In this clash of local teams it was Marist who traveled the short distance across town to take on the Vassar College Women. This is a good rivalry, and although the Brewers have had the edge of late, there are seniors on this Vassar team that well remember a thumping loss in their first year. Add into the mix that Vassar lost co-captain and top try scorer Nathalie Freeman early and it was always going to be a real dogfight.

Vassar College Women 38 v 5 Marist College Women
Tries: Sarah Mawhinney (1), Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild (1), Rachel Elson (1), Mary Margaret McElduff (1), Lauren Workman (1), & Mariah Ghant (1).
Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (4).
 
There is never an easy game against Marist. The visitors had enough ball particularly in the first half, to inflict damage and the score after 25 minutes bore testimony to the dogged attitude of both sides. Vassar went ahead after a bizarre mix-up on the Marist goal line right under the posts. Under extreme pressure a Marist back tried to clear the goal line but the ball ricocheted back into the in-goal and Sarah Mawhinney alertly scored to give Vassar a 7-0 lead. Mawhinney had a pearler of a game. She was good in the tackle and was quick to ruck while also carrying the ball strongly. Mariah Ghant had a good game tackling and with some penetrating carries she kept the forwards on the front foot.
 
The second Vassar try was well crafted as the team went through several phases before outside center Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild went over and it was 12-0. Blumenthal-Rothchild consistently made her tackles and she really can influence a game with her defense. The hope is that the entire Vassar squad starts to tackle with such ferocity. A swarming and hard-hitting defense is a necessity in the modern game.
 
But Marist was constantly looking to offload and when they managed to get over the gain line they were dangerous. A series of line breaks led to a well deserved try and rather than being in control the Vassar women now found themselves at 12-5. Vassar had certainly shown that they could control matters but just little errors were marring the performance.

So, it was a real tonic when, having driven down the field, Mary Margaret McElduff pushed the ball wide and fullback Rachel Elson ran in to make the halftime score 19-5. Vassar had lost inside center Michelle Urrutia to a heavy knock and with Freeman also off the field they had regained their shape.
 
The second 40 minutes saw Vassar score 3 tries as they had done in the first half but given that there were a number of further changes this was quite creditable. Right at the start of the second half flyhalf McElduff slipped between a couple of defenders and then showed a real turn of pace to score a wonderful individual try. She was unable to convert her score but now Vassar's lead was 19 points as they led 24-5. So often a score immediately prior to or after halftime can jump-start a team and this was just what the doctor ordered. Vassar began to string phases together and greater continuity allowed Lauren Workman to plunge over and the "W" was in the win column at 31-5. Mariah Ghant scored the last try as a worn down Marist defense tired.
 
But the win came at a steep price unfortunately as scrumhalf Jyen Wong injured her knee and may be out for a few weeks. The diminutive scrumhalf leaves a void of leadership in terms of team direction and all the Vassar players will need to focus and be on the right page with whomever steps up.
 
All in all this game was a good test and although much, much sterner opposition lies ahead. The video should prove very useful to review. The Brewers must become dominant in the contact area. Too often players get to a tackle and stop rather than driving through.
 
Team: 15 Rachel Elson 14 Abigail Alexander 13 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 12 Michelle Urrutia 11 Andrea Ramsay 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Jyen Wong 1 Kate Sworden 2 Marron McConnell 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Miranda Scarlata 5 Lauren Workman 6 ?Nathalie Freeman 7 Sarah Mawhinney 8 Amanda Saich. Subs: Oshana Reich for Nathalie Freeman, Alicia Menard-Livingston for Michelle Urrutia, Claire Fondrie-Teitler for Marron McConnell, Megan deKoning for Miranda Scarlata, Jennie To for Lauren Workman & Kaitlin Prado for Jyen Wong.
 
Overall record: 4-0-0

Next week: Sunday October 9^th, 2016 versus ?Stony Brook University Women – Kickoff 1:30 pm at Vassar College Farm.

Vassar College Women "B" 31 v 0 Marist College Women B
Tries: Makena Emery (1), Jennie To (1), Dylan Joyner (1), Eve Coulibaly (1) & 
Rachel Jones (1).
Cons: Makena Emery (3).

?In a shortened game the Vassar Women always looked in control. The forwards were superior in the rucks and it meant plenty of possession for the home team. 
 
Flyhalf Makena Emery scored a scintillating individual try as she sliced through and ran well to make it 5-0. However, the backs looked very disjointed with dropped passes and poor decisions punctuating the play. Fortunately, the forwards pressured what ball Marist was winning and they were on the back foot almost every time they attacked.
 
Jennie To scored Vassar's second try and looked sharp around the fringes. Her game management needs to be a bit better for she sometimes threw speculative passes that went awry but no-one can fault her attitude or defensive qualities.
 
Rookie Dylan Joyner collected the third try of the match and despite being pretty much lost when in the center when she was moved to the wing she was less of a nuisance and more effective.
 
Eve Coulibaly picked up and stretched over for a good try to round out the day for the Brewers. But she took a hard knock to her knee and hobbled off in the last minute. 
 
A final score of 31-0 was a fair reflection of the game and it was good to see so many rookie forwards running the pattern of play, winning rucks, and placing the ball well.
 
Team: 15 Lindsey Sample 14 Rachel Jones 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston 12 Caroline James 11 Dylan Joyner 10 Makena Emery 9 Jennie To 1 Fiona Brodie 2 Ellen Quist 3 Kaitlin Prado 4 Kate Titowsky 5 Kayla Vasquez 6 Charlotte Benoit 7 Megan deKoning 8 Claire Fondrie-Teitler. Subs: Danielle Kaminski for Alicia Menard-Livingston, Eve Coulibaly for Megan de Koning & Mary Margaret McElduff for Claire Fondrie-Teitler.