Despite the stress of not being able to find a coach this 7s season, overall morale going into Nationals is at an all-time high. This is the first 7s season where we have been getting 25-30 women out to practice, the first season we have had to make cuts for qualifiers and Nationals. Player-coaching would not be possible if it weren’t for the positive attitude and team culture we as a club have worked hard to cultivate. We have been at the heels of NOVA for that second place spot all Summer, after being rolled over in our first qualifier we lost to them by a last minute try the next two tournaments. After tying with them 17-17 at Schuylkill 7s we had a disappointing loss to NOVA 2 (whom NOVA themselves tied with that day) that knocked us out of the final. We are looking forward to traveling to Nationals with a well balanced mix of youth and experience.
- Kate Hallinan, Coach/Captain
Roster for the Club 7s National Championship:
- Batzer, Naomi
- Booker, Brittanie
- Bremner, Remy
- Cardone, Katie
- Chockley, Katie
- Hallinan, Kate
- Hileman, Whitney
- Markovich, Desiree
- Schwartz, Julia
- Thompson, Stacia
- Vetter, Kellie
- Wuerker, Taylor
- King, Heather (Traveling Alternate)
- Prendergast, Cait (Manager)
Meet the Players:
Naomi Batzer, Columbia University, Prop: This is Naomi’s 2nd Summer playing with PWRFC. The Philadelphia native’s hard running lines and dominance in contact has been a real asset to the club this Summer.
Brittanie Booker, PWRFC, Prop/Center: A former field hockey standout, Brittanie’s dedication to learning the game during her 1st 7s season has been amazing to watch. She is dynamic ball in hand and difficult to tackle. With three more weeks to fine tune her body positioning in contact she will be a real threat.
Remy Bremner, PWRFC (prev: Pittsburgh University), Hooker/Center: Since coming to PWRFC from Pittsburgh Remy has been a major asset to PWRFC in both 15s and 7s particularly when it comes to her try saving hits on defense and game knowledge. A rugby player since High School, this is Remy’s 2nd 7s season with PWRFC.
Katie Cardone, PWRFC (prev: St. Joe’s University, Northeast Irish), Scrumhalf: Katie “Midge” Cardone is one of our lead scorers this 7s season. Her field vision and decision making has been crucial to the success of our offense. This is her 1st 7s season with Philly.
Katie Chockley, PWRFC (prev: Yale University), Wing: This former member of the Yale track team is another lead try scorer with her speed on the wing. Her patience, hard work and leadership on defense has been the key to more than one win this season. This is her 3rd season with Philly.
Kate Hallinan, PWRFC (prev: Drexel University), Prop/Center: In her 9th season playing 7s for PWRFC, Kate “TK” Hallinan is one of the most experienced and versatile players on the Philly squad. This is her 2nd season serving as captain and 1st season coaching 7s. Utilizing her speed, powerful stiff arm, and field vision, she can effortlessly transition among multiple positions on the pitch. Her calm and positive leadership has been instrumental to the success and growth of both individual players and the team as a whole.
Whitney Hileman, PWRFC, Prop/Hooker: This former UNC rower has played for Philly 7s for 8 seasons and is one of our core players. Her leadership on and off the field has contributed to the success of the club and the development of our forward type players. Look for hard hits, hard runs and dominance at the point of contact.
Desiree Markovich, Pittsburgh, Hooker: This is by no means Dez’s first season of 7s but it is the experienced and dynamic player’s 1st season with Philly. Her willingness to attack on offense and her level headed leadership on the pitch have really contributed to the overall team play this season and we’re happy to have her.
Julia Schwartz, PWRFC (prev: Stade-Francais), Wing: Coming off an ankle injury, this is Julia’s 1st 7s season with Philly and her 1st 7s season in the USA. Look for speed, crisp cuts and a little bit of French flare from this winger.
Stacia Thompson, PWRFC (prev: Beantown), Center/Wing/Scrumhalf: This is the scrappy and versatile player’s 3rd 7s season with Philly. She is unrelenting on defense and hard to tackle on offense. Her drive on the pitch and physical leadership pushes the squad to keep up and give 100%
Kellie Vetter, PWRFC (prev: Penn State University), Prop/Hooker: Another team workhorse, Kellie make her presence known on the field on defense making some of the hardest hits. Her work rate has contributed to a lot of turnover ball and possession this season. This is Kellie’s 4th season with Philly.
Taylor Wuerker, PWRFC (prev: Swarthmore College) Flyhalf: Taylor is a triple threat at our first hand position by being dynamic ball in hand, having a great pass and an equally as accurate boot. She is often the glue that holds us together in the middle of the field, directing traffic and being our vocal leader on the field. Taylor also has served as alternative captain this year and been a major part of helping practices and tournament days run smoothly without a coach. This is Taylor’s 5th 7s season with Philly.
Heather King, PWRFC (prev: St. Joa’s University) Wing: Another scrappy and smart player, Heather should not be discounted should she get playing time at Nationals. Her work rate and footwork make her a machine on the field and with one more season under her belt she will be a real force for Philly 7s.