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| Recap, photo courtesy of Vassar |
Portsmouth, RI
Saturday & Sunday April 14 & 15, 2018
Vassar Women at The Beast of the East Tournament
The Beast of the East Collegiate Rugby Tournament is big, really big! In fact, this year there were 63 teams competing in 6 divisions over two days, on 6 rugby fields with a total of 136 games played in Portsmouth, RI. Each game is two 20 minute halves and in order to be successful it takes a squad effort.
The Vassar Women traveled with 32 players, the Vassar Men had 23 and both would have a good first day. The women, playing in the Division I bracket, were up against 5 other teams and on Saturday Vassar faced Boston College Women and Buffalo State Women in their group play. On the other side of the draw were the University of Connecticut Huskies, UMass., Amherst and Bishops University from Quebec, Canada.
The Vassar Men competed against Central Connecticut State University Men and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Men in group play. There being 20 teams in this bracket the quarterfinalists would be the top 8 teams based on results and points difference.
Saturday April 14, 2018
Vassar College Women 36 v 0 Boston College Women
Tries: Oshana Reich (3), Jennie To (1), Michelle Urrutia (1), Penalty Try (1).
Cons: Makena Emery (3).
Division 1 Boston College Women and Vassar College Women took the field with temperatures in
the 70s and glorious sunshine. It was a classic April spring day, but it was Vassar that turned up the heat, early and often. The Brewers tore into the Eagles and never allowed them to settle into any type of rhythm.
The first half was the Oshana Reich show, as she picked up a hat-trick of tries. In fact, the Vassar backrow of Amanda Saich, Sarah Mawhinney, and Reich, dominated the breakdown. The Vassar forwards were able to generate fastball and the Boston defense had no time to set up. The halftime stats were lopsided in Vassar's favor both in terms of territory and possession.
Jennie To and Makena Emery, at halfback, were able to launch the back division which consistently got over the gain line. It was simple rugby at its best.
Such was the dominance of the starting lineup that Vassar was able to introduce underclassmen and the team did not skip a beat. Aislinn Vinces-Dimas looked comfortable at 10 and is a good distributor of the ball; in the front row Yume Murphy, Kaira Smith, and Catherine Gladstone continued to drive back the BC scrum; while Dylan Joyner, back from injury, had a good run and made a tackle.
At the half it was 24-0 and Vassar added two more tries with the latter being a penalty try which summed up the day for Boston College.
Team: 15 Michelle Urrutia, 14 Abby Alexander, 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston, 12 Molly Lynch, 11 Andrea Ramsay, 10 Makena Emery, 9 Jennie To, 1 Sabrina Perry, 2 Charlotte Benoit, 3 Megan Martin, 4 Megan de Koning, 5 Claire Fondrie-Teitler, 6 Sarah Mawhinney, 7 Oshana Reich, 8 Amanda Saich. Subs: Dylan Joyner for Andrea Ramsay, Yume Murphy for Sabrina Perry, Kaira Smith for Charlotte Benoit, Catherine Gladstone for Megan Martin, Aislinn Vinces-Dimas for Makena Emery, Nyala Jackson for Megan de Koning.
Vassar College Women 25 v 7 Buffalo State University Women
Tries: Michelle Urrutia (1), Yuming Ren (1), Molly Lynch (1), Megan Martin (1), Oshana Reich (1).
The Brewers faced the ever abrasive Buffalo State University Women in their second group game of the day and much like their fall playoff encounter there was no love lost between the players. Back in November, Vassar dominated 49-12 in the quarterfinal of the National Division II Championship, but the upstate school probably fancied their chances in a shortened tournament. The Vassar pack would have none of it!! They immediately went to work with their picking game and consistently got over the gain line.
Having sucked in the Buffalo State defense and driven to one touch line, Vassar swung the ball out wide and the first score came when Michelle Urrutia went over. A second try around the fringes of the ruck sent a clear message to the Buffalo State defense that they needed to defend that area. The defenders were getting increasingly frustrated as Vassar monopolized possession. It was a battle, but the Brewers were winning the engagements. Kudos to Buffalo State for making tackle after tackle.
