The Beast of the East Tournament is big, really big!

There are 6 fields in constant use for two full days and the Providence Rugby Club has the unenviable task of coordinating 85 collegiate rugby teams, both men and women, as they play in 6 divisions. In the Women's Division II bracket 18 teams were organized into 6 groups of 3 and on Saturday each team played the other 2 in the group. The winner would advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday. The Vassar Women first faced Southern Connecticut State University and then Amherst College.
 
Vassar College Women  39 v 5 Southern Connecticut State University Women
Tries: Makena Emery (1), Cierra Thomas (2), Darienne Jones (3), Taylor Nunley (1).
Cons: Makena Emery (2).
 
Freshman Makena Emery started at flyhalf in this game and made an immediate impact scoring the first try. It was a solo effort that gave her confidence and she settled down to play well throughout.  It was quickly evident that Southern Connecticut did not have the pace or organization to handle the Vassar attack and Cierra Thomas looked sharp as she scored two blistering tries back to back. Her brace gave the Vassar Women a 17-0 lead as Emery converted the second try.
 
The Vassar forwards were dominant and on the flanks Andi Ramsay, who continues to be a strong ball carrier, and Nathalie Freeman terrorized the SCSU backs. Then there is that woman Darienne Jones. She and Thomas have been trading scores all season and the former scored a hat-trick following the opening salvo. Jones is always alert to the quickly taken penalty kick and being that much closer to the ball she benefits!
 
Team: 15 Rachel Elson 14 Anne Fritzson 13 Alicia Menard-Livingston, 12 Cierra Thomas 11 Molly Osborn 10 Makena Emery 9 Jyen Wong 1 Darienne Jones 2 Kristina Catomeris 3 Lizzie Bennett 4 Amanda Saich 5 Oshana Reich 6 Andrea Ramsay 7 Nathalie Freeman 8 Taylor Nunley.  Subs: Megan DeKoning for Nathalie Freeman, Michelle Urrutia for Cierra Thomas, Ellen Quist for Kristina Catomeris.
 
Vassar College Women  51 v 0 Amherst College Women
Tries: Jennie To (2), Oshana Reich (1), Michelle Urrutia (2), Miranda Scarlata (1), Abigail Alexander (1),  Cierra Thomas (1), Mary Margaret McElduff (1).
Cons: Mary Margaret McElduff (3).
 
Vassar faced an Amherst team that had already lost to Southern Connecticut but in any event the lineup had already been decided as those that had not played in the first game would take the field. Experience at 10, 15 and 3 with Mary Margaret McElduff, Cierra Thomas, and Mariah Ghant respectively would allow the Vassar team to keep their shape. Loosehead prop Darienne Jones had a run out on the wing and the plan was that if things didn't go well she would move into the pack. But a sterling performance in both the set piece and the loose from the Vassar 8 allowed a good platform against a depleted Amherst.
 
Jennie To is really starting to blossom and she scored Vassar's first two tries. Her pass needs better consistency but she is now running the attack and the whole team is the beneficiary.  The Vassar forwards rucking was far superior and the reaction time of the players when the ball is on the deck gave them a massive edge.
 
Team: 15 Cierra Thomas 14 Alicia Menard-Livingston 13 Abigail Alexander 12 Michelle Urrutia 11 Darienne Jones 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Jennie To 1 Cayla Neipris 2 Ellen Quist 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Miranda Scarlata 5 Oshana Reich 6 Sarah Mawhinney 7 Marron McConnell 8 Claire Fondrie-Teitler. Subs: Andrea Ramsay for Sarah Mawhinney, Molly Osborn for Abigail Alexander, Ellen Quist for Kristina Catomeris.
 
So with play wrapped up on Saturday Vassar had earned the number 1 seed going into the quarterfinal games on Sunday. They would face Springfield College and the other pairings were: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Women v Buffalo State Women, Smith College Women v Providence College Women, and University at Albany Women v Colby College Women.
 
Next: Sunday April 17, 2016 Vassar College Women v Springfield College Women in Middletown, RI at the Beast of the East Tournament, kick-off 11:00 am.
Possible semifinal – kick-off: 3:00 pm
Possible Final – kick-off 5:00 pm