LSU and Notre Dame won their respective matches to set up the Challenger final.

LSU's Cody Cadella stiff arms in a previous match. (Photo Steve Mitchell)

LSU and North Carolina went head to head in the first Challenger semifinal of the 2011 CRC. It was a relatively one-sided match, with LSU putting up 24 points to UNC’s 7.

LSU’s Allen Allongi owned the first half, scoring all of the Tiger’s points with two tries and one conversion. His first try came early in the first half off a breakaway and he missed the conversion, but soon after pounced on a loose ball close to the Tar Heels line and dove over for his second try, which he successfully converted.

LSU kept up their impressive play in the second half when Mike Bordes crossed for a try and Allongi slotted the conversion, making it 19-0 to the Tigers.

North Carolina came back right off the kickoff and scored after some great passing and interplay. Gregor Maclennan made the conversion to cut into LSU’s lead, 19-7.

LSU put the game away when Jeff Levasseur scored an unconverted try to slam the door shut.

“It feels great and it has been a challenge,” LSU’s head coach Julie McCoy said. “We’ve been trying to take it one game at a time. I am so proud of this team for scratching and clawing their way back into something that’s meaningful. We weren’t dejected; we just set new goals for ourselves.”

Sizing up the Challenger bracket of the USA 7s CRC, Notre Dame looked to be the best team not participating in the Cup division. Navy did its best to prove critics wrong, but the Irish held onto the 12-10 semifinal win for a spot in the final against LSU.

Notre Dame can sidestep and work an overload as well as anyone in the field, but Navy's size advantage disrupted the Irish's flow somewhat. Not enough, however, to deter Tyler Plantz from going about 65 meters and 5-0 lead.

Navy answered when Matt Bova stutter stepped around Bobby Manfreda and sprinted to the try line for a 5-5 score at halftime.

Notre Dame scored the next try through Sean Mitchell, which was converted to give the Irish a 12-5 lead.

Navy came very close to tying the match up when Seamus Siefring bulled over from a quick tap, but Carid Scovill missed the conversion with no time left.