The Mavericks kicked off their first trip to the Division I National Championship Final Four weekend with a tough matchup against the UConn Huskies. Just minutes into the first half, the Mavs were facing a quick 17-0 deficit. The Mavs began their rally with quick offloads, solid support lines, heart and hustle. Zelly Moore was the first wing to get a breakthrough after a full team effort. A conversion by Courtney Hull closed the game to 17-7 at 23 minutes. Senior Liz Thoma was the next to bust through the line after some more quality team play. With the ball doing the work and this fast-paced match moving at a high paced environment, the gap between the teams was quickly closed and CMU was then on the positive. Rookie freshmen Elise Metzgar showed off her speed and shifty legs as she broke the line and touched down for her first points of the season. Hull would tack on another conversion to give the Mavs the lead at half 19-17. 
 
Second half was all CMU as they would go on a rampage outscoring UConn 31 to 5. Nallely Robles and Hull were in sync with support runs and positive yards on every carry. Playing with the idea of offloading, either off the deck or while being wrapped up, and playing with the idea of expecting those offloads, CMU kept the game moving and tested UConn's depth. Ryleigh Blatnik, Ellen Rickerd, Calry Scheck and Metzger were all threats as their speed and ball handling skills were tough for the Huskies to handle. Pelham Wagenseil and Thoma won the ball back with aggressive poaching and jackaling at the breakdown. CMU single handedly willed their way into the National Championship Matchup.
Final score 45-22 CMU

Trys:
Zelly Moore I
Liz Thoma I
Elise Metzger
Pelham Wagenseil
Penalty Try - Zelly Moore
Penalty Try - Liz Thoma
Conversion:
Courtney Hull I
Nallely Robles

Saturdays Championship matchup at American Legion Memorial Stadium, started out way too similar to Friday's semifinal matchup. The initial kickoff was dropped by CMU, and immediately they were put on the defensive. Less than 2 minutes in, CMU saw Northeastern touching down for the first try of the match. Then they were down 10-0 and then less than 15 minutes in. The second half did show a massive improvement on the scoreboard after the rest of the finishers entered the matchup for the Mavs, CMU only lost the second half 12-7. CMU was not able to dig out of the massive hole they put themselves in after the first half. Extending the second half into extra minutes and putting up a penalty try late in the match. The heart and hustle never lagged, and the Mavs fought until the end.  
 
Alas, CMUs Cinderella story came to an end. After ending their first regular season a top the Rocky Mountain Division I conference with a 5-1 record, Northeastern went on to win the DI Championship 48-7. Look for the Mavs to get another crack at Northeastern in the spring 7s National Championship in May.
 
Final score 48-7

Penalty Try - Asha Downing