The third Vassar try came when freshman Molly Lynch sliced through the middle having been set up by Makena Emery. So, Buffalo had been scored on out wide, in close around the fringes, and then straight up the middle of their backs. Vassar led 15-0 at the half and really had not been seriously threatened.
The second half saw a further two tries from Vassar, with one Buffalo State retort sandwiched in between them. It was good to see freshman Megan Martin take her captain's advice and reach for the line rather than place the ball back—net result: a try! Another freshman who got some A-side experience was Kira Nolan who relieved Vassar's Jennie To and looked at ease running the show at scrumhalf.
The Vassar women finished Saturday 2-0 and their semi-final opponent would be Bishop's University from Quebec, Canada on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 2:00 pm.
Team: 15 Michelle Urrutia, 14 Abby Alexander, 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston, 12 Molly Lynch, 11 Andrea Ramsay, 10 Makena Emery, 9 Jennie To, 1 Catherine Gladstone, 2 Charlotte Benoit, 3 Megan Martin, 4 Yuming Ren, 5 Claire Fondrie-Teitler, 6 Sarah Mawhinney, 7 Oshana Reich, 8 Amanda Saich. Subs: Halle Hutchinson for Michelle Urrutia, Kira Nolan for Jennie To, Emma Manzella for Alicia Menard-Livingston, Megan de Koning for Claire Fondrie-Teitler.
Semifinal
Vassar College Women 31 v 10 Bishop's University Women
Tries: Megan Martin (1), Oshana Reich (2), Makena Emery (1), Abby Alexander (1).
Cons: Makena Emery (3).
In the first half, Vassar set out its stall and the picking game was successful. The Bishop's players were constantly on the back foot and taking a physical beating. Megan Martin and Oshana Reich of the Vassar forwards scored tries and it seemed as if Vassar would maintain their control. But, credit to Bishop's as they managed to get right back into the match.
Two unconverted tries made it 10-10 at the half and Vassar was definitely guilty of unforced errors and poor tackling.
Flanker Oshana Reich was the beneficiary of a big double tackle by Amanda Saich and Makena Emery that allowed the Vassar flanker to rip the ball as the Bishop's ball carrier was being unceremoniously driven up and back from whence she came. Reich plunged over the line and Vassar's confidence was completely restored. 17-10 soon became 24-10 when the elusive Makena Emery sliced through, in confined quarters, and the result was no longer in doubt.
Vassar wing Abby Alexander, secretly living her dream of being a forward, picked from a ruck going right through the middle and sprinted a full 55 yards to score under the posts. If anyone had any doubts as to which team was superior, they were now fully informed.
Vassar advanced to the championship game where they would face the University of Connecticut Women for the second successive year. UCONN had defeated BC in the other semifinal, winning 41-0.
Team: 15 Halle Hutchinson, 14 Abby Alexander, 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston, 12 Molly Lynch, 11 Andrea Ramsay, 10 Makena Emery, 9 Jennie To, 1 Sabrina Perry, 2 Charlotte Benoit, 3 Megan Martin, 4 Megan de Koning, 5 Claire Fondrie-Teitler, 6 Sarah Mawhinney, 7 Oshana Reich, 8 Amanda Saich. Subs: Catherine Gladstone for Sabrina Perry, Emma Manzella for Alicia Menard-Livingston, Amy Hansen for Megan de Koning, Michelle Urrutia for Andrea Ramsay.
Final
Vassar College Women 15 v 12 University of Connecticut Women
(12-12 after 2 OT) (Kick-off)
Tries: Andrea Ramsay (1), Oshana Reich (1).
Cons: Makena Emery (1).
Pens: Makena Emery (1)* Tie-breaker kick-off.
The Vassar Women have entered the Beast of the East Tournament 12 times over the last 22 years and have been in the final every single time! Their record prior to today was 7 wins and 4 losses. Last year, they defeated UCONN 15-7, but on this occasion, they fell behind to two scores and found themselves 12 points adrift!
