UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION
March 2007
2007 USQRA Heartland Sectionals
The 2007 United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA) Heartland Sectionals came to Birmingham, Alabama and the Lakeshore Foundation, March 9-11. Eight teams squared off with hopes of qualifying for the USQRA National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. The recent development of the Midwestern teams made for a strong set up for the tournament. Teams from Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky/Tennessee, Indiana, Mississippi and Alabama were prepared for the battle at hand.
As the weekend unfolded, it would be the Lakeshore Demolition that would take home its 12th Heartland Sectional title and along with the Chicago Bears would qualify to play in Division I at the national championship tournament. As well, the Michigan Storm finished in third place to snap up one berth to play in Division II and the upstart Lakeshore Destruction finished in fourth place to earn the other Division II slot.
In an unprecedented move, Lakeshore Foundation entered two teams into this year’s Sectionals. Called the Destruction, this second team consists mostly of athletes who have five years or less of experience playing wheelchair rugby.
“This is a great opportunity for us to have two teams at the national championship tournament,” said Lakeshore head coach Kevin Orr. “Now we have the chance to win two titles in one year and that is really neat.”
Following an intense day and a half of pool play, the Demolition and the Destruction were set to square off in one semifinal and the Bears and the Storm faced off in the other.
While the hometown crowd was excited about the showdown between the Demolition and the Destruction, the game turned out to be a heavily one-sided affair with the Demolition coming out on top, 55-34. Dan Buckingham led the way for the Demolition with 19 goals and Joel Wilmoth was the top scorer for the Destruction with 16 goals.
While the face-off between the Demolition and the Destruction was a treat for the fans in Birmingham, the game of the day was played between the Bears and the Storm in the other semifinal game.
This contest was close from start to finish, with both the second and third quarters ending with tie scores. The final frame began with the score knotted at 38 and the Bears getting the ball first. Chicago’s Brian Muniz punched the ball across the line to start the fourth quarter, giving the Bears the slim 39-38 lead, and the teams proceeded to trade goals for the majority of the next five minutes.
Fabian Lavoie scored another one of his game-leading 34 goals with about three minutes remaining for a 46-45 Chicago lead. Michigan turned the ball right back over to the Bears on the next possession and Lavoie scored again giving Chicago a little breathing room and a 2-goal lead with less than three minutes to go. With the clock running down and Chicago tightening the screws defensively, the Storm was not able to recover, losing 51-49 to the Bears.
“It’s going to be fun against Lakeshore in the championship game,” said Chicago’s Nick Fonner. “No matter what happens, I really can’t complain. Last year we played in Division II and finished thirteenth. This year, we’re at least in the top eight and we have the opportunity to play in Division I.”
The Demolition had dominated its competition all weekend long and the championship game would be no different. Lakeshore had taken a 2-goal lead about three minutes into the first quarter. Then, an over-and-back call on Muniz gave the Demolition the ball and an ensuing goal by Willard Brooks put Lakeshore up by three.
Chicago entered the second quarter trailing by four, but a series of mistakes and turnovers put Lakeshore squarely in control of the game. The Demolition took a 26-19 lead into halftime and Chicago was never able to get back into contention. Led by Buckingham with 25 goals, Lakeshore went on to the 55-37 win and the 2007 USQRA Heartland Sectional title.
“We’ve played in fewer tournaments this year, so Sectionals was really our opportunity to get out on the court and play some games to see where we’re at this point in the season,” said Lakeshore’s Bryan Kirkland. “This weekend sets a great tone for us heading into nationals knowing where we’re at with our intensity, level of play and conditioning.”
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