This weekend has not been the best for University of Connecticut women. A stunning upset in the NCAA Basketball Tournament by Mississippi State was followed up with a Vassar College victory over the UCONN Women's rugby team. It wasn't quite a buzzer-beater finish, but it was a close one on a chilly winter-like day at Vassar Farm.
 
Vassar College Women 15 v 5 University of Connecticut Women
Tries: Rachel Elson (1), Oshana Reich (1) & Michelle Urrutia (1).

Just 3 days prior to this game, the Vassar Rugby fields were covered in snow and there was standing water on the practice field! Fortunately, Wednesday and Thursday saw sunshine, and the Athletics Grounds crew did a great job lining the fields. Friday brought a deluge of rain, but the field drained well and so the Huskies came to take on the Brewers.
 
Vassar has played 3 games this spring while on tour in Spain; however, for UConn this was their first step outside onto grass! Vassar started strongly in that they maintained possession and consistently got over the gain line. But solid defense from UConn led to a couple of turnovers and they were able to clear their line.
 
The kicking game of UConn was a bit rusty and too often kicks found Vassar's fullback, Rachel Elson, in a bit of space to counter-attack. Elson had experienced this in the corresponding game last year in Connecticut, and she dealt well with these kicks. UConn's backs had pace and chased her down but not before Elson had often beaten a defender or two.
 
Despite Vassar looking in control, it was UConn that scored first after a couple of missed tackles, but the Brewers took stock and certainly had no reason to worry as long as they could maintain possession.
 
It was Elson who scored first for Vassar and it was thoroughly deserved. The forwards were running good lines and support for the ball carrier, for the most part, was close thus preventing turnovers. It really seemed that Vassar was up for this contest and there was a good intensity to the game with a battle royal at the breakdown.
 
Vassar was without their starting backrow of the fall as Nathalie Freeman (24 tries) was sidelined, while Number 8 Amanda Saich (7 tries) and Sarah Mawhinney (5 tries) are studying abroad this semester. Fill-in flanker Kristina Catomeris fell ill right before kick-off and so the 6, 7, 8 for the Brewers was Claire Fondrie-Teitler, Andi Ramsay and Oshana Reich. All three excelled and were a huge part of the team victory. Ramsay in particular scurried and darted past defenders perhaps earning her a role in the next Stuart Little movie!
 
In the first half, Vassar persisted with their forward pattern, and Mariah Ghant and Kate Sworden led the charge. The front row was able to pressure UConn and Marron McConnel took a couple of hits. 

But the Brewers also moved the ball wide and the backs had a stellar day. The handling was secure and flyhalf Mary Margaret McElduff looked comfortable even when under severe defensive pressure.
 
Oshana Reich scored Vassar's second try, and she has shown that she is a worthy substitute for starting Number 8 Amanda Saich. They are different types of players with Reich quick off the mark and evasive as opposed to Saich's power. So with the score at 10-5, now in the second half, Vassar was trying to turn the screw. The Brewers went to their tight game and used the backs sparingly. It is a joy to watch if you are a Brewer fan but no doubt others might argue differently.
 
It was a tense second half as a single score from UConn if converted would give them the lead but it was Vassar that nudged ahead again in that final quarter when left wing Michelle Urrutia wriggled over.
 
One can't say enough about the team effort. Every player had signature moments perhaps epitomized best by Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild's tackle late in the second half driving back a solid UConn runner. Elson too had made some big defensive plays and Miranda Scarlata had some barn-storming runs. Abby Alexander is the quiet rock on the left wing who just seems to pop up when needed. Then there is Alicia Menard-Livingston who sliced through at 12 a number of times. Jennie To is at the center of all this activity and while she had a couple of "faux pas" moments overall she was outstanding.
 
Next weekend the Brewers travel to Vermont to face St. Michael's College, another good program, that made the elite 8 last fall. They will need to maintain their intensity and play at pace again.
 
Team: 15 Rachel Elson 14 Abigail Alexander 13 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 12 Alicia Menard-Livingston 11 Michelle Urrutia 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Jennie To 1 Kate Sworden 2 Marron McConnell 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Miranda Scarlata 5 Lauren Workman 6 Claire Fondrie-Teitler 7 Andi Ramsay 8 Oshana Reich.
 
Overall record: 16-3-0
Next week: Saturday April 8^th, 2017 at St. Michael's College - Kickoff 12:30 p.m.
 
 
Vassar College Women "B" 10 v 15 University of Connecticut Women "B"
Tries: Michelle Urrutia (2).
 
These players had had to stand around for a few hours before they got to play but they gave it 100%. The forwards, with a number of rookies, battled consistently and the backs looked dangerous when given good quality ball.
 
UConn too had a host of rookies but unlike Vassar's team, they had so many that fresh players kept appearing as everyone got a chance to play.
 
UConn went up 5-0 and then Vassar clawed their way back into the game at 5-5. It was quite a struggle with numerous handling errors that led to scrums.
 
Vassar flyhalf Makena Emery had some good runs and distributed the ball well. Kayla Lightner was very strong defensively and looked back to her best starting form. It was also good to see Rachel Jones back on the field and the speedster did very well considering how little rugby she has played this year.
 
Catherine Gladstone had her first full game at prop and not only did she scrummage quite well but she tackled strongly. Danielle Kaminsky and Kayla Vasquez showed good turns of speed running off the fringes and really there was nothing to choose between the teams going in to the final 10 minutes.  Michelle Urrutia scored her second try after UConn had gone up 10-5 and Dylan Joyner made a superb open field tackle that kept the Brewers in the game. But it was UConn that exposed some tired tackles in the last minute of the match and they took the victory 15-10.
 
There was disappointment at the result but also a good deal of pride in the performance of such a young team.
 
Team: 15 Rachel Jones 14 Dylan Joyner 13 Caroline James 12 Kayla Lightner 11 Amy Hansen 10 Makena Emery 9 Sam Sample 1 Lizzie Bennett 2 Ellen Quist 3 Catherine Gladstone 4 Kayla Vasquez 5 Aja Dunn 6 Danielle Kaminsky 7 Charlotte Benoit 8 Megan de Koning.
Subs: Michelle Urrutia ,Yuma Murphy, Meredith Leder, & Keira Congo.