POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 15, 2013) - The Vassar men fell to 1-1 on the season as they faced a pumped up and strong running Seton Hall team at the Farm in this the second conference game of the year. The home team certainly didn't help themselves with some costly errors but at the end of the day Hall just broke through more often and put Vassar on the back foot.

Vassar College Men 14 v Seton Hall University Men 22
Tries: Andrew Jdaydani (2).
Cons: Nick Graham (2).

The first 10 minutes bore witness to some very determined attacks by the visitors and although Vassar organized their defense they were driven back losing ground. The last two meetings between the teams have seen Vassar take the honors and it just seemed that they were a little flat.

After a few phases a Seton Hall player managed to punch through and they led 7-0. That seemed to wake up the home team and they began to make inroads putting together multiple phases. But Seton Hall, stung by defeat last weekend against Fairfield, played with passion and vigor repelling the Vassar attacks.

Hall were gifted their second try when Vassar took a penalty kick just 5 meters out from the hall goal line. Vassar won the ruck but the ball was passed wide, dropped, and when it spilled to the ground the Seton Hall center gathered it and ran 90 meters to score and increase the lead to 12-0. What moments earlier looked like being a chip shot for 3 points and a 7-3 game was a 12-point deficit.

Vassar responded well and played some good rugby maintaining possession allowing Andrew Jdaydani to score. Nich Graham's conversion made it 12-7.

A second significant error allowed Hall to re-establish their lead as Vassar fullback Alan Hagins opted to try and catch a kick in-goal but he knocked it on and from the resulting 5-meter scrum Hall scored. It was 17-7 and again the momentum was with the New Jersey visitors. To be fair to Hagins he made 3 or 4 one on one tackles in the open field when the Vassar defense had been breached.He also had some penetrating runs.

Vassar made it 17-14 when Jdaydani got his second try but that was to be all for the Brewers on this sunny fall day.

It was a very frustrating game as the second half was littered with handling errors and Vassar never managed to generate any consistent pressure. Hall scored again to run out deserved winners 22-14. Vassar was left without even a losing bonus point.

Team: 15 Alan Hagins  14 Jacob Adelgren  13 Brian Heil  12 Jerry Dieudonne  11 Jesse Myhill 10 Nich Graham 9 Karl Foley 1 Geoff Matthes  2 Adam D'Agostino  3 John Winton  4 Louis Khourey  5 Matt Montgomery 6 Zach Rippe 7 Kenta Hasui  8 Andrew Jdaydani. Subs: Matt Brown for Andrew Jdaydani & Ben Chipkin for Jerry Dieudonne.

Overall record: 1-1-0.

Next weekend: Sunday September 22nd, 2013 at Fairfield University - Kick-off 12:00 p.m.

Vassar College Men "B" 29 v Seton Hall University Men "B" 5
Tries: Steven Juca (2), Miguel Salcedo (1), Seamus Taylor (1), & Sean O'Connell (1).
Cons: Stoddard Meigs (2).

Vassar wing Steven Juca scored a brace of tries to start each half and he was well supported by all his teammates. This was a second win for the "B" team and all are putting the heat on the starters. It was great to see rookies Seamus Taylor and Sean O'Connell get on the score sheet. Taylor just loves to run and take opponents on and is well suited to the fullback role. O'Connell, in his first rugby game, barged through a couple of tackles and thoroughly deserved his try.

The Vassar forwards completely out-rucked the Seton Hall opponents and it allowed Stoddard Meigs to run the show at flyhalf. Backs always love clean front foot ball and 3 of the 5 tries were scored by them. Meigs varied the attack pushing the ball wide but also using his inside backs to good effect. Prominent in both attack and defense was inside center Nich Johnson and he had a couple of solid tackles that sent a shudder through the ground! Vassar lost Matt Choe in the first half to what was learned later was a dislocated hip. Choe was playing flanker and thought he had sustained a "dead-leg" but when he was unable to take weight an ambulance was called. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Vassar's dominance of possession allowed Miguel Salcedo to score from close range as he borrowed over and Meigs had some productivity from his kicking adding 2 conversions.

Matt Brown was a rock in this contest although he began to offload a little too often in traffic perhaps indicating he'd like to play in the backs!

Team: 15 Seamus Taylor 14 Miguel Salcedo 13 Ben Chipkin 12 Nich Johnson 11 Matt Choe 10 Stoddard Meigs 9 Nich Graham 1 Matt Brown 2 Justin Riley 3 Zach Rippe 4 Sean O'Connell 5 David Wallach 6 Matt Choe 7 Wade Crouch 8 John Loree Subs: Matt Montgomery for Matt Choe, John Winton for Zach Rippe, & Kenta Hasui for Matt Montgomery.

"B" side overall record: 2-0-0.

Next weekend: Sunday September 22nd, 2013 at Fairfield University "B" - Kick-off 2:00 p.m.