an impossible task that they were saddled with but somehow seemed to embrace, as they constantly regrouped and refused to succumb. They battled back and scored with gutsy support play as they fed each other the rock, while try's were scored one at a time by Alex Schlager (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity), Thurtell, Kauwe and Tuckson. However, credit must be given to Logan Bachman (Kutztown, Pa./Central Catholic) who came into the game during the second half when he perpetuated the much needed continuity of the Kutztown attack with two monster counter rucks. Which enabled him to steal the Buckeye's ball and launch Kutztown onto the front foot while sparking their overall efforts to go forward. In the end, when the final whistle blew, Kutztown prevailed with a gutsy and determined 24-20 victory. 

That win catapulted Kutztown into the all important Plate Championship. This being the second most important accomplishment of a sevens rugby tournament, aside from winning the Cup Championship for first place. Kutztown would wait another two hours in their vehicles once again, when they emerged, more determined then ever to take on  the Knights of Marian University, Marian is a new and emerging varsity rugby program located in Indianapolis, Indiana and a member of the Big River Rugby Conference. Marian was definitely excited for the opportunity to take down the long standing and established Kutztown Golden Bears. The thoughts of an upset we're being spoken amongst the spectators. It was certainly an accomplishment for the new upstart program to advance their way into the Plate Final. The Knights got the crowd buzzing when they scored on their very first possession of the match. However, Kutztown's outstanding scrum-half and co-captain, Kauwe had other ideas, when he took Kutztown's first possession of the ball game. He saw a crease and sliced through untouched as he out stepped a Marian defender with a club like stiff arm and fire in his eyes, he outran the Knights for a seventy yard try under the posts. Not only did it give Kutztown the lead with a conversion but it ignited his teammates. Some players lead consistently with determined examples. Kekoa is one of those leaders and Kutztown has been fortunate to have him for the last four years. Today, in the blistering cold weather, it was a prime example of his unwavering character, determination and loyalty to his teammates. Now that the fire was ignited, Doyling and Thurtell found the try zone. While Smith dotted down twice in the second half. The final score was 33-5 and the Plate was on its way home to Kutztown. 

On this day, in spite of the terrible conditions, the Golden Bears went 4-1 and ended the tournament scoring 137 points with 54 against. Tuckson, Thurtell, Doyling and Smith led the Golden Bears with four try's each, while Kauwe touched down three times. 

Kutztown will travel to Quincy,Massachusetts on April 2nd to compete in their second National 7's qualifier. As they attempt to punch their ticket to the Crescent City and an attempt at the National Collegiate Sevens Championship on Memorial Day weekend.  

RUN WITH THE BEARS