The Keelhaulers (11-4) will take on Salve Regina of Rhode Island in the championship game at noon Pacific time on Sunday. Salve Regina beat Franciscan of Steubenville Ohio 29-20 in the other semifinal.
CMA was down by three scores at 26-10 with about
3 minutes to go before coming back. Will Fitzpatrick helped bring the team back by slotting two "very difficult" kicks from the corner, coach Steven Hiatt said.
Hiatt said the thin air in Colorado made it tough on both teams.
"We used our entire bench," Hiatt said. "We showed a lot of heart out there. It was a total team effort."
Phillip Maksim, Alex Osiadacz, Lonnie Shankling, Dane Devogelaere and Larez Pinder each had tries for CMA.
Because Cal Maritime was up by five points, North Florida was forced to go for the try and not a kick.
"That really changed the dynamic," he said.
Hiatt said about 65 family members attended the national championship tournament and after the game, the graduating seniors were given their diplomas. In Vallejo, Cal Maritime was holding its own graduation ceremonies.
There will be live streaming of the games at nscro.org and both live and on demand at usarugby.org.
