ALBANY, N.Y. - The Vassar College Women continued their winning ways this Spring on the road in New York State's capital city of Albany. Games started at 11:00 am, and that was just as well because it was freezing and rain was forecast for the afternoon. But fortunately, the field was dry and firm, and just as the Brewers wrapped up their final game, the drizzle that had begun a little earlier was becoming heavier. This didn't dampen their spirits, for the Vassar A-team went undefeated, 3-0, and the B-team became a creditable 2-1.

University at Albany 7s Tournament 4-3-22

Vassar College Women A 38 v 7 Siena College Women A

Tries: Emily Howell (2), Caeli Porette (2), Julia Busby (1), Claire Zickl (1).

Cons: Claire Zickl (3), Caeli Porette (1).

The weather may not have been perfect, but the opening minutes of this contest indeed was for the Brewers.

Vassar received the kickoff, Claire Zickl stepped out of a tackle and made a pass to Emily Howell, who ran down the right touchline and scored under the posts. At the restart, Siena knocked the ball on under pressure from the Vassar chasers, and from the scrum, it was 9-10-12-Try! Julia Busby (9) passed to Kasey Drake (10), who then gave to Caeli Porette (12), and she wrong-footed her defender going up the middle to score under the posts.

Four minutes gone, three passes, and it was 12-0.

Siena then had a short period of possession but gave away a couple of penalties at the breakdown that allowed Vassar to attack. The play became a little messy with errors from both teams and a scrum on the left inside the Siena 2, Vassar's Julia Busby stole the ball and dashed over to make it 17-0. More Vassar defensive pressure produced another turnover, and Emily Howell ran right between two defenders bouncing both out of the way as she dived for a score. At the half, it was 24-0.

Siena had a lot of work to do, and after a poor restart and a penalty conceded by Vassar, they found a gap and burst through to score. Vassar had gifted the ball for a change, and Siena took full advantage.

But the Vassar players appeared angry, and much like Marvel's superhero, The Incredible Hulk, the response was decisive and immediate. Vassar conceded a couple of penalties that put them back defending their goal line, but they stole a ball at a scrum on the right side of the field that shot back into the in-goal area. Julia Busby gathered and rode a tackle and went to the ground. The ruck was won, and Lauren Showalter passed to Caeli Porette, who looked to run but changed her mind and passed the ball to Claire Zickl, who received it just in front of the left goal post. She ran to the outside, beating the defender on the arc before beating a second Siena defender with an in and outstep, and then went the distance to score. Credit the Siena player who had been stepped, for she gave chase only to make a despairing dive as Zickl put the Brewers ahead 31-7 when she slotted the conversion. 

Porette scored another long-distance try from about midfield and showed both power, pace, and stepping ability, not to mention that she knocked over the conversion.

Team: 14 Claire Zickl 12 Caeli Porette 10 Kasey Drake 9 Julia Busby 1 Emily Howell 2. Hannah Thompson 3 Lauren Showalter. Subs: Grace Skakel, Vivika Sheppard.

Vassar College Women B 10 v 17 Siena College Women B

Tries: Isabel Rodriguez (1), Andie Authors (1).

This was a wonderfully close game, and both the Vassar and Siena players gave their all. It was nip tuck throughout, and the teams would meet again later on in the day.

Siena scored first down the right wing after a scrum around the halfway mark when their first receiver ran back to the blindside. She ran well but was aided and abetted by some poor Vassar tackling.

But the Brewers came right back and scored the best team try of the day. Zoe Lynch caught the kickoff and went down the left-wing behind the Siena defense. She offloaded to Hannah Charlson, who also broke through. She, in turn, offloaded to Andie Authors, who went route one, was tackled, and placed the ball. Grace Skakel jumped in at halfback and fed Charlson again, who linked with Reigrut, and the ball was swung out to the right where Sam Tang was unable to hold the pass, but she alertly gathered it and placed it for use. Julia Reigrut played halfback and passed to Isabel Rodriguez, who then scooted around the defense and scored her first ever try! 5-5, and it had been breathless stuff.

Vassar restarted and defended making a host of tackles, but following a penalty at the breakdown, Siena worked the ball well to the outside and regained the lead 10-5.

Just as before Vassar responded. The restart by Siena was a tad short of the 10 but Sam Tang caught the ball at full tilt and burst up the field with Siena players in hot pursuit. The gap was being closed on Tang and she was caught about 10 yards from the goal line but lo and behold support was there in the form of Julia Reigrut who made a couple more yards but when being tackled she handed the ball to Andie Authors who tied the game as she went over the whitewash. At the half it was 10-10.

Vassar was slow to set up defensively at a ruck after about 2 minutes of play in the second period and the Siena first receiver went through untouched. 17-10 was the lead and try as they might to break the deadlock the Brewers didn't find the key.

Overall the second half was an attritional affair as both defenses stymied the attack. The first half had been a real test physically and fatigue was a factor for sure. But the crowd had been treated to some exciting 7s and there would be a rematch.

Team: 14 Isabel Rodriguez 12 Hannah Charlson 10 Julia Reigrut 9 Zoe Lynch 1 Grace Skakel 2 Sam Tang 3 Andie Authors. Subs: Julie Geller.

