Take a look at your stat leaders below!
NOVA returned to Division One in the Mid Atlantic after a two-year hiatus. NOVA's Division Three side entered its sophomore year and looked to make a dent in the competition.
D1 started the season with a win verse cross river foes PAC. Washington DC rugby has had many rivalries over the years, but none greater than NOVA vs PAC! Entering the D1 competition verse your rival and coming away with a last-minute win was a great way to start the season!
NOVA then went cold in the next two matches, dropping two games, one being at home verse eventual division winners Rocky Gorge. No to be deterred, NOVA came back strong and won its next three matches including a team out of PA that NOVA would see again in the first round of the playoffs.
The last match of Fall saw NOVA traveling to Pittsburgh and losing by a conversion in a hard-hitting match. Headed into the winter break, NOVA D1 controlled their destiny to be the top seed in D1 South. Three matches in the spring meant NOVA could be top seed, second seed, or miss the playoffs all together.
After a long winter that included winter workouts and multiple NOVA players representing the region on the select side, NOVA went 2-1 in the spring which meant NOVA would be the number one seed in the playoffs!
NOVA hosted the first round of the playoffs at Gravelly Point, Washington DC Rugby premier rugby pitch, ha!, but home to NOVA for decades. It was a solid win for NOVA at home in the semis for the D1 MAC.
D1 season then came to an end at the MAC Championship where NOVA jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but couldn't finish the game with a win.
To sum it up: some said NOVA should stay in D2, some said if NOVA goes .500 in D1 they would be surprised, some said NOVA maybe has a chance to make playoffs... Guess what, NOVA was number one seed in their division, above .500, and made it to the Sweet 16 in the Nation! NOVA is here to stay!
NOVA D3 had a night and day situation when it came to our first season and our second season. The first season of entering two sides in any competition is tough, as it was for NOVA. After an inaugural season of big beats, NOVA D3 came out swinging in year two.
It was a checker board of red and green as NOVA D3 traded the red L and the green W each week going 5-5 on the season. D3 had some big wins, big shutouts, and some narrow losses. The best part of the D3 team is the continuity and culture the team developed this year, it's an exciting time to be a part of NOVA and the D3 represented the crest with pride and showed all what it is to be a part of NOVA!
Team Stat Leaders*
*our playoff match stats have not been uploaded yet