A whole other kind of sweet sixteen

As that annual sports bonanza — the tournament known as March Madness that is beloved to each and every hardcore sports fan out there — comes to a close, another national collegiate sports tournament is just getting started.

Complete with Sweet Sixteen and Final Four, this tournament is none other than the women's rugby championships — and Princeton has a chance to win the national title.

Princeton has established a solid pattern of excellence in women's rugby. The past three years running, the team has won the East Penn Rugby Union Championship. Since 1990, the Tigers have won no fewer than 13 ERPU championships. Additionally, the team won the Ivy League Championships in Rugby last year.

With a tradition to continue, the Tigers met James Madison March 25 to compete for a spot in the sweet sixteen and pulled out a win, 21-15. Since then, they have continued their tough, aggressive style of play, and are not looking to rest on their laurels.

The Tigers had the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (MARFU) regional finals this past weekend in Richmond, Va., where they placed fourth. To put this result in perspective, it is important to consider that MARFU is the strongest rugby region in the country, home to powerhouses Penn State, the University of Virginia, and Navy.

"Two years ago, all four of us won our brackets and made it to Final Four," senior co-captain and hooker Lizzie Harvey said. "Last year, Penn State, Princeton, and Navy made it to Final Four. So this weekend definitely gave us a good idea of the level of play we'll be seeing in Nationals."

The results from the weekend landed Princeton a No. 8 seed in the National Sweet Sixteen Tournament, where they will face the South's No. 1 seed — either UNC or UF — in the first round. But despite their prominence, the Tigers realize that they still have a lot to work on.

"We will not take anything for granted going into Sweet Sixteen down in Gainesville," Harvey said. "All the teams that qualify are very respectable, and undoubtedly, we will have to fight hard for each and every game."

As exciting as the prospect of the tournament is, the most exciting part for Harvey is getting her senior co-captain Gretchen Tonnesen back. Tonnesen tore her ACL in the fall and will be making her comeback during the tournament.

"Her presence on the field will be incredible — she brings so much experience and leadership," Harvey said. "She is such an offensive threat in the backs and a reliable tackler on defense."

Coupled with experienced players like Harvey and Tonnesen are some talented young prospects that look to maintain Princeton's rugby presence in the future. These talented underclassmen can be seen specifically in the backline, where six of the Tigers' seven players are freshmen or sophomores. In fact, one of the main leaders of this backline is sophomore Jackie Bello, who also happens to be a U.S. under-19 national player.

But however talented the youths of the Orange and Black may be, the majority of them lack game-time experience. Four of the six young backs just started playing rugby this season.

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"We just need to give them some experience," Harvey said. "And this weekend was perfect for that as we faced Penn State and Navy. We have a lot to work on, such as our defensive pattern, but are all very positive and are looking forward to improving."

The Tigers will defend their title in the Ivies at Yale this weekend.

"This will be great to try out new things and put some more games under the belts of our rookies," Harvey said. "The title will be hard to defend as Dartmouth and Radcliffe are also used to being Sweet Sixteen teams, but we are really looking forward to going up to Yale for an exciting weekend."

On the offensive side, freshman Chanel Coney is Princeton's leading try scorer this season. But despite their many individual talents, both young and old, the Tigers will have to play as one if they want to make it to the top.

"Our success depends so much on how we play as a team of 15," Harvey said. "We are not a team of individuals. What makes us so strong is how we play together. Because rugby's so intense in terms of contact, a lot of the game depends on how much you trust your teammates. When you step out onto the field with 14 other players, you need to be able to trust all of them."

Through teamwork and trust, and under a phenomenal coaching staff headed by Emil Signes, the Tigers hope to emerge victorious in both the Ivies and the Sweet Sixteen April 22 and 23. If Princeton succeeds in late April, they'll have a chance to advance to the national Final Four, to be held on May 6 and 7 at Stanford.