Stunning Fall Day at The Vassar Farm

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 5, 2014) - It was the coldest morning since April but the sunshine soon warmed up the day as the Brewers took on the University at Albany Women. It got pretty hot for the visitors as the Vassar Women scored 8 tries and kept a clean sheet to win 50-0. This game was followed by a solid performance from the "B" side as they too defeated Albany 26-12.
 
Vassar College Women 50 v 0 University at Albany Women
Tries: Darienne Jones (2), Yael Schwartz (1), Taylor Nunley (1), Nathalie Freeman (1), Cierra Thomas (2), & Anne Fritzson (1).
Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (5).

A good crowd was on hand to watch the Brewers go up against the University of Albany Women. The last 3 outings against Albany have not gone well for the Vassar Women as they have tied one and lost 2 games. But Albany is in a bit of a transition this year and the Brewers were in no mood to make it easy for them.
 
Vassar did start well and quickly got on the front foot winning rucks and attacking different areas. But after prop Darienne Jones had put them ahead 5-0 the team got a little out of sync. Runs were missed timed, passes thrown forward, and the ball dropped. This all combined to upset the tempo and rhythm of the game. Gaps that had been created were squandered and the Vassar backs in particular looked poorly tuned.
 
But the forwards were comfortable and behind the pack Yael Schwartz was able to find a gap and score to make it 10-0. Schwartz did not have a great day and will need to improve her game management as too many passes went astray or ball was not moved quickly enough. However, one can't fault her work ethic and she tackled well consistently.
 
Taylor Nunley and Nathalie Freeman are proving to be a useful pair of flankers and both usually time their runs on to the ball fairly well. Nunley scored Vassar's third try and at 15-0 the Brewers must have felt this game was there for the taking. Albany could not get any attacks mounted and when they did they were quickly dispossessed of the ball. Freeman dived in for the fourth try and at the half it was 22-0.
 
The second half was pretty much more of the same as Vassar maintained shape. But this 40 minutes saw the backs improve their cohesion. Centers Cierra Thomas and Anne Fritzson scored and that will have done their confidence a power of good. Both need to continue to hit the ball at pace for they then look very dangerous.
 
All in all it was a performance that re-enforced what the team needs to do and next Sunday, at the early hour of 10:00 am, undefeated Rutgers University will be the opponent at the Farm. All will have to be focused to meet this challenge head-on.
Team: 15 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 14 Tamasha Persaud 13 Anne Fritzson 12 Cierra Thomas 11 Priscilla Yevoo 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.
 
Next: Sunday October 12^th, 2014 versus Rutgers University Women at Vassar College Farm, Kick-off 10:00 am.
 
Vassar College Women "B" 26 v 12 University at Albany Women "B"
Tries: Lauren Workman (1), Sarah Mawhinney (1), Skye Damon (1), & Jyen Wong (1).
Cons: Ellen Quist (3).
Four tries! Yes, four! Four well worked tries and a truly inspiring performance from the Vassar Women was the reward for a good deal of hard work these past few weeks. The forwards as a whole rucked low with real urgency and produced some good ball for Jyen Wong at scrumhalf. The team may not have followed the pattern of play but the fact that they did run off the fringes and use the backs was possible because rucks were won cleanly and relatively swiftly.
 
Lizzie Bennett, Elizabeth Berridge, and Lauren Workman led the forwards by example running straight, making tackles and hitting rucks. Much like the "A" side Vassar had the lion's share of possession and that was just as well for Albany had some speedsters.
 
Lauren Workman scored first and brought a huge cheer from the crowd. It seems that most of the family was on the touchline in addition to teammates and friends! Vassar led 14-0 as Ellen Quist reaped the benefit of Thursday kicking practices and she converted on 3 of 4 attempts overall. Quist had a stormer of a game at flyhalf. She distributed well, ran hard, and was evasive.  Rookie Sarah Mawhinney who had missed the game last weekend due to a cut that required stitches showed no ill effects and plunged over to score Vassar's second try.
 
But Albany came back into the contest after halftime and at 14-7 Vassar needed to regain the initiative. That they did through some strong running from Michelle Broomes and Elizabeth Berridge to name just two players. Another rookie to get on the score-sheet was freshman Skye Damon as she glided through to score and it was 21-7. But Albany was not done. The visitors had multiple attacks and the Vassar defense did well as Michelle Urrutia, a.k.a "Setauket", made a couple of outstanding tackles to prevent tries as did Megan de Koning. But Albany was rewarded when they did sneak over and 21-12 made for an exciting final 10 minutes.
 
The Vassar team stepped up to the challenge and after some good driving play from the forwards it was Jyen Wong who picked and went over to seal the win, 26-12.
 
Team: 15 Aja Dunn 14 Abigail Alexander 13 Amanda Saich 12 Michelle Urrutia 11 Andrea Ramsay 10 Ellen Quist 9 Jyen Wong 1 Lizzie Bennett 2 Kristina Catomeris 3 Nicole Steele 4 Elaina Peterkin 5 Lauren Workman 6 Sarah Mawhinney 7 Elizabeth Berridge 8 Michelle Broomes. Subs: Deva Zheng for Andrea Ramsay, Megan de Koning for Abigail Alexander, Claire Fondrie-Teitler for Aja Dunn, Skye Damon for Nicole Steele, Teresa Stout for Sarah Mawhinney

- Head Coach Tony Brown