HEMPSTEAD, NY (September 13, 2009) -- The Brewers led 17-0 at the half and it was a deserved lead as Hofstra offered little in attack other than a lot of chest thumping and bad language. It's a pity they don't put more effort into understanding the game for they have some good athletes. In fact, they scrummaged well and had plenty of ball from set piece but their 2 tries came from quick tap penalties, so they never managed to unlock the Vassar defense. So much effort for so little reward.
Vassar needed to put in their tackles and be very physical particularly early on in this divisional game. Hofstra always bring a lot of enthusiasm and physicality to the game and this year was no different. Last year Vassar ran them ragged scoring 48 unanswered points and no doubt the Long Island school wanted to wipe that event from their memory.
Vassar went up 5-0 after the forwards went through a couple of phases and flanker
Kornel Krysa darted between two defenders on a well-timed run. The Vassar pack was under considerable pressure as Hofstra pushed strongly and disrupted the platform. But scrumhalf
Garrett Montgomery was in top form and he dealt well with everything all afternoon.
Hofstra are a difficult team to play against because they have no pattern and are liable to throw or kick the ball anywhere at anytime! Sometimes a good athlete makes a strong run and breaks a tackle or a kick goes up and lands where it was never intended! They do hit hard but bring an American Football mentality that would be fine except that players are required to wrap. The consequences were significant as 2 players were sent to the sin-bin in the first half. Probably the best way to sum up Hofstra's play is to describe it as rock'em, sock 'em! Referee Joe Sweeney did a good job controlling the teams and the game was played in a good spirit.
Vassar increased their lead when center
James Purtle was put away after some good inside passing and when number 8
Iain Gordon picked up at the base of a scrum and sprinted in from 25 yards it was 17-0. Gordon jumped well in the lineout and has formed a good partnership with
Garrett Montgomery.
Vassar started poorly in the second half when they dropped the kick-off. From the resulting scrum they were penalized and Hofstra took a quick tap and ran in from 20 yards. The celebration was pretty loud from the home team, no doubt because it was their first try of the 2009-10 season, having been shutout by Iona last week. But Vassar came straight back and when Hofstra tapped a lineout ball back on their own goal line lock
C.J. Le Sueur was gifted a try.
At 22-7 the home team probably felt they were still in with a shout but they were unable to sustain any attack more than a couple of phases before losing possession. The Vassar backs fronted up and made their tackles. There is still a ton of work to do to get them more organized and playing smarter but it was enough against Hofstra's efforts.
Up front freshmen
Ian Ruginski and Joe Karpman worked hard and the backrow as a whole looked sharper.
Hofstra did score again from a tap penalty quickly taken but that looked like the only way they would get points. Vassar's
James Purtle put the result in the history books when he intercepted a pass and sprinted 50 plus yards to make it 27-12 and with Fukui's conversion it finished 29-12.
Overall record 2008-09: 1-1-0.
Next weekend: Sunday September 20, 2009 at Stony Brook University, kickoff 1:00 pm.
Vassar College Men "B" 15 v Hofstra University Men "B" 28
Tries: Kendall Coleman (2), Nic Placeres (1).
The second game of the day was a wide-open flowing affair and in the end the Hofstra team prevailed. But that was not before we were treated to some good open field running from the Vassar backs. Kandall Coleman is quick and I don't just mean Vassar quick, I mean quick. He scored 2 tries and left some scorched earth in his trail. Would that Vassar could have secured more ball and sent it his way. In addition,
Nic Placeres went through a gap that opened like the Red Sea had parted and got his first Vassar try. Meanwhile Zack Kent tore around all over the field tackling and running as if his life depended on it. That might well be the case given his slight frame but he too is quick and fearless.
