POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 2, 2014) - The wind was howling and despite blue sky and sunshine the temperature was bone- chilling, as the men from Sacred Heart University and Vassar College took to the field in this Tri-State Conference semifinal match-up. After 80 minutes of action including 13 tries, 7 conversions, a penalty goal, and 3 yellow cards it was the Vassar College Brewers that had earned the title tilt next weekend.
 
Vassar College Men 48 v 34 Sacred Heart University Men
Tries: Adam D'Agostino (1),  Kenta Hasui (1), Joe Simon (2), Alex Voynow (1), Geoff Matthes (1), & Matt Brown (1).
Cons: Nich Graham (5).
Pens: Nich Graham (1).

The early minutes of this game saw Vassar stop Sacred Heart running off the fringes and when the visitors put the ball wide they were found wanting. Passes were dropped or players were caught in possession. So it was that Vassar earned territory and when they drove a lineout and it was deliberately pulled down the Sacred Heart Number 8 was sin-binned. The Vassar lineout went well all day and the forwards ran better lines than last week. It all led to prop Adam D'Agostino scoring a good try and with Nich Graham's successful conversion a 7-0 lead.
 
A second try from inside center Kenta Hasui, filling in on account of injuries was just a case of a well-timed pass and a good line. Graham did the honors and Vassar had quelled the early Sacred Heart excitement as matters stood at 14-0.
 
Vassar pressed again but the ball spilled loose near the Sacred Heart goal line and a counter-attack that went almost the length of the field was launched. It was clear that turnovers would be an issue and Vassar needed to scramble back. Sacred Heart was a tad unlucky not to score when their center went through but Joe Simon tackled him at the line and the ball popped out of his grasp. Moments later the score was 5-14 after Stoddard Meigs was sent to the bin for what looked like a trip. Sacred Heart moved the ball wide from a penalty play and scored in the right corner.
 
Missed tackles by the Vassar defenders and penalties were allowing Sacred Heart to gain big chunks of real estate. However, it was Vassar, who when they got the ball, scored next. Joe Simon was put away after some good approach work by the pack and a 21-5 lead was good given Meigs was off the field. A gift of a try was next when Sacred Heart tapped back a ball at the lineout and the ever-alert Alex Voynow burst through and ran in to score. At 28-5 Vassar definitely took the foot of the gas. It was to prove a bad mistake.
 
The first half concluded with a series of missed tackles and Sacred Heart scoring. It was just what the visitors needed as they tried to get back into the game. A quick tap and a dive from the Number 8 made it 28-12.  Another series of penalties in the Vassar 22 at the tackle meant that sacred Heart tapped and ran the ball scoring a third try and at the half it was 28-17.
The second 40 minutes did not start well for the home players. Vassar dropped a simple pass and Sacred Heart, having gained possession, ran off the sides of the ruck and within a couple of minutes had scored to make it 28-22. Vassar was just not tackling well. But they did regroup and when Voynow too a ball against the head Matthes jumped in to score. That try and conversion allied to an excellent try within the next 5 minutes that went the length of the field made it 40-22 as substitute Matt Brown scored as the forwards drove a maul over.
 
It was Joe Simon who was put over next and at 45-22 one felt the game was done and dusted. But Sacred Heart has had a strong season and they responded with 2 late tries before Nich Graham popped over a penalty to finish with a margin of 14 points.
 
There is no doubt that the defensive efforts of Vassar will need to be tenfold better as they take on Fairfield University next Sunday in the Tri-State Conference Championship game. The missed tackled count was embarrassingly high and everyone knows that it is defense that wins championships!
 
Team: 15 Joe Simon 14 Stoddard Meigs 13 Jacob Adelgren 12 Kenta Hasui 11 Jesse Myhill 10 Nich Graham 9 Jake Sheehy 1 Adam D'Agostino 2 Alex Voynow 3 John Winton 4 John Loree 5 Louis Khourey 6 Justin Nam 7 Erik Quinson 8 Geoff Matthes. Subs: Matt Brown for Louis Khourey, George Sheppard for Matt Brown?
 
Record: 8-1
Next week: Tri-State Conference Championship Game on Sunday November 9^th, 2014 at Fairfield University Men, kick-off 1:00 p.m.
Vassar College Men "B" 0 v 39 Sacred Heart University Men "B"
 
It was asking a lot of the "B" side to play in the almost Arctic conditions having been standing watching the "A" game unfold.
 
But they took the field and unfortunately missed a slew of tackles that allowed the very direct hard running Sacred Heart players in behind the defense. The pity was that the some players were tackling but it takes a team effort to defend the whole field.
 
Nick Crooks did quite well and Dale Lord had some powerful surges as Wade Crouch did his best to fill in at scrumhalf when Romeo Ardimento had to leave the field.
 
The lads must start to apply their tackling technique in games and see this component of the game as the single most important part of being a rugby player.
 
Team: 15 Emmanuel Ntow 14 Caleb Zachary 13 Nick Olkovsky  12 Sam Lehn 11 Russel Spiro 10 Jack Fischer 9 Romeo Ardimento 1 Dale Lord 2 Eric Santacruz 3 David Wallach 4 George Sheppard 5 Nick Crooks 6 Solomon Ajasin 7 Josh Espada 8 Wade Crouch Subs: Jeh Gagrat for Solomon Ajasin, Alejandro Andrade Garcia for Eric Santacruz, Phoenix Morrison for Romeo Ardimento.

- Head Coach Tony Brown