Poughkeepsie, NY - When the whistle blew for full time, it was more like a wave of relief than a celebration of victory that washed over the Vassar team! Vassar outscored their Mid-Hudson Valley neighbors eight tries to four but at one stage fell behind by 12 points having led by 12 early on in the contest and found a way to pull off a thrilling comeback to earn the win.

Vassar College Men 44 v 40 SUNY New Paltz Men
Tries: Samia Jaman (1), Ben Remy (1), TJ Usher (3), Matheo Dwyer (1), Mariano Decarvalho (1) & Finn Smith (1).
Cons: (2).

The lead changed hands five times in this exciting contest and the final five minutes was a storybook grandstand finish. Vassar was up 39-30 but New Paltz scored twice, from a penalty kick and then a converted try to make it 39-40 to the visitors but a last minute try from the Brewers made it 44-40 and the fans went wild.

This was a great game to watch for the spectators but had many twists and turns from the coaching lens. Samia Jaman scored after Finn Smith smashed his way to the goal line and after the ruck was won Jaman was fed down the blindside by scrumhalf Dwyer. Vassar's second try, and with it a 12-0 lead, came about from an interception as a result of good defensive pressure. Senior Ben Remy was in the right spot at the right time but he still had a lot of running to do. The speedster did not disappoint.

Perhaps it was the fact that the team had not conceded a try after some early New Paltz pressure or maybe it was because this was the first day of the Fall Break holiday but Vassar seemed to think this was going to be an easy day as they led 12-0. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

New Paltz roared back and scored three tries in the space of 10 minutes putting them in the lead 21-12. Their first try was after a series of missed tackles and from a penalty the Vassar defense looked more like a group of cinema ushers showing players the way to the goal line. Then a deep kick took a wicked bounce and fell directly into the arms of the on rushing New Paltz chaser. Moments later after an awful goal line drop out that found a New Paltz back was returned with minimal resistance and it was the visitors who must have felt this was going to be their day.

It didn't help Vassar's cause that there were a slew of penalties at the breakdown against the Brewers and the next score was a 3-pointer so New Paltz edged further ahead 24-12.

From the restart Vassar gained possession and finally showed some shape making good yards through the forwards and eventually moving the ball to the backs. Usher ran well and after 2 rucks with the forwards wrapping around the corner the ball was given to the backs again. Usher decided on taking a scenic route to the goal line but at least the previous 7 phases or so had been good. The try in the corner was not converted but Vassar had fired a shot back in anger as the scoreline now read 24-17 and it was back to a one score game.

The momentum had shifted to Vassar and from the restart Ben Remy made good yards and then the forwards took the ball on from well inside their own half recycling through 7 phases and then the backs punched over the gain line before New Paltz conceded a penalty.Vassar continued to press and had a couple of close range opportunities but somehow New Paltz held on and managed to clear their line. 

As the half was drawing to a close Vassar had some territory and following a penalty for playing the ball on the ground, Mariano Decarvalho found touch to put the team in the corner. The Vassar lineout functioned well driving for the line. When the ball emerged the New Paltz defense was a bit narrow and TJ Usher scored going to the outside. A better defense would have snuffed thus out easily but Vassar was well and truly back in the contest at 22-24.

The second forty minutes of play would bring more drama and it was New Paltz that started strongly. Vassar fullback made a wonderful try saving tackle in the 22 right in front of the posts but moments later the Hawks earned a penalty and pushed their lead to 5 points making it 27-22.

A line break by a New Paltz player was hunted down by TJ Usher who made a critical tackle and then Vassar was awarded a penalty that allowed the hosts to push play up to the halfway line. The Vassar lineout with Sami Jaman doing well won possession and then the team got into their shape with backs and forwards on script. The team marched down to the 5-meter line after a big break by Matheo Dwyer that included a dummy pass to no-one.

A lineout just 5-meters out was wasted when the team delivered the ball off the top to the backs and then Ben Remy knocked the ball on. A penalty led to a New Paltz kick that went deep but did not find touch and the fullback ran it back. The fullback is not short on bravery and on this run back there was yet another collision that made spectators shudder and wince!

Vassar was looking better now with deliberate shape and it was putting the New Paltz defense under pressure. It was disappointing to see the Vassar big lads being pushed into touch and they must get lower in contact and deliver force to a would-be tackler. New Paltz cleared their lines and a desperation kick was not dealt with by the Vassar defense and a penalty conceded. The New Paltz goal kicker stepped up and slotted the ball through the uprights and it was 30-22.

Vassar once again got up off the mat and went through phases finishing with TJ Usher going over. He was tackled near the line but not held and with a second effort he propelled himself over the whitewash! It was game on again at 30-29, the slenderest New Paltz lead.

The New Paltz scrum was struggling and Vassar was able to disrupt possession. A counter ruck led to Vassar ball and after a few phases the Brewers took the lead when Matheo Dwyer went over and it was now 34-30 in the home team's favor.

The fans were loving the back and forth action.

However, the seesaw battle continued as Vassar went ahead when Mariano Decarvalho had the simplest of picks to stretch the Vassar lead to 9 points with time winding down, 39-30. 

New Paltz kicked another penalty and it was 39-33. Next, following a couple of penalties and some frenetic play in the Vassar 22 New Paltz dived over to make it 40-39. Only about 3 or 4 minutes remained in the game and Twit kicked deep. The New Paltz winger knocked the ball on and one of his teammates in front of him caught the ball. It was a lifeline for the Brewers - Penalty to Vassar.

Mariano Decarvalho kicked for the corner but did not find touch; however, the winger knocked-on the ball and it went off the field. Vassar took the lineout. A drive was thwarted and then a couple of picks were also held and there was a knock-on. Agony for the Brewers!

New Paltz just had to win the scrum and hold on to the ball. But the Brewers drove them off the ball and into in-goal as the front row collapsed. The reset scrum was a Vassar put in. A last chance and from just 5 meters out Dwyer drove for the line. He was held but New Paltz conceded a penalty in their defensive effort. Vassar tapped and tried to drive over. Another penalty by the defense, another tap and Finn Smith went over this time to a huge roar from the crowd. Final score 44-40 and there was no doubt that the crowd had been entertained.

Team: 14 Zhongjia Hou 13 Ben Remy 12 TJ Usher 11 Ken Kabeya 10 Ted Twit 9 Matheo Dwyer 1 Luca Pereira Frears 2 Jack Gibberd 3 Caleb DiBartolo 4 Gene Waddy 5 Max Czekaj 6 Mariano Decarvalho 7 Finn Smith 8 Samia Jaman.
Subs: Ki'tsai Zangpo, Ezra Potts, Sriram Soundarapandian, Sahaj Sharma, Rajveer Singh, Zachery Imhoff & Nico Reyes Cardoza.
Unavailable: Will Taaffe & Anthony Koleser.
Injured: Kaiden Tocher, Dimitrios Tzepos, Mark Gislason, Owen McManus & Justin Lederer.
JYA: Kiran Mullen, Eli Schair-Rigoletti, Phil Knowlton, Gabe Slavin & Jojo Goldin.

Overall record: 7-0-0.
Conference record: 2-0-0.

Next: Sunday October 20, 2024 at SUNY-Maritime College (A) KO 1:00 pm