- Head Coach Tony Brown

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 8, 2015) – It was supposed to be the toughest game of the season. It was supposed to be a Conference Championship game between two of the top division II teams in the country. Goff on Rugby had written an article entitled, "Tri-State Titans Go Tete-a-Tete", and although it reported that Rutgers was going to start some less experienced players, the 2014 Tri-State Champions were expected to put up a strong defense of their title. But the Rutgers B-side, and apparently it was a complete B-side lineup, was swept aside as Vassar ran in 20 tries.

Vassar College Women 118 v 0 Rutgers University Women

Tries: Cierra Thomas (4), Nathalie Freeman (1), Taylor Nunley (2), Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild (5), Rachel Elson (2), Darienne Jones (3), Mariah Ghant (1), Mary Margaret McElduff (1) & Anne Fritzson (1).

Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (9).

The Vassar Women were pumped up for this game. Last year Rutgers defeated Vassar twice and the players' felt that 2015 would be different given that everyone was healthy, the squad has added depth, and the playing conditions ideal. It was a quite beautiful fall afternoon, being dry and sunny, and the field was in pristine condition so everything would suit the Vassar back division.

Vassar caught the opening kick-off and went the length of the field to score. Rutgers did not commit to the rucks and missed a couple of tackles on the fringe as the Brewers got over the gain line. Cierra Thomas scored the first try and Vassar led 5-0. Rutgers kicked-off and Thomas scored again. Another 3 tries were scored and Rutgers had yet to touch the ball save for kicking the re-starts.

This was not what the large crowd present had expected - a 32-point lead in less than 25 minutes! So questions were asked and the word was passed around that this was not the Rutgers A-side!

A procession of tries followed with the Vassar backs collecting 13 of the 20 scored. It was one-way traffic for almost the full 80 minutes. Second half substitutions made little difference and it was more a run out than a hit out for the Brewers.

There was no celebration at the end of this game and no conference championship team photograph between the posts. It was just over! Players and spectators wandered away and there was some idle chatter about why Rutgers would have fielded their B-side for a championship game. Certainly, it was their prerogative to put out whatever team they wanted on the field. Maybe they are looking ahead to Nationals and wanted to rest players. Maybe they wanted to go to the Mid-Atlantic Regional bracket and not the Northeast. Or maybe they wanted to see what strength in depth they possess. Today won't have told them much about their attacking abilities as they didn't have the ball but for a few minutes. There were only 4 lineouts in the game and just a few scrums, so not much information on set piece play. Probably the only meaningful practice that the Rutgers team got out of this game was the 21 re-starts they took.

In any event, both teams move on to the round of 32 in the USA Rugby National Women's Collegiate Division II Fall Championship. Rutgers will play at home against Stonehill College next weekend and Vassar will host the University of Delaware - full details to follow.

Team: 15 Rachel Elson 14 Anne Fritzson 13 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 12 Cierra Thomas 11 Abigail Alexander 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Jyen Wong 1 Darienne Jones 2 Kristina Catomeris 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Lauren Workman 5 Amanda Saich 6 Sarah Mawhinney 7 Nathalie Freeman 8 Taylor Nunley. Subs: Kayla Lightner for Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild, Molly Osborn for Cierra Thomas, Jennie To for Jyen Wong, Claire Fondrie-Teitler for Taylor Nunley.

Overall record: 8-1-0

Next week: Vassar College Women versus the University of Delaware Women - date and time to be announced (see http://www.vassarathletics.com )

--VASSAR--