HOUSTON, TX - The National Collegiate Rugby Fall Championships being held at the home of the Major League Rugby Houston SaberCats hosted the women's rugby Division II semifinals today. Vassar was up against another northeast team, the United States Coast Guard Academy, who have been regular opponents in the latter stages of the fall championship. In what can best be described as a shootout, Vassar prevailed by a 10-point margin having led at the half 38-10.

Vassar College Women 48 v 38 United States Coast Guard Academy
Tries: Sophia Bailey (3), Asia Baker (3), Mette McKinney (1), Leah Dourmashkin (1).
Cons: Zoe Lynch (4).

It's not like these two teams don't know what to expect from each other given the number of times they have faced off in the recent past. It was pretty much the same ingredients as before with the Academy trying to push the ball out wide to their speedsters and Vassar attempting to maintain possession to limit those opportunities.

The first half bore witness to a great start from Vassar as they went through multiple phases and scored to go up 5-0. Scrumhalf Sophia Bailey sliced through much like she had done last year at the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Final. In fact, the diminutive number 9 plagued Coast Guard in that first 40 minutes and collected three tries from quick tap penalties! When Bailey wasn't getting through it was Vassar's flanker Asia Baker who showed up and made deep inroads with powerful carries. Two of such carries led to scores.

The Vassar forwards seemed to be on song and were dominating the breakdown. But after 2 tries and a 12-0 lead for the Brewers the Academy cut loose and moved the ball well to the flanks eventually getting a couple of good tries to make it 12-10. It was game on after 25 minutes of play and both teams had set out their stall.

But Vassar broke the match wide open with four more tries in the second 20 minutes of the first half as Mette McKinney went over between two Bailey ties and a half closing Asia Baker score. Vassar led 38-10 at the half.

Last year in the CRAA final Vassar racked up 74 points and one might have been forgiven for thinking that this might be a repeat, But the USCG Academy team responded in style and stuck to their script battling back into the match.

In fact, Coast Guard won the second half 10-28 but they were always chasing the game and Vassar did enough in that second half scoring two tries to make sure they advanced to the Championship game tomorrow.

The game was really a massive team effort with contributions from all who took the field and to be frank all the squad. The effort that the entire group has put in over the last few weeks has helped this team improve immensely.

The back division defense was improved today, despite a let down in the second half, and if the team can up their work rate tomorrow and get into position quicker they can still improve.

The forwards did a solid job in the scrums and at the breakdown. The backs had minimal mistakes and got over the gain line and the focus has to be on similar high standards tomorrow.

The Championship game tomorrow will see the Vassar College Brewers, the 2022 CRAA National Champions, go up against the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, the 2022 NCR National Champions.
Team: 15 Jude Robinson 14 Leah Dourmashkin 13 Sabine Weil 12 Eleanor Jacoby 11 Danny White 10 Zoe Lynch 9 Sophia Bailey 1 Julia Wolff 2 Julie Geller 3 Andie Authers 4 Annie Adams 5 Grace Skakel 6 Mette McKinney 7 Asia Baker 9 Lauren Showalter. Subs: Katie Canavan for Julia Wolff, Sam Tang for Andie Authers.

Overall Record: 10-3-0
Next: Sunday December  3, 2023 National Collegiate Rugby (NCR)  Fall Championship in Houston, TX
Sunday December 3, 2023
2:00 pm Championship Game Vassar College v University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.