Poughkeepsie, NY - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute broke through and scored after just 54 seconds to lead 7-0. It was the perfect start for the visitors but apart from a couple of sorties into the Vassar half it was pretty much one way traffic for the remainder of the match. Vassar notched 14 tries and 6 conversions and in the process managed to get most of the squad some game time in this non-conference game.

Vassar College Women 82 v 12 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute  Women
Tries: Nadya LaMarr (3), AC Smith (1), Ella Maniatis (1), Rosie Perkinson (4), Leah Dourmashkin (1), Kiki Takata (1), Emma Niehaus (1), Mari Grandbouche (2).
Cons: Nadya LaMarr (4), Emma Niehaus (1) & Rosie Perkinson (1).

A very poor start allowed Rensselaer to take a 7-0 lead and Vassar must learn from this as better teams will rub salt into the wound and make the Brewers pay. So much emphasis is on the attacking side of the game and players feel they are measured by this area when in reality it is the defensive qualities that are paramount. 

But Vassar quickly regrouped and after a good turnover by Emma Niehaus and a couple of phases left wing Nadya LaMarr sprinted over and it was just a 2-point deficit at 5-7. It was LaMarr again who ran well for Vassar's second try and with it the lead at 10-7.

Vassar was controlling possession and with it good territory as it was Rensselaer who fell off tackles. The Vassar ball carriers were not running around players but rather going through the defense and if the team needed further validation of the necessity of consistent good tackling all they had to do was look at their opponents and scoreline. 

AC Smith picked close to the line for try number 3 and LaMarr continued her good day with the conversion. Then a great piece of close support by outside center Ella Maniatis saw her score and it was 22-7 after 20 minutes of play. 

The Vassar forwards were giving the RPI pack a torrid time in the scrums and took 2 against the head. The backs were getting good ball and running onto passes with little real pressure. Sophomore Mari Grandbouche, starting her first game for Vassar and playing at inside center ran well and over the course of the game collected a brace of tries. She was not tested, nor was the team, defensively. But it was a comfortable first outing for the first year player.

Vassar fullback Rosie Perkinson scored a team high 4 tries and she can thank the forwards for getting her the ball, the centers for creating the space and Sabine Weil for passing it well. That is not to say Perkinson didn't have to do anything and a lovely snaking run was testimony to her running skills. It also bears mentioning that she did deal well with kicks when the Rensselaer flyhalf opted to take that option.

The team captains led the way in the latter part of the first half as each had barnstorming runs bumping tacklers out of the way. It was clear that as long as Vassar held onto the ball the gaps would open up and by the end of the first 40 minutes 9 tries had been scored by the home team. 

The second half was an opportunity to get players much needed game time and so the bench was emptied over the next 30 minutes. Perkinson picked up right where she left off at the end of the first half. Two lovely passes from Chloe Ellis and Sabine Weil saw the RPI defense outflanked and the Vassar fullback sailed toward the goal line. Tackled just short she alertly released the ball and then regathered it when on her feet for a good try.

Starved of possession and unable to consistently stop the Vassar attacks it was always going to be a long day at the office for the Rensselaer team. They did manage a try close to the end when at a scrum, centerfield just outside the Vassar 22, their flyhalf went back to the blindside and slipped through a couple of tackles.

Vassar must understand that getting set up, in both attack and defense, needs to be a lot quicker. So while there are positives to take from the organizational aspect the opposition didn't really stress the systems through speed. Getting in position at every single ruck is critical. Making tackles is critical.

Team: 15 Rosie Perkinson 14 Nadya LaMarr 13 Ella Maniatis 12 Mari Grandbouche 11 Chloe Ellis 10 Sabine Weil 9 Leah Dourmashkin 1 Cae Bardsley-Cutler 2 Emma Niehaus 3 Eleanor Jacoby 4 Tate Wagner 5 AC Smith 6 Annika Szturma 7 Lydia Hong 8 Ellie Carr. 
Subs: Kiki Takata for Tate Wagner, Dea Edwards for Annika Szturma, Ava Rowland for Nadya LaMarr, Gabby Gitau for AC Smith, Sydney Oren for Eleanor Jacoby, Dora Chen for Ellie Carr, Lila Gallivan for Ella Maniatis, Meg Carpenter for Lydia Hong, O. Arteaga-Johnson for Cae Bardsley-Cutler, Emi Mitchell for Emma Niehaus,  Ayla Romm for Leah Dourmashkin, Tess Gemmell for Sydney Oren, Hazel Curran for Dea Edwards, Oli Pape for Gabby Gitau.

Record: 4-0-0.

Next: Friday October 16, 2026 Vassar College Women at U.S. M.A., West Point versus Army Women JV at the Anderson Rugby Complex kick-off 5:00 pm