TROY, N.Y. - A second road trip in as many weeks for the Brewers saw them take I-87 north, but the team traveled past Albany and up to Troy, where they faced the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers. The Brewers have generally found it challenging and physical but prevailed. The last time Vassar played RPI was in the Fall of 2019, pre-Covid, earning a 33-12 playoff win in Poughkeepsie. Before that contest, Vassar had held their opponent scoreless, winning 37-0 in Troy. But only three of this current Vassar squad were involved in those games.
Vassar College Women 58 v 15 RPI Women
Tries: Kira Nolan (2), Lauren Showalter (1), Vivika Sheppard (4), Julia Busby (2), Maeve Smith (1).
Cons: Kira Nolan (4).
Upon arrival, it was pretty clear that Rensselaer had a pack of forwards that would be their usual combative selves. Their lineout would not lack for height nor their scrum for strength. The decision was made to take them on the right from the get-go. At the 5 minute mark, inside center Kira Nolan went over to give the Brewers the lead 5-0. She alertly took a quick tap penalty and squirmed over the whitewash from 5 meters out.
RPI had no intention of sitting back, and they responded with a couple of quick tap penalties that caught the Vassar defense wanting, and shortly after that first try made it 5-5. The contest was lively, but Vassar did a reasonable job of going through multiple phases and testing their northern opponents for an early-season game. Sophomore Lauren Showalter went over for Vassar's second try, and she looked way more decisive this week when carrying the ball.
Soon the score became 15-5 after Vassar fullback Vivika Sheppard raced through a splintered Rensselaer defense. Louise Ambler won a lineout on the left around the 10-meter line after a good throw from hooker Hannah Thompson. The ball was swung out to Lauren Thompson, but the pass floated high and fell to the ground behind her. As is so often the case, a loose ball left the defense on pause, and Sheppard, sweeping around, scooped it up and showed blistering pace to score in the corner.
RPI took full advantage of a Vassar penalty and scored after a series of penalties that saw them march up the field. The goal-line defense could not hold, and an RPI forward went over to make it 15-10.Â
In the final seven minutes of the half, Vassar did respond well and Julia Busby, playing only her second game at scrumhalf, scored, and at the half, it was a Vassar 20-10 lead.
In the last few scrums of the first half, the Vassar eight had shunted the big RPI pack backward, and the Brewers took this as a sign of the Engineers perhaps getting tired.
It was a second-half performance that was full of energy and surprises. Vassar had lost Claire Dwyer in the first half after a tackle she made and then replaced Hannah Thompson at hooker. Zoe Lynch went on for Dwyer and then switched from wing to hooker. With Jamie Marinez coming on the right-wing. Dwyer, Lynch, and Marinez were inspirational and had dominant moments. Most prominent was the tackle made by Jamie Marinez on RPI's center, probably their best open-field runner, when she quite literally flew up and stopped her dead in her tracks.Â
Vassar took control of the game with a few scrums that rolled RPI back, rucking that was more aggressive, and some solid tackling in the backs. The Brewers scored six tries to one in that second 40 minutes, and there were plenty of positives as multiple phases kept the hosts under pressure. This was also an afternoon when the Vassar backs with good play selection from MC Cicenia showed a real threat as Kira Nolan and Lauren Thompson consistently muscled their way over the gain line.
On this hot and sunny afternoon, the icing on the cake was a try scored by rookie Maeve Smith. From a restart sent down the middle of the field, Vassar fullback Vivika Sheppard gathered the bouncing ball right under her goalposts. She tried to outflank the RPI defense, running strongly down the right side, and when it looked like she might be bundled into touch, she offloaded to scrumhalf Julia Busby. She straightened matters up, Vassar ran Hannah Charlson off the fringe, then Halle Hutchinson came around the corner, and having moved back infield, the ball was sent out to the backs. A long pass from flyhalf Marie Claire Cicenia found Sheppard again, now running left and the fullback cut through and drew a defender. She offloaded to left-wing Maeve Smith, who had 60 plus meters in front of her to the goal line. She went around her opposite number and then cut inside the fullback to score under the posts! It was a try that went the entire field length and with which every player on the team could be proud.
Vassar College Women: 15 Vivika Sheppard 14 Claire Dwyer 13 Lauren Thompson 12 Kira Nolan 10 Marie Claire Cicenia 9 Julia Busby 1 Sophia Florida 2 Hannah Thompson 3 Asia Baker 4 Louise Ambler 5 Grace Skakel 6 Lauren Showalter 7 Hannah Charlson 8 Halle Hutchinson. Subs: Zoe Lynch for Claire Dwyer, Jamie Marinez for Hannah Thompson, Sophie Tang for Grace Skakel, Andie Authers for Asia Baker.
Overall record: 2-0
Next:Â Sunday, September 26, 2021Â
Vassar College Women versus Fairfield University Women at Vassar College Farm, KO 11:00 am
