Brewers Start Slow but Finish Strong
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 19, 2014) - This was undoubtedly a game of two very distinct halves. A narrow half-tine lead of 19-5 quickly became a solid victory and the Vassar Women now move on to the conference semifinal next Saturday at home.
 
Vassar College Women 69 v 5 Stony Brook University Women
Tries: Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild (1), Nathalie Freeman (2), Mariah Ghant (1), Taylor Nunley (1), Meg Slattery (2), Cierra Thomas (1), Anne Fritzson (1), Mary Margaret McElduff (1), & Molly Osborn (1).
Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (7).
 
The first 40 minutes was not a pretty sight as Vassar kept making simple errors. The team far too often gave away penalties in the loose, missed some straightforward tackles, and turned the ball over. A good early try for fullback Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild was deserved as the forwards dominated the loose and the scrums. Good quality ball was spun wide to the strong running fullback and she needed no further invitation to the in-goal.
 
Vassar played into a very strong breeze in the first half and it was a real help to the visitors as they managed to get some territory. A second Vassar try from Nathalie Freeman made it a 12-0 contest and with all the ball likely to be coming Vassar's way, the writing seemed to be on the wall. Last year Stony Brook made the championship game but has graduated the majority of that team and are rebuilding. The SeaWolves put up a big fight in the first half rallying to score a try and it was only 19-5 at the break after Vassar's Mariah Ghant had driven over for a good try. The tighthead prop certainly knows how to celebrate and she was not the only person to score her first Vassar try, as later Molly Osborn went over when Blumenthal-Rothchild put her away.
 
Vassar flyhalf Mary Margaret McElduff had a pretty darn good day from the kicking tee connecting on 7 of 11 attempts and she also kicked well for touch. She scored a try, running a full 50 yards, and her tally for the afternoon was 19 points. She struck the ball straight and true.
 
The forwards took matters into their own hands at the start of the second half and consistently made good yards. Simple and direct was the recipe and eventually Stony Brook just ran out of defenders. Tries 4, 5, and 6 were testimony to this fact as the loose forwards Freeman, Slattery, and Nunley scored.
 
The confidence was infectious and every aspect of the Brewers play improved. The team will hopefully have learned that minimizing mistakes is a big part of winning and everyone has a role to play in the shape of the attack.
 
Once the forwards had put out the Stony Brook fire the backs cashed in and both Cierra Thomas and Anne Fritzson scored good tries. Fritzson broke through and showed the defense a clean pair of cleats and Thomas looked like an Exocet missile as she smashed over the line.
 
Team: 15 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 14 Tamasha Persaud 13 Anne Fritzson 12 Cierra Thomas 11 Molly Osborn 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Yael Schwartz 1 Darienne Jones 2 Kathleen Gould 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Sophia Rutkin 5 Leigh Yakubowski 6 Taylor Nunley 7 Nathalie Freeman 8 Meg Slattery.
 
Record: 6-1
 
Next week: Saturday October 25^th, 2014
Conference Championship Semi-final versus Hofstra University kick-off 1:00 p.m.
 
Vassar College Women "B" 46 v 0 Stony Brook University Women "B"
Tries: Jyen Wong (2), Cierra Thomas (1), Abigail Alexander (1), Lizzie Bennett (1), Elizabeth Berridge (1), Ellen Quist (1), & Tamasha Persaud (1).
Cons: Ellen Quist (3).
 
It's been awhile coming! But this weekend the dam broke and the flood of points from the "B" side was a welcome return for all their efforts. This week the team dominated possession and the individual running was far more determined than earlier in the year. Both centers, Saich and Alexander, made good line-breaks and the forwards were quick to get to the breakdown. So the team was able to get some continuity and be on the front foot.
 
Scrumhalf Jyen Wong is a live wire and she moved the ball quickly to forwards and backs alike. It was wonderful to see lock Elaina Peterkin power up the field and cause havoc in the Stony Brook defense. She was well complimented by the speedy running of Alexander who scored Vassar third try when she hit the tackle line at real pace and went the distance.
 
The work of Elizabeth Berridge in defense is exemplary and she consistently scythes down ball carriers. But there were moments for all as Skye Damon ran well, Lizzie Bennett was her usual industrious self, and Ellen Quist slipped through also kicked goals. Roll on next week and another game!
 
Team: 15 Aja Dunn 14 Deva Zheng 13 Abigail Alexander 12 Amanda Saich 11 Megan de Koning 10 Claire Fondrie-Teitler 9 Jyen Wong 1 Skye Damon 2 Ellen Quist 3 Nicole Steele 4 Elaina Peterkin 5 Lizzie Bennett 6 Cierra Thomas 7 Elizabeth Berridge 8 Nathalie Freeman. Subs: Tamasha Persaud for Cierra Thomas.

-Head Coach Tony Brown