ELKHART, IN - After being pushed to the edge of elimination against Greenwich (CT) on Thursday, the Wildcats came into Friday's National Semifinal with the understanding that they had to improve in each category of their game if they wanted to return to the National Championship.
The Wildcats would face La Salette (IL), a team that earned a 28-23 victory in the quarterfinal against Sacramento Jesuit (CA). The Wildcats came onto the pitch with a sense of urgency, immediately working the ball into Lions territory.
Sophomore
Grayson Halkiadakis started at the three and made an impact immediately, with constant hard hits pushing the possession forward for the Cats. Senior
Gavin Vollmer scored first on the outside within the first five minutes of the match and led the Lions 7-0 with a Hank McGowan conversion.
On Thursday, the Cats struggled near the try zone, spoiling multiple scoring opportunities, but in the semifinal match, the Wildcats made it known right away that they were capitalizing by the try zone. At the 15-minute mark, junior Sam Leopold punched in another Wildcat score; the conversion was good, and the Wildcats held a 12-0 lead.
At the 25-minute mark of the first half, the Lions had a lineout in Wildcats territory, but Raf Gabrovsek made a fantastic play on the ball and stole the possession. Moments later,
Mark French placed a perfect pass in the hands of Gabrovsek, where he would run about 50 yards for a try. This time, the conversion was no good, making it 19-0 in favor of the Cats.
With the half-time clock expiring, La Salatte would break away from the Wildcat defense with a try. The conversion was no good, and the Wildcats led 19-5 at the break.
The defenses for both sides were strong 16 minutes into the second half as the Lions looked to claw back into the game, but the Wildcats continued to overpower with their physicality. Junior Charlie Banaszak would cut through the Lions' defense, and McGowan would nail the conversion to make it 26-5.
"Coach [Tim] Brofman '07 told us we had to fix our 'Code Blue,' instead of going straight down, we had to run through the defender," explains Banaszak. "Everybody today played hard, and our defense was amazing. I'm proud of the guys."
The Lions answered just two minutes later, finding an opening on the outside, and after a successful conversion, they cut the Wildcats' lead to 26-12.
With four minutes remaining in the match, senior Bobby Rosol would ice the game with a try to make it 31-12. With time expiring, McGowan would do the honors of sending the ball out of play, and the Wildcats punched their ticket back to the National Championship.
For the fourth time in program history, the Saint Ignatius Rugby Cats will play in the National Championship. They will take on the Herriman (UT) Mustangs on Saturday, May 24 at 4:20 p.m. on the Blue Field at Moose Rugby Grounds.
The Wildcats have made it to the National Championship in 2021, 2022, 2024, and now 2025. They won their first and only National Title in 2022, defeating the Gonzaga (DC) Eagles. Last season, the Wildcats fell to Gonzgaga 42-25 in the Championship game.
In the National Semifinal in 2024, the Wildcats faced Herriman, where they would go on to defeat the Mustangs 18-10.
Gallery: (5-23-2025) National Rugby Semifinal '25