Vassar College Women A 46 v 0 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Women A

Tries: Vivika Sheppard (2), Emily Howell (5), Caeli Porette (1)

Cons: Claire Zickl (3). 

The Rensselaer Engineers posed some good questions in the Fall with their back division so the expectation was that they would be a handful in this 7s environment. In addition they had some good size and Vassar would need to front up defensively.

Vivika Sheppard opened the scoring for Vassar when she ran across the field and completely around the RPI defense. It was good to see the Vassar 15s fullback running confidently again.

RPI took the restart and ran abrasively breaking a couple of tackles and when brought to the ground Vassar conceded penalties that allowed for the attack to continue. They swung the ball from the right, where Claire Zickl made a good tackle, to left and back again. Emily Howell halted their progress and then Kasey Drake made a tackle and counter-rucked to good effect and the turnover ball was passed to Howell who glided the 65 yards to score. She really doesn't seem that fast, but she doesn't get caught too often!

Vassar regained possession after the restart and moved the ball wide, although one has to say the passing was out of the tackle and went to ground. But it did stretch the RPI defense and when the ball was brought back to the left Vivika Sheppard shrugged off the first tackler and stepped the sweeper to give Vassar a 17-0 lead. Then Sophia Florida made her presence felt when she decided to counter ruck and along with Busby, they turned the ball over. It was passed to Caeli Porette who didn't need a second invitation to blow past the RPI defense up the middle, and at the half it was 24-0.

The second half belonged to Emily Howell and the Brewers as she collected her 5th and 6th tries with Claire Zickl adding the final score. An emphatic 46-0 win for Vassar and now just the host team was left to complete a 3-0 day.

Team: 14 Claire Zickl 12 Caeli Porette 10 Kasey Drake 9 Julia Busby 1 Vivika Sheppard 2 Emily Howell 3 Sophia Florida. Subs: Lauren Showalter, Zoe Lynch, Julia Reigrut.

Vassar College Women B 17 v 5 Siena College Women B

Tries: Zoe Lynch (1), Lauren Showalter (2).

Cons: Julia Reigrut (1).

This was Ali-Frazier II and for those who are not fight fans think redemption day! The Vassar team had lost narrowly in an earlier game to the same school but had played some very exciting 7s rugby. That loss was motivation and it proved a heady tonic.

Julie Geller was at the helm and Zoe Lynch was out in the backs. The team would not have the services of Hannah Charlson as she was to be with the A-side in their final game. On the bench was Lauren Showalter ever eager to contribute and she was to prove critical.

Vassar's Zoe Lynch scooted around the blindside from a scrum and gave the Brewers a lead 5-0. Vassar then defended for a good length of time but in the process they lost their width and eventually Siena held on to the ball long enough to work it wide for the try and a 5-5 deadlock.

All the Vassar players, particularly noticeable Grace Skakel and Sam Tang, continued to tackle the Siena ball carriers and their reward was a couple of turnovers when the ball was spilled. These were converted when the ball was passed to the fresh legs of Lauren Showalter who scored an identical pair of tries on the right flank. Vassar ran out 17-5 winners and could make the argument that in the two games they had the better aggregate score as well! It was a satisfying win for all involved.

Team: 14 Isabel Rodriguez 12 Zoe Lynch 10 Julie Reigrut 9 Julie Geller 1 Grace Skakel 2 Hannah Thompson 3 Sam Tang. Subs: Lauren Showalter.

Vassar College Women A 37 v 0 University at Albany Women A

Tries: Caeli Porette (3), Julia Busby (1), Emily Howell (1), Claire Zickl (2).

Cons: Claire Zickl (1). 

In their last game before next weekend's Tri-State Conference Championship Vassar faced the University at Albany. Vassar kicked off and put in solid tackles not allowing the Albany ball carrier to get the pass away. Then that woman Kasey Drake counter-rucked and the ball was passed to Caeli Porette on the left wing who used great pace to score. 

Porette scored again when the ball was moved well by Kasey Darke to the right and then came a pretty special individual try. At a lineout Julia Busby was lifted and she gathered the ball. Upon landing the electric scrumhalf ran around the tail of the lineout, eluded the flyhalf and won the race to the line as the cover defense came across. Vassar led 17-0. Just moments later Emily Howell swerved and swayed her way through to make it a comfortable 22-0 and the half time whistle blew.

Porette was put away again and a brace became a hat-trick. Then from a lineout on the left the ball was moved wide and Zickl scored and added another try at the end. It seemed that the team was firing on all cylinders. The rain began to fall a little more heavily as the Brewers headed for the bus with a 37-0 victory in the bag.

Team: 14 Claire Zickl 12 Caeli Porette 10 Kasey Drake 9 Julia Busby 1 Vivika Sheppard 2 Emily Howell 3 Hannah Charlson. Subs: Lauren Showalter, Julia Reigrut, Zoe Lynch.

Vassar College Women 7s record 2022: 

A-side 6-0

B-side 3-2

Next: Saturday, April 9th, 2022, at The Tri-State Conference 7s Championship hosted by Fairfield University First game kicks-off at 9:00 am