POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 25, 2009) -- Seven seniors and exchange student Ryan Keeble started this final game of the 2008-09 season and another two entered the game in the second half. The first 40 minutes was a case of missed opportunities but Vassar got their act together in the second half and ran out emphatic winners scoring 5 tries to add to the 2 in the first half. It was a wonderful send-off for the senior class and the Brewers overall record improved to double digit wins at 10-6 for the year.

Vassar College Men 41 v Marist College Men 7
Tries: Omar Fayyaz (2), Ryan Keeble (2), Iain Gordon (1), Stefan Schwartz (1), Anshu Uppal (1).
Cons: Omar Fayyaz (1) & Conor Boylan (2).

There was quite a crowd at the Farm for this final collegiate game for the men's rugby team. No doubt the clear skies, bright sunshine, and temperature in the 80s had something to do with the large attendance. The temperature also gave the players cause for concern as they began to wonder if they'd wilt on this the hottest day of the year thus far!

The Vassar lineout was functioning well and after just a couple of minutes clean ball was moved to the centers where Stefan Schwartz slipped though on a good angle only to be hauled down a yard short of the goal line. A scrum followed and again clean ball was channeled to the back and it looked as if Garrett Montgomery would walk in but he knocked the ball on. A scrum was awarded to Marist and the Vassar hooker Brian Carvajal took it against the head. Vassar number 8 Iain Gordon dived for the line but knocked on! Would Vassar rue these missed opportunities? Marist tired to clear their line but the kick did not find touch and when Vassar counter-attacked through Omar Fayyaz they again threatened. Marist conceded a penalty and Montgomery moved it away from the congested area of forwards and Fayyaz ran in untouched. Vassar led 5-0 but they had made hard work of it.

Vassar had earned the early score and then they caught the kick-off and went through several phases with good continuity and hemmed Marist back in their 22. From clearing kicks Omar Fayyaz gave the visitors all kinds of problems. He is a fast and elusive runner and time and again he beat defenders and the crowd warmed to his exciting runs. But despite territory and possession Vassar kept making small errors and let Marist off the hook. It certainly didn't help that flanker Will Thanhauser was sin-binned and Vassar played with 14 for 10 minutes. The flanker inadvertently tackled a player following a quick tap penalty and the referee, Mr. Carl Maresca of the Met. NY society, was quick to stamp his authority on the game. But Marist did not score with the one man advantage and when Thanhauser returned Vassar produced clean ball from a lineout and when the ball was moved wide to the centers with a simple miss pass Ryan Keeble rounded his opposite number and then fended off the fullback to score near the posts. Fayyaz did the honors with the conversion and Vassar led 12-0. At the 22 minute mark it seemed that there would be more of the same to come in the first half.

From a scrum right in the middle of the field on the halfway line Montgomery passed directly to Fayyaz coming on to the ball at pace and the fullback must have thought that Moses had parted the Red Sea for he was in acres of space. He jinked this way and that before passing to right wing Tom Szymanski but the pass was too high and a try went begging. Then another score looked certain when another poor clearance kick was returned with interest and when the ball was spun wide James Purtle was tackled just short of the line. Marist were fighting tooth and nail to stay in the match. They did eventually kick long and when Fayyaz kicked to clear his line it was charged down. The ball went into the in-goal and Fayyaz won the foot race but a 5-meter scrummage was awarded when it should have been a 22. Vassar defended well with Montgomery and Thanhauser to the fore and they marched back to the other end and it seemed the danger was no more. But from a quick tapped penalty in the Marist 22 the visitors ran the length of the field and made it a 12-7 game. Vassar should have been 3 or 4 more scores ahead but on the stroke of half time it was either teams game!

The halftime talk was one that would have made a sailor blush since the team had squandered numerous opportunities. The performance was just not even close to clinical enough given the space and field position. The message seemed to have been received as Fayyaz caught the kick-off and Vassar smashed toward the Marist line. The intensity was better and the loose ball being won by the forwards was putting Marist on the back foot constantly. Eight minutes into the second half from a scrum on the left the ball was passed to the backs. A simple miss pass and Ryan Keeble picked a good line to go right through the middle and score under the posts. There was blood in the water now and a frenzy was about to start.

The Vassar lineout was clicking so the good ball was either driven or moved to the backs. Conor Boylan set up his fellow threequarters and Fayyaz was again in the action with a scintillating line break. He linked with Keeble but the latter's pass to Szymanski went astray. Moments later, after Szymanski was just short of the line and so too Dave Chase, the ball was quickly moved down the line for Fayyaz to get his second try of the match. Marist were done and dusted as they couldn't get their hands on the ball but they continued to tackle hard. James Purtle showed that he is maturing as a player. He executed a perfect chip and chase, regaining possession, and was unlucky not to score when he was well tackled in full stride. The scrum power was too much as Clement began to turn the screw up front and after Garrett Montgomery darted through, Iain Gordon picked and dived over for his try of the game. Vassar now led 29-7. Boylan converted and managed 2 of 3 conversions in the difficult wind.

After a wicked spear tackle on Fayyaz, that brought back memories of Brian O'Driscoll's early departure from the last Lions tour, Vassar tapped and Stefan Schwartz scooted through a weary Marist defense for his teams sixth try. But the best was saved 'til last.

Senior Anshu Uppal scored his first "A" side try for Vassar with the last movement of the match. It must have been scripted for it was dramatic and deserved. Uppal is the thinnest lock in the world. When he turns sideways he literally disappears. He is not blessed with great speed, is not of great strength or weight, but what he does have is an eerie ability to slip past tacklers. Iain Gordon kicked ahead a dropped pass and gathered the ball at the Vassar 10 yard line, 60 meters away from the Marist goal line. He sprinted strongly and with 2 Marist players in hot pursuit it seemed like he might just make it and score. He was snagged just 5 yards short and a ruck ensued. Roku Fukui picked and drove for the line but he was 2 yards short. He laid the ball back and there to finish the move was the assassin, Anshu Uppal, who picked and slithered over the line for the try. A huge roar went up and the players to a man signalled victory!

On the touchline the parents, friends, supporters, and fellow students cheered and clapped the team off and a few tears were shed as another student era had come to a close. There may be no crying in baseball, according to Tom Hanks, but there will always be room in rugby for a few tears.

Thank you to the Vassar College Women's Rugby team who were there in numbers and to all the parents, faculty, and friends who have been so wonderful through the year supporting the team.

Team: 15 Omar Fayyaz 14 James Purtle 13 Ryan Keeble 12 Stefan Schwartz 11 Tom Szymanski 10 Conor Boylan 9 Garrett Montgomery 1 Winston Clement 2 Brian Carvajal 3 Rhys Bambrick 4 Rupert Johnson 5 Anshu Uppal 6 Danny Thomas 7 Will Thanhauser 8 Iain Gordon. Subs: Guillermo Farias for Rhys Bambrick, Dave Chase for Brian Carvajal, Jon Hootnick for Tom Szymanski, & Roku Fukui for James Purtle. Reserves: Sam Woodle, Kornel Krysa, Tyler Blake, Richard So, Mike Ilardi, Hal Moore, Andrew Massey. Injured: Nick Schmidt, Connor O'Neill, Paul Tkaczuk, Kevin Frodell, Miles Fineburg, Aly Massoud, Charles LeSueur, Barrington Archer.

Overall record: 10-6-0
Next weekend: Saturday May 2, 2009 versus Vassar Alumni at the Farm KO 12:30 pm.