PISCATAWAY, NJ (October 19, 2013) - It is always tough to play Rutgers at their home field in Piscataway, NJ and in this final regular season game the Vassar Women needed to be disciplined and minimize their errors. The weather was perfect being dry and slightly overcast and of course the playing surface was firm since it is an artificial turf. Vassar had the perfect start taking the kick-off and marching the length of the field to score the opening try. But that was just the beginning of a typical encounter between these teams.

Vassar College Women 24 v 20 Rutgers University Women
Tries: Meg Slattery (1), Dallas Robinson (1), Margaret Kwateng (2)
Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (2)

Vassar flanker Meg Slattery has been playing out of her socks this semester! Simply put, she runs hard, makes tackles, wins lineout ball, and never quits. These credentials would earn her a professional contract but for now she will have to settle for Vassar wins. She was well complimented by Number 8 Dallas Robinson who found good form last weekend and it continued today. It was just as well that these two made inroads because a strong Rutgers pack did well in the loose. Slattery's try came after Vassar caught the kick-off, went through multiple phases and she picked from the base of a ruck to dive over. It had been a text book start with Mary Margaret McElduff's successful conversion.

But it did not take long for Rutgers to respond as one of their speedsters gathered the ball as it was turned over at a ruck and it was just a 2-point Vassar lead at 7-5. A second Rutgers try came when they again produced a turnover and swung the ball wide where the Vassar defense had been slow to set-up. The Scarlet Knights led 10-7 having missed the conversion again.

No-one could have known at this time that in the end analysis it would be the two successful conversion kicks made by Vassar's Mary Margaret McElduff that would separate the teams.

Both teams would score again in the first half as Rutgers went up 15-7 before Vassar then pulled it back to 15-12. The second Vassar try was scored by Dallas Robinson who proved a handful all day for the Rutgers defense. She needs to be more consistent with her ball placement in the rucks but no-one can fault her running and attitude.

It was encouraging for Vassar that they had shown good shape and moved the ball up the field to create these tries. But at the half it was 15-12 in Rutgers favor.

A brace of tries from Margaret Kwateng in the second half were reward for Vassar pressure as the forwards were able to recycle the ball. There was also some pretty stiff defense as Rutgers battled to regain the lead. The field in Piscataway has a slight incline and Vassar had to play up the slope in the second 40 which made the final score all the more rewarding.

Kwateng's first try made it 17-15 to Vassar but a simple try from the Rutgers Number 8 put the home team back in front 20-17. She picked up from a 5-meter scrum and plunged over. The game entered the final 15 minutes and Vassar kept the ball to move into the Rutgers 22. A few minutes later Rutgers conceded a penalty and from a quick tap Margaret Kwateng burst through to score. Freshman McElduff slotted the conversion and it was 24-20. Vassar had to hold out for a final 5 minutes and they did so with some staunch tackling but not before Rutgers had seriously threatened to snatch the win. The whistle blew for fulltime and for a moment the Vassar Women could enjoy the hard fought victory. The post script to this game is that the teams meet again next weekend in the Conference playoffs! So, they will clean-up and have a week of preparation before playing again at the neutral location of Marist College.

The winner will advance and for the loser the season will be over. Pretty clear stakes!

Team: 15 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 14 Anne Fritzson 13 Cierra Thomas 12 Natalie Ward 11 Mary Margaret McElduff 10 Shira Idris 9 Margaret Kwateng 1 Darienne Jones 2 Nathalie Freeman 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Claire Oxford 5 Emma Elbaum 6 Hannah Fink 7 Meg Slattery  8 Dallas Robinson.  Subs: Taylor Nunley for Claire Oxford.

Overall record: 4-2-0.

Next: Saturday October 26st, 2013 Tri-State Conference Quarterfinal versus Rutgers University at Marist College, kick-off 12:15 p.m.

Saturday October 26, 2013

Tri-State Conference Playoffs
@ Marist College
11:00 am North 1 Marist College Women v South 4 Fairfield University Women
12:15 pm South 2 Rutgers University Women v North 3 Vassar College Women
2:45 pm Winners playoff
@ Stony Brook University
12:00 pm South 1 Stony Brook University v North 4 SUNY-Binghamton
1:15 pm North 2 U. at Albany v South 3 Molloy College Women
3:30 pm Winners playoff

Sunday November 2, 2013
12:30 pm 3rd/4th place playoff (losers of previous week semifinals)
2:15 pm Championship Game (winners of previous week semifinals)