Tour Report: NY7s 2001: UNC Runs to Championship

by Rob Leichner

UNC played hard after a ten hour car ride and some hard rain to win the championship at the New York Sevens Tournament, the biggest sevens tourney in the country. The tournament took place over Thanksgiving break on November 24, but UNC was still represented with a great team of current and former players. The Tar Heels came out with something to prove after losing a close final to Colorado State the previous year.

In round robin play, UNC drew Central Connecticut and South Connecticut I. Experience, leadership and athletic talent led the Heels to convincing victories over both. In the first game, UNC defeated Central Connecticut 36-0 using strong open field running and a pick-and-go offense which kept Central Connecticut on its heels. In the second game, UNC yielded its first points of the tournament, winning 31-7 over South Connecticut I.

Upon advancing from pool play, the Heels played South Connecticut II in the tournament semifinals. They got down early, with South Connecticut putting two early tries on the board. A UNC try closed the deficit, but South Connecticut had a two-try lead at the half. The second half was played fairly evenly, with UNC scoring and South Connecticut responding to lead most of the game. A Mike Baker try with about 30 seconds left brought UNC to within 1 point. On the ensuing kickoff, captain Dave Cook floated a kick just over 10 meters from midfield, and Rob "The Gov" Leichner jumped over a South Connecticut player to retain possession and draw a penalty. Off the penalty, Rob Squires made good ground, and passed off to Steve "Schlong Island" Buechner who broke two tackles to touch it down under the posts. Cook made the conversion as time expired, and UNC advanced to the final with a 28-22 victory.

In the final, the Heels drew a tough team from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Edinburgh featured the legendary Ben Lewis, who played for UNC while abroad here last year. The first half started slowly, with few breakaway runs and even fewer tries. Quality defense set the tone for the game early, and UNC held a narrow lead heading into the second half. In the second half the UNC attack took over, as Derek Cool, Cook, and many other Heels contributed tries. The game ended as a 34-0 shutout for UNC, and they were New York Sevens champions.

Collegiate MVP: David Cook
Tar Heel Man of the Tournament (as determined by Cook): Derek Cool

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Created Jan 03, 2006. 12:00 pm
Modified Jan 03, 2006. 12:00 pm