Vassar College Women  24 v 10 Brooklyn Hyenas
Tries: Jude Robinson (1), Sophia Bailey (1), Andie Authers (1) & Yasmeen Kassem-Scott (1).
Cons: Zoe Lynch (2).

The Vassar team had worked on low tackling and solid scrummaging preparing for the Brooklyn contest. Additionally, the team anticipated that their hosts would offload consistently so re-setting the defensive line was also prioritized.

Vassar took the lead after a series of Brooklyn attacks were thwarted and Vassar established good field position. The forwards managed to win some good ball and when flyhalf Sabine Weil threw a good pass out the back it was Jude Robinson who was the beneficiary. The Vassar fullback still had a fair bit to do but they ran a good line to score.

In an absorbing contest Vsssar dominated territory and probably left a couple of tries out on the paddock. Their commitment was exemplary and the unselfish work of all enabled the team to lead despite a few errors creeping into the performance. Vassar's halftime talk was about reducing those errors and staying in the fight which was most definitely a bruising affair. The Brooklyn forwards ran hard and the tackling had to be low or players would have been mere speed bumps! When Vassar had the ball those same forwards frequently tried to jackal and poach the ball. Vassar's slender 5-0 lead would not likely be sufficient.

The start to what would turn out to be a bizarre second half was great for the Brewers. Sophia Bailey took a quick tap penalty and sprinted a full 40 plus yards to increase the margin to 10-0. Brooklyn needed to respond at this point and they did so with an excellent try as they managed to get the ball to the outside before being held near the goal line and then a pick saw a Brooklyn forward score. At 10-5 the game was back in the balance.

Then the heavens opened and a Coney Island spring day went from cloudy and mild to rain, sleet and gusting winds and the temperature dropped. Tactically, Brooklyn still tried to move the ball wide and Vassar went the more conservative route opting to pick. Fittingly, it was co-captain Andie Authers who scored next in this her final Vassar game. The prop forward picked and forced her way over and when Zoe Lynch kicked the conversion Vassar led 17-5. The hosts came back with a forward try and it brought the score to 17-10. 

But the Brewers were not to be denied on this day and Number 8 Yasmeen Kassem-Scott sealed the victory with a score. The 24-10 win was well deserved and had been earned on the back of everyone's tackling. Vassar's Ella Maniatis had a good game and was matched up opposite former Vassar center Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild '17. Bailey was big defensively as was Tate Wagner.

Team: 15 Jude Robinson 14 Zoe Lynch 13 Ella Maniatis 12 Makaela Weldon 11 Danny White 10 Sabine Weil 9 Sophia Bailey 1 Andie Authers 2 Emma Niehaus 3 Eleanor Jacoby 4 Julia Wolff 5 Sam Tang  6 Tate Wagner 7 Annie Adams 8 Yasmeen Kassem-Scott.

Subs: Maritza Flores for Andie Authers, AC Smith for Sam Tang, Foster Schrader for Danny White, Nina Fishman for Eleanor Jacoby, Becca Middlen for Emma Niehaus.

2024-25 Team Record: 21-0-0