By Tony Brown
Head Coach

AMHERST, MA (October 27, 2007) -- The top four women's collegiate teams in New England competed for the NERFU Championship on this day when most New Englanders were probably curled up on their sofas watching college football with a cup of hot soup for comfort. It wasn't quite the perfect storm but it was downright miserable. Dark grey gloomy skies, pouring rain, and soggy rugby fields were not the conditions that anyone wanted. These games would determine the seeding for the teams advancing to the Northeast quarter-finals next weekend and while a title was on the line, all four teams could meet up again in two weeks at the NRU Final 4.

Vassar College Women 0 v Army Women 17

Vassar started well and forced the cadets back deep in to their own half. The Army forwards tended to leave their feet at the breakdown and if Vassar didn't win the ball then they earned a penalty.

The rain relented somewhat but the ball was still very difficult to hold and the surface was treacherous. It was a real slugfest as both sets of forwards battled for supremacy. The scrums were about even although Vassar was caught off-guard at the base as the ball shot out quickly a few times.

Territorially Vassar held an edge in the first half. The Brewers were able to pressure what ball Army got and succeeded in moving the ball after a couple of phases but they failed to penetrate. There was just one score in first half when the cadets went left at a scrum center field. A missed tackle and then another saw Army take a 5-0 lead. It remained 5-0 until midway through the second half when Army forced a lineout near the Vassar try line. A simple front peel made it 10-0. A missed assignment and the mistake was punished. It didn't really reflect the run of play but the cadets had taken their chances whereas Vassar hadn't been able to breach the defense.

A late try, following a wayward clearance kick, gave Army a comfortable margin that perhaps flattered them somewhat. Vassar never gave up and forced their way deep in to Army territory prior to the final whistle but they had nothing to show for their efforts.

Team: 15 Lorraine DeGraffenreidt 14 Alex Thom 13 Morandi Hurst 12 Alex Milne 11 Julia Nissen 10 Elise Okusami 9 Keri Peacock 1 Becca Marcus 2 Alana Melton 3 Susannah White 4 Amielle Major 5 Meredith Kendall 6 Michelle Labas 7 Dani Goodman-Levy 8 Keke Hopson. Subs: Andrea Listenberger for Becca Marcus.

Brown University Women defeated UMass Women 12-5 in the other 12 o'clock game setting up the final and third and fourth place games. Brown v Army and Vassar v UMass.

Vassar College Women 19 v UMass Women 5
Tries: Alex Milne (1), Dani Goodman-Levy (1), Susannah White (1).
Cons: Alex Milne (2).

The stakes were high in the third and fourth place playoff as the winner would secure a home game for the NRU quarterfinal. Vassar had defeated UMass two weeks ago but this was a full strength team they faced today. It was a very stop-start affair with a couple of injuries requiring the EMTs services that took considerable time off the clock. UMass players required attention. Vassar did manage to get some continuity and it led to a good score from Alex Milne who went over under the posts. She converted her own try and it was 7-0 to the Brewers. But UMass showed that they too wanted a home match and after a long re-start was poorly dealt with, and then the Vassar line not cleared when Alana Melton took a strike against the head, UMass pounced and scored. It was now 7-5 and game on.

In both of the games today Vassar captain Elise Okusami played with courage and conviction. She was nursing some bruised ribs but battled throughout. Her performance was exemplary and the team took inspiration from her efforts.

The Vassar forwards were having a torrid day in the loose. They struggled to win clean ruck ball but when the team turned around for the second half Vassar had a strong wind at their backs. Alex Milne thumped a long kick that rolled in-goal, but it was knocked-on. UMass were now trapped on their own line. Vassar pounded away and was held up a number of times but eventually the defense broke and Dani Goodman-Levy scored. Milne's kick made it 14-5 but the die was cast. Vassar established field position and UMass were unable to kick or run their way out. The Vassar forwards again kept knocking on the door and eventually Susannah White dived over and the win was secured.

Vassar has earned the NRU #3 seed and will host the #6 NRU seed next Saturday (see below for details.)

Team: 15 Lorraine DeGraffenreidt 14 Alex Thom 13 Morandi Hurst 12 Alex Milne 11 Tessa Solomon-Lane 10 Elise Okusami 9 Keri Peacock 1 Andrea Listenberger 2 Alana Melton 3 Susannah White 4 Amielle Major 5 Meredith Kendall 6 Michelle Labas 7 Dani Goodman-Levy 8 Keke Hopson.

2007-08 Record: 7-2-0

Next week: Saturday, November 3, 2007 Northeast Rugby Union (NRU) quarterfinal at Vassar.

NERFU
In the playoffs for the two other NERFU quarterfinal slots the results were as follows:

Northeastern 7 v Dartmouth 5
Yale 10 v Providence 0
Northeastern 21 v Yale 0 (both Northeastern & Yale advance to the NRU quarterfinals as NERFU 5 & 6 (NRU 6 & 7).

NRU Quarterfinals
So the Northeast playoff picture in the Women's Collegiate Division I bracket is now set.

Saturday November 3, 2008
(The higher seed is the home team)
Saturday November 3, 2008
(The higher seed is the home team)
#1 Brown University Women v # 8 Yale University Women
#4 Cornell University Women v # 5 UMass Women
#3 Vassar College Women v #6 Northeastern University Women
#2 Army Women v #7 Syracuse University Women