Day 1
On a cold and rainy Saturday in Quincy, Massachusetts, the Michigan Wolverines took the field in the Monumental 7s tournament hosted by the New England Freejacks. Having traveled over 12 hours to get there, the team was determined to make a statement. Game 1 was against another Big 10 team, one that the Wolverines hadn’t seen in a couple of years, the Hoosiers of Indiana. Slated as the 1 seed in the tournament, everyone assumed that Indiana would start the tournament off by rolling through the Wolverines. However, Michigan was out for blood and looking to make a statement. The Wolverines struck first with a try from Regan Plank and then went up 10-0 after another try from Luke Zana just before the break. Unfortunately, Indiana stole the ball from a scrum and was able to score before halftime, making it 10-5. Strong defensive efforts from Michigan shut down the Indiana attack for the majority of the game. In the final minute of the game, Michigan had a scrum and was looking to close it out when they turned the ball over, allowing Indiana to score right in the middle as time expired, losing the match 12-10.
With game 1 behind them, the Wolverines looked to bounce back against Binghamton. Freshman Ryan Beske scored the opening try for the Wolverines right out of the gate. Massachusetts native Jack Regan scored a hat trick as Michigan cruised to a 41-0 win. After a long break, Michigan was matched up against Fordham in the final match of Day 1. The Wolverines controlled the entire game, going up 10-0 at halftime and then 17-7 in the second half. However, heartbreak struck the Wolverines once again, as they lost the game on the final play of the match as time expired once again, after Fordham recovered their own kickoff and scored, winning 19-17. In what will go down as a wild statistic, Michigan did not trail at all during the first day, yet could only display a record of 1 win and 2 losses. Both losses came as time expired, adding to the agony of what was already a cold and wet day.
Day 2
Looking to avenge their close losses, Michigan came into day 2 looking to make a statement, proving that they belonged with the top teams. Their first opponent was Nazareth, which they handled without major issues, winning 24-12. Despite seeming a bit sluggish from the early start, the Wolverines were able to close out the game and move on, thanks to an inspiring performance by captain Luke Zana and dynamic running from Sam Glusker. Their second match of the day was against Endicott, whom they handled with ease, winning 50-0. Jack Regan scored 4 times, and strong performances from freshmen Thomas Olaveson and Regan Plank helped the Wolverines cruise to victory. The final match of the tournament came on short rest, against UConn, in the bowl final. Despite receiving 2 yellow cards in the match, Michigan was able to hold strong and close out the tournament on a high note, winning 19-12 against a quality opponent in the Huskies.
The Big Picture
Overall, it was a solid performance all around for Michigan. Looking at the roster they fielded for the tournament, it was an inspiring performance but certainly not the best, considering the Wolverines were without 3 of 4 captains and were fielding a roster of 5 freshmen, 2 sophomores, and 3 juniors by the end. Looking forward, Michigan will head back down to South Bend for the Big 10 championship on April 12th and 13th with revenge on their minds. They will also be getting many key pieces back to the roster, building up the depth, and looking to make a run at a Big 10 championship, a goal this squad has had since the beginning of the season. The sky is the limit for this year’s 7s team, with the only thing holding them back being themselves. Stay tuned for more updates to come and keep your eyes out for tournament information and streams, and as always, Go Blue!
