Portsmouth, RI - At the Beast of the East Tournament the Vassar Women faced the University of Connecticut Women in a Sunday morning playoff game for the right to take on the University of Vermont Women in the Beast Division I final. Vassar was itching to get to the final as they had been beaten by UVM on Saturday in a group game. In fact, the Brewers were hoping to get to their 18th final appearance (of 18 tournament entries) and earn their 5th consecutive Beast title of 12 championships overall. Motivation and team pride there was aplenty!
Vassar College Women 22 v 5 University of Connecticut
Tries: Mo Regan (1), Rahmat Gambari (2), Tate Wagner (1).
Cons: Chloe Ellis (1).
The fields at the tournament were shrouded in mist as the bus with the Vassar team pulled into the Gardner Seveney Sports Complex at 8:30 am. Spring had not yet arrived in Rhode Island, it was grey, there was some light rain and a chilly breeze blowing in from the sea to make the cold temperature seem worse. Vassar had defeated UConn the previous day handily enough 29-14 but this was a playoff game and a slip up was not an option.
The opening 5 minutes Vassar was pretty much text book perfect. Winning the ball and going through multiple phases before center Mo Reganslipped between 2 defenders to score. At flyhalf
Chloe Ellis was her usual calm and calculating self and right alongside her was
Sabine Weil who slotted comfortably into the inside center position. This was the trap that Vassar had set for the UConn backs. The UConn number 12 had scored 2 tries the day before against Vassar and is an outstanding athlete. So Weil and Regan were set the task of stopping any linebreaks. Although the UConn center did score a try it was out on the flank and it brought the teams level after 10 minutes. But she didn't manage to throw off the shackles down the middle.
Vassar monopolized the ball and with it territory. The second try came after more good phase play and it was
Rahmat Gambari who dived over to make it 10-5. Although the halftime score was just 10-5 in Vassar's favor it felt like the Brewers were in total control.
That dominance continued as the Vassar forwards continued to earn the lion's share of possession and the backs were quick to bring down their opposite number.
Tate Wagner put the Brewers further ahead and with Ellis' conversion it was 17-5. UConn just didn't look like scoring unless Vassar made a mistake and gifted the ball to them. It was not to be and the icing on the cake was Gambari's second try to seal the win 22-5.
The stage was now set for the title game against the University of Vermont Catamounts and a chance at redemption for the 22-17 loss on Saturday. Interestingly, Vassar had beaten UVM the week before 24-20 so this was the rubber game to round out this past 2 weeks.
Team: 15
Rosie Perkinson 14
Ava Rowland 13
Maureen Regan 12
Sabine Weil 11
Rahmat Gambari 10
Chloe Ellis 9
Maisy Richardson 1 Cai Bardsley-Cutler 2
Annika Szturma 3 Dea Edwards 4
Jo Ellis 5
Julia Wolff 6
Tate Wagner 7
Gus Pointer Mace 8
Ellie Carr.
Subs: Gabby Gitau for Dea Edwards, Meg Carpenter for
Jo Ellis,
Sydney Oren for Cai, Emi Mitchell for
Julia Wolff.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Vassar College Women 24 v 0 University of Vermont Women
Cons: Julia Wolff (2).
The Vassar game plan was simple and well suited to the tricky wet conditions. Keep the ball from the opponents, hit rucks and make good tackles. Vassar faced the University of Vermont, a team that had narrowly beaten them the day before 22-17. Vassar had to play a game in the morning while UVM had earned a bye to the final by going 2-0 on Saturday.
The Brewers knew that UVM was going to bring a lot of emotion to the game and try to come out of the blocks fast. It would be a maelstrom of tackles and hard running ball carriers. Vassar planned to bring their own tornado to the contest and that they did. In fact, even the local weather cooperated and in the latter stages of the game there were claps of thunder!
This Vassar team, missing 11 A-side starters, was superbly led by the seniors on the team and they crowned an excellent season with a convincing win to take the Beast of the East Women's 15s title.
Julia Wolff (prop),
Mette McKinney (flanker),
Gus Pointer Mace (lock), and
Yasmeen Kassem-Scott (No.8) played well and led by example throughout the match. Vassar picked and drove then moved the ball wider probing the UVM defense. Try number 1 was scored by hooker
Annika Szturma who is quite nimble and she darted over from a ruck near the line. It was just the start Vassar wanted and needed to help quell the UVM passion.
Anyone who has played at the Beast knows that the fields have a slight incline and Vassar was playing down the slope in the first half. The Brewers kept pressing but UVM managed to kick themselves out of trouble and launched attacks in the Vassar half. After one strong foray they went over only to be held up over the goal line. Vassar's defense was staunch and aggressive with the backs smothering their opponents effectively and the forwards standing firm.
Midway through the first half there was a wonderful moment for the Brewers as they flew up on defense, whereupon
Sabine Weil intercepted a pass to score under the posts. The maelstrom was losing power and the tornado was picking up as Vassar led 12-0. That is how the half ended and it was clear that UVM was somewhat deflated but they would have a chance to regroup.
A great start to the second half saw the UVM kickoff sail right to the Vassar goal line and it looked like UVM would establish a foothold in the game. Vassar was unable to make much headway before getting turned over and when the UVM backs attacked a try looked certain. But the final pass was dropped and Vassar still held a 12-0 lead.
The Vassar team seized the momentum back and it was a very deserved try that was scored by scrumhalf
Maisy Richardson that took the game further out of reach of UVM. With three quarters of the game played UVM had nothing but two chances thwarted to show for all their effort.
Vassar's whole team could sense victory and the defensive line swarmed up whenever UVM got a possession. Weil, Gambari and Regan at 10, 12 and 13 continually pressured UVM into mistakes. At the back
Rosie Perkinson was a threat on attack and safe under the kicks. Every player was having good moments and mistakes were at a minimum.
When asked what was the difference between the Saturday loss and the Sunday win, flanker McKinney said that it was the focus of the team and determination to do things better.
Toward the end
Ellie Carr scored as she managed to ground the ball in the left hand corner as she was being tackled into touch. Two converted tries and two unconverted tries was a good return on the day but even more impressive was the defensive effort from all.
Record: 19-3-0
Next: Saturday May 2, 2026 Vassar College Women v Vassar Alum XV, kickoff 12:00 noon at Vassar Preserve and Farm