UCONN, a Division I program, looked very comfortable confronting the Vassar picking game and were able to draw penalties at the breakdown. This allowed them to kick for territory and in fact, a majority of the first half was played in the Vassar end. Interestingly, with a much bigger pack, the Huskies were held multiple times close to the goal line, but when they did swing the ball wide they looked dangerous at times.
UCONN's first try was after a sustained period of pressure and although they took the lead the Vassar defense had been particularly stingy. The second score was when they swung the ball wide to their right wing and tackles were missed. At that point in the first half, one might have been forgiven for thinking that the writing was on the wall for the Brewers. It looked like their 12th Beast of the East final would finish as their fifth loss.
But a number of key factors contributed to a massive comeback. First Vassar did not lose faith in their picking game and second their defensive display was undoubtedly the best of the last few years. Of particular note was the quality and nature of the tackles. Time and time and time again the UCONN ball carriers were picked up and driven straight back. There were so many tackles deserving of a highlight reel.
Right at the end of the first half, trailing 12-0, Vassar wing Andrea Ramsay was put over when the ball was swung wide to fullback Michelle Urrutia. The forwards had once again done the yeoman work and the UCONN defense was narrow. It was a beautiful try and credit is due to Urrutia for offloading to Ramsay.
It was just the tonic that Vassar needed as they entered the second period. The large UCONN pack had put Vassar under a great deal of set piece pressure, but for the most part Amanda Saich and Jennie To had managed to deal with the less than perfect ball.
The cold weather and wind probably hampered UCONN more so than it did Vassar as the former tried to string more passes together in their back division.
The final was turning into a real classic. Two evenly matched teams, two heavy weights slugging it out and there was nothing to choose between them. Each team when they got possession would march down the field and yet be held at bay at some point.
Without close review of the video, it is difficult to single out any one Vassar player. It has to be said that every Vassar player was involved in some big positive, i.e. knock 'em back, tackles. The defensive effort allowed Vassar to regain possession and they marched down the field, down by a single score, picking toward the right wing. Eventually, the Vassar forwards got close and it was Oshana Reich who plunged over between the posts and an almighty roar came from the sidelines. Makena Emery slotted the conversion and it was all tied at 12-12.
The final minutes of regulation time saw UCONN drive up over the halfway line being constantly halted with the big tackling Vassar defense. Time expired and the teams went to sudden death (first score) five-minutes overtime. Again, it was the same plot. Vassar battering their way forward, only to be held by UCONN and then the Huskies replying in like fashion. A second five-minute overtime left the team still tied and really that would have been a fair result. But, the tournament format called for a winner so the team's kickers would determine the outcome.
Vassar flyhalf Makena Emery, cool as a cucumber, stepped up and struck the ball between the posts. Up next was the UCONN kicker. Just as she went to strike the ball, she slipped and the kick drifted wide to the right. It was a cruel result for the Huskies, but the Brewers players and supporters invaded the field and mobbed Emery! A final score of 15-12 after two overtime periods and two days of rugby earned Vassar women a second successive Beast of the East Division I Championship. It was a dramatic finale and one that will be long remembered by all who played and who were present.
One cannot say enough about the defensive effort of the Vassar players. Critically, they showed they could play rugby without the ball and it paid dividends. Congratulations to all, thanks are due to parents, friends, and supporters who braved the bitter cold conditions and hats off to the Vassar captains, Amanda Saich, Alicia Menard-Livingston, and Claire Fondrie-Teitler, for their leadership and commitment.
Team: 15 Michelle Urrutia, 14 Abby Alexander, 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston, 12 Molly Lynch, 11 Andrea Ramsay, 10 Makena Emery, 9 Jennie To, 1 Catherine Gladstone, 2 Charlotte Benoit, 3 Megan Martin, 4 Megan de Koning, 5 Claire Fondrie-Teitler, 6 Sarah Mawhinney, 7 Oshana Reich, 8 Amanda Saich. Subs: Sabrina Perry for Catherine Gladstone, Halle Hutchinson for Michelle Urrutia.
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