The UMRFC sevens squad has a bright future.
The Maize and Blue won their pool with convincing wins over Indiana and Northwestern but dropped a heartbreaker to Ohio State in the quarter-finals. Michigan finished the day with a 3-2 record. Nine of the 15 players got on the scoreboard. 11 of the players will be returning next year.
Michigan 38 – Indiana 15
Michigan anticipated a tough Indiana game and one that could possibly determine the Pool D winner. The game started well with the Maize and Blue receiving the kickoff and proceeding to put Joel Conzelmann away for a try in the first minute. Indiana responded with a try through Big Ten 15s points leader Lewis Shaw, but three more tries by Michigan before halftime (Kenny Andutan, Sequoyah Burke-Combs, Grady Bridges) put Michigan in the driver seat 24-5. Possession was key for the Wolverines and more ball control resulted in Dave Hiltzik and Nick Lazurka tries. Late substitutions let in a couple of Indiana scores to end the game. All in all, a good, even performance to start the day with all six tries by different players.
1. Christian Mentzer (John Palladino 11′)
2. Kenny Andutan (Dave Hiltzik 7′)
3. Joel Conzelmann (Matt Pilon 10′)
4. Jared Bosma
5. Grady Bridges (Evan Noon 10′)
6. Sequoyah Burke-Combs (Chris Kemp 10′)
7. Nick Lazurka
Tries: Conzelmann 1′, Andutan 4′, Burke-Combs 5′, Bridges 7′, Hiltzik 8′, Lazurka 10′
Cons: Bridges 4′, 7′, 8′, 10′
Kenny Andutan touches down under the posts against Indiana
Michigan 31 – Northwestern 5
Michigan now just needed a victory over Northwestern to secure the top spot out of Pool D. The game started slow as Northwestern was able to maintain possession of the ball. Michigan was able to get a second minute try by Sequoyah Burke-Combs but didn’t score again until Christian Mentzer crossed in the sixth minute. The second half showed a more powerful Maize and Blue squad as Kenny Andutan scored off of an early Grady Bridges break. Northwestern responded with a score but Michigan finished with scores by Mentzer and Burke-Combs to win convicingly.
1. Christian Mentzer (Nelson Worner 11′)
2. Kenny Andutan (Dave Hiltzik 8′)
3. Joel Conzelmann (Terence Taylor 13′)
4. Jared Bosma
5. Grady Bridges (Chris Kemp 13′)
6. Sequoyah Burke-Combs
7. Nick Lazurka (Chris Padmos 13′)
Tries: Burke-Combs 2′, 13′, Mentzer 6′, 11′, Andutan 8′,
Cons: Bridges 2′, 11′, 13′
Michigan 10 – Ohio State 12
Michigan matched up against OSU in the quarter-finals after the Buckeyes dropped a somewhat surprising pool game to Purdue. After weathering a first possession by Ohio State, Michigan moved the ball down the field and scored on the right side through Nick Lazurka. The missed conversion would come back to haunt U of M though. The rest of the half was in favor of the Buckeyes as the Wolverines committed a few too many penalties. OSU scored in the fifth and seventh minutes to take a 12-5 halftime lead. Michigan tightened up in the second half. The Michigan defense didn’t allow an OSU score which included a goal line stand to start the half. Finally, Michigan’s pressure resulted in a Dave Hiltzik try at the end of the game. Grady Bridges needed the conversion to force overtime but the conversion was wide left.
1. Christian Mentzer
2. Kenny Andutan (Dave Hiltzik 10′)
3. Joel Conzelmann
4. Jared Bosma
5. Grady Bridges
6. Sequoyah Burke-Combs
7. Nick Lazurka
Tries: Lazurka 2′, Hiltzik 14′
Jared Bosma hits a hole opened up by Sequoyah Burke-Combs against Ohio State
Michigan 5 – Michigan State 26
After a disapointing quarter-final loss, Michigan had to turn around quickly for a match-up with another rival, Michigan State, in the consolation rounds. The Men in Blue were found to be out of sorts mentally and the mistakes mounted. Michigan struggled for possession and eventually gave up two tries before halftime. Down 14-0 at half, the men attempted to rally and started the second stanza with a Sequoyah Burke-Combs try. But that would be all Michigan could muster as MSU controlled the game en route to Michigan’s worst performance of the day.
1. Christian Mentzer (Nelson Worner 6′) (Matt Pilon 12′)
2. Kenny Andutan (Dave Hiltzik 7′)
3. Joel Conzelmann
4. Jared Bosma
5. Grady Bridges
6. Sequoyah Burke-Combs (Terence Taylor 12′)
7. Nick Lazurka (Chris Padmos 11′)
Tries: Burke-Combs 8′
Michigan 34 – Nebraska 5
Looking to make amends for the previous game, Michigan took on Nebraska in the first ever meeting between the two teams. The Men in Blue went back to their dominant ways and controlled possession while defending well when needed. Conzelmann opened the scoring and Bridges added a late try to give Michigan a 10-0 halftime lead. Lazurka added an early second half try before Nebraska got on the board with their one break of the game. Bridges added another try before Michigan’s subs came on to add to the Michigan run. Matt Pilon scored his first of the day at the twelfth minute from a great Jared Bosma pass. Kenny Andutan ended the scoring which was converted by Evan Noon.
1. Christian Mentzer (Matt Pilon 11′)
2. Dave Hiltzik (Kenny Andutan 7′)
3. Joel Conzelmann (John Palladino 11′)
4. Jared Bosma
5. Grady Bridges (Evan Noon 10′)
6. Sequoyah Burke-Combs (Chris Kemp 11′)
7. Nick Lazurka
Tries: Conzelmann 1′, Bridges 4′, 10′, Lazurka 8′, Pilon 12′, Andutan 13′
Cons: Bridges 8′, Noon 13′
