POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Both teams entered this contest undefeated and had eared the right to play in the championship game. The winner would have the number 1 seed entering the Northeast Region playoffs while the runner-up would have a home game, also in the round of 32, but in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Fairfield University Women at 6-0-1 ran in to a confident 9-0-0 Vassar team that is intent on another tilt at the national title. The visitors gave it a go but apart from a solitary try just before halftime it was a solid win for the Brewers.

Vassar College Women 61 v 5 Fairfield University Women
Tries: Kate Sworden (2), Catherine Gladstone (1), Kira Nolan (2), Meg Martin (2), Oshana Reich (1), Julia Busby (1) & Caroline James (2).
Cons: Aislinn Vences-Dimas (3).

The Vassar Women will have been both pleased and yet not so pleased with their performance in this championship game. There were good periods of play and no doubt they can be built on. But there were some very basic errors that one would not expect to still be an issue at this stage of the season.

The key for this team is not to be looking at the result or score but to focus on the process and method. If they get the method right and cut out the errors they will be formidable.

The Vassar forwards dominated the set piece and won plenty of ball and it was no accident that of the 10 tries scored throughout the 80 minutes six of them were scored by forwards. Indeed up front it was the strong tackling of Oshana Reich and Halle Hutchinson that led the way. As ball carriers every forward had good moments but that might say as much about the defensive qualities of the opposition as Vassar was successful both narrow and wide. But there were some poor runs as well where players were upright and a maul ensued or the ball was ripped away. Running low is basic and should be habit by now.

It will be important for the supporting players to actually hit rucks to drive the opponent back. Teams won't always opt to not compete.

Fairfield tried to get the ball wide the few times they had the ball and they went nowhere. The visitors best attacks were from turnover ball when they got a pass or two away from the breakdown. Vassar dominated field position and it was unlikely that Fairfield would go the length of the field as long as Vassar reacted quickly to lost possession.

Six tries and two conversions in the first half with Sworden getting a brace and the others being scored by Meg Martin, Catherine Gladstone, Oshana Reich and Kira Nolan gave the Brewers a big cushion to work with in the second half. A change of tactics would challenge the team and it took awhile before they found some rhythm.

Danielle Kaminski had to leave the field with a calf strain and she was replaced by Aisha Malik. The first score of the second half came when the ball was swung wide and Rebekah Graham offloaded to freshman Julia Busby. Graham is a modest player and would be on the scoresheet more often if she ran better timed lines and the ball was put her way but she does like to tackle. She had one barnstorming hit in the first half that drew generous applause and if her teammates wold emulate her aggression and commitment to the tackle it would be a very scary matter to play Vassar!

It has been a squad effort this fall and a host of players have contributed both on the field and in practice sessions. All deserve credit for this Conference Championship and it will need a continued squad effort over this last 4 weeks as the team strives to improve. It is now, what the pundits call the business end of the season, win or go home.

Next up is the University of Delaware who represent the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC). Vassar played Delaware at this stage of the playoffs in November 2015 and after a tough first half the Brewers ran out winners en route to the Final 4. It will need another big effort to replicate that result.


Team: 15 Rebekah Graham 14 Caroline James 13 Emma Manzella 12 Molly Lynch 11 Julia Busby 10 Aislinn Vences-Dimas 9 Kira Nolan 1 Meg Martin 2 Kaitlin Prado 3 Kate Sworden 4 Maddie Crump 5 Catherine Gladstone  6 Halle Hutchinson 7 Danielle Kaminski 8 Oshana Reich.
Subs: Aisha Malik for Danielle Kaminski, Marron McConnell for Kaitlin Prado, Kayla Vasquez for Catherine Gladstone.

Overall record: 10-0-0
Conference record: 4-0-0


Next: Saturday November 10, 2018 - USA Rugby National Fall Championship Round of 32 playoff versus the University of Delaware kick-off 1:00 pm (kick-off time to be confirmed).