Wildcats Drop Quarterfinal Contest

WILDCATS DROP QUARTERFINAL CONTEST

ST. Mary's 48
ARIZONA 19

Tanner DeMassa and the Wildcats end a strong season in Tucson in the 57th year of the program. (Photo credits: Josh Pearson)

Apr 21- Arizona traveled to Moraga this past weekend with a place in the final four on the line, taking on St. Mary’s College in a rematch of a January fixture.

The Gaels would throw the first punch, taking advantage of an Arizona mistake on an exit to score early to make it 7-0. The Wildcats would respond quickly, with Saxon Gerstl finding Jake Schumacher on the short side and the second-year Winger cutting through the defense to tie the match at 7 in the 12th minute. A linebreak from St. Mary’s off of a scrum would give them an attacking opportunity deep in the Wildcats’ half, with a back pod maul try making it 14-7 in the 20th minute. A quick strike off of a scrum deep again inside the Arizona 22 would make it 21-7. A penalty to Arizona deep in the St. Mary’s would give them a great attacking opportunity late, only to have a kick error derail the effort and results in a try for the hosts, a momentum swing that would lead to a halftime deficit.

But the young Wildcat side would claw back, making halftime adjustments and working their way into the St. Mary’s 22 for a close-range try by Andreas Andersson to make it 31-14. A well-executed maul by Arizona would open the space for Gerstl and Fullback Matteo Berenger to connect for a try in the right corner soon after, making it 31-19. With the Wildcats starting to take control of the half, they would need to execute attacking opportunities. But it would be the Gaels who would strike next, with a St. Mary’s counterattack slicing through the defense and touching down for a 38-19 margin, a key moment in the game that was marred by a scuffle after a late hit on an Ariona player.

“You can argue that was the biggest play of the game. We felt the scuffle that broke out after was completely unnecessary by the opposing player. It speaks to how programs are run - how their athletes act when things go sideways. I am proud of how our boys kept their composure in that moment” said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy.

The Gaels would pull away late, with the 48-19 loss a tough way to end a strong season for the Wildcats. Despite the loss, the positives from the season are the building blocks for the future. “We are thankful to our seniors for their incredible contributions to the program, lifting it up and making it better for the next generation. We made young team mistakes today, and we can’t use that age as an excuse. Execution in the postseason matters and I am confident the sting of the loss will motivate these guys to go further next year” said Duffy.

Arizona concludes the year with an overall mark of 18-8, hosting a playoff match for the first time in seven seasons as the #3 seed in the West bracket.

Scoring vs St. Mary's

Tries: Andersson, Berenger, Langrish

Conversions: Gerstl- 2/3

Arizona vs St. Mary's

1- Isaac Morrill

2- Henry Langrish

3- Dalton Slaughter

4- Chris Grosse

5- Andreas Andersson

6- Jacob Jaffe

7- Tanner DeMassa - VC

8- Aiden Kemp