Pittsburgh, PA - Two motivators were at work during the Women's Collegiate All Star Championship's final day. In the Tier 2 consolation match, the Mid-Atlantic and Southern California played for pride, eager to exit the weekend with a win; while the South and Pacific Coast fought each for the invitation to Tier 1 play in 2012.

MARFU's Cavanaugh initiated today's scoring (Marvin Dangerfield)

The South missed Katie Lorenz, who sprained her ankle Friday.

The Tier 2 final necessitated overtime before a victor could be named, and it was the South that broke the stalemate, running in one extra try for the 20-15 win over the Pacific Coast. It was a fitting end for the South, whose 17-12 semifinal win over the Mid-Atlantic evolved in the final minutes of the game, thanks to a Kimber Rozier converted try. The Grizzlies had an easier route to today's game, having shut out SoCal 41-0 in the opening round.

The South didn't want to play catch-up in the final and ran out to a 10-0 lead thanks to tries from Melissa Ritt and Jessica Peterson. Outside center Hannah Carey and flyhalf Hannah Lockwood pulled the Grizzlies back into contention, evening the score with five-pointers apiece.

Tied at 10-all, South wing Maddy Clark reinstated her team's five-point lead for the Panthers' third try of the day. But the Grizzlies worked to the buzzer and were rewarded with a final try from Lockwood, who dotted down for the third time this weekend.

The South would reign in the end, however, as inside center Peterson repeated her first-half efforts with a final try, 20-15 win and invitation to next year's Tier 1 competition. During the 10 years the women's NASCs have been contested, the South has never competed in the top tier, so this weekend's performance was particularly significant for the Panthers' program.

The Mid-Atlantic, however, is fairly familiar with Tier 1 play but will have to wait another year before it can mount a campaign to return. The Sharks were able, however, to salvage some redemption today after its 37-15 win over Southern California.

Like its semifinal opponent, MARFU was in no mood to play from a deficit and ran in three tries during the first half. Wing Erica Cavanaugh (Virginia), wing Gabrielle Dixon (Longwood) and outside center Monique Compito (Virginia Tech) accounted for the five-pointers while West Chester's Megan Lamm hit the conversion, 17-0.

The point margin established in the first half was all MARFU needed for the win, but the Sharks continued to lay it on thick in the second stanza, sending Ashley Lee across the tryline, as well as Dixon and Compito for their second scores of the game. To SoCal's credit, the team never gave up and responded with back-to-back tries from Kristyn Foster (Arizona State) and Evelyn Ashenbrucker (UC San Diego), 30-10.

The teams traded tries to round out the scoring, with MARFU's Cheryl Johnson (West Chester) and SoCal outside center Foster dotting down again, 37-15.

In 2012, the West will be relegated to Tier 2 competition, while the South will be promoted to Tier 1.

Stay tuned for player and coach reactions to the weekend.

The England Saxons booked their place in the Churchill Cup final against Canada by destroying the Tonga pack in the Kingsholm rain and winning 41-14.

Stuart Lancaster’s side were awarded a hat-trick of penalty tries, as a Jordan Crane-inspired forward effort took Tonga apart and resulted in the captain himself and Billy Twelvetrees also getting on the scoresheet.

The win also sets up a repeat of last year’s final against the Canadians, which the Saxons England won 38-18, and Saxons Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: “I thought our scrummaging was outstanding. We gave a couple of kgs away per man but technically we were better. If you’d have said at the start of the game that we were going to win 41-14 I would have taken that. Our objective was to reach the final and now we want to win it – last year Canada gave us a real hard game and I am sure it will be the same this time.”

Tonga will now play Italy A or Russia in the Plate final and their coach Isitolo Maka said: “It was a very tough match. I am very disappointed with the penalty tries. Without them we would have been in the game.”

The Saxons broke through after just 11 minutes when referee Roman Poite lost patience with the collapsing Tongan scrum and awarded a penalty try which Rory Clegg converted.

And four minutes later they were 14-0 up when Crane picked up and drove over to give Clegg another two points.

Tonga struggled to make any inroads into the Saxons 22 with their only good run coming from centre Suka Hufanga but the move broke down.

The Saxons pack were in the ascendency as they sent the Tongan scrum upwards and backwards and Poite headed to the posts for another penalty try.

Right on halftime Clegg made it 24-0 with a penalty and the Saxons continued to turn the screw early in the second half when the fly half landed another.

However, Tonga refused to throw in the towel and they were rewarded for their endeavor to take the lineout rather than penalty kick when captain Kisi Pulu took the ball at the back and when the ball was recycled Scarlets bound- Sione Timani drove over.

But it was small respite as the Saxons forwards overpowered their opponents in another scrum and Poite awarded a hat-trick of penalty tries in the 63^rd minute and Ofa Fainga'anuku was yellow carded for his sins.

Mike Brown made an impact when he came on and made a midfield break before Crane showed some deft footwork with a grubberkick for Twelvetrees to gather and score.

That was the end of Twelvetrees’s involvement as he was sent to the sin bin and Pepa Kolomotangi scored a consolation try when he picked up and drove over.

England Saxons 41
Tries: pen try (3); Crane, Twelvetrees
Convs: Clegg (5)   
Pens: Clegg (2)

A Goode (M Brown 55); C Sharples, H Trinder (J Turner-Hall 58), B Twelvetrees, T Ojo; R Clegg, P Hodgson (M Young 63); M Mullan (K Brookes 63), D Paice (J Gray 55), M Stevens, M Botha, D Attwood, J Gaskell (G Kitchener 69), T Johnson (J Gibson 72) J Crane (capt).

Yellow cards: Twelvetrees 73

Tonga 14
Tries: Timani, Kolomotangi
Convs: Morath (2).

E Paea; V Helu, S Hufanga, S Fonua, V Iongi; K Morath, D Morath (S Havea 55); T Lea'aetoa (O Fainga'anuku 55), S Telefoni (A Halangahu 58), K Polu (capt), S Timani (T Ula 63) E Kauhenga (P Hehea 47), J Afu, P Koloamatangi, P Mapakaitolo (Lea'aetoa 62). Reps (not used): M  Malupo, S Taumoepeau.

Yellow card: O Fainga'anuku 62-72

Referee: R Poite (French)

Att: 5357