Buffalo State defeated Geneseo to remain undefeated. /// Photo courtesy Buffalo State Rugby Pictures. •
The previous two weekends have been important to the Upstate New York conference. It was clear that Ithaca College, Geneseo, Buffalo State and Buffalo were the favorites for the league semifinals, and recent results have started to sort the quartet. There are still important games to come, as well as the conference championship, but right now it’s the Buffalo teams that are leading.
It wasn’t that long ago that the University of Buffalo was competing at the DII national final four. But when Jerry Hann assumed the head coaching position in fall 2014, he began with 18 players, a winless season and a big to-do list. While the players focused recruitment efforts on campus, the Kenmore coach promoted UB within the Western New York high school league. Today, the team has several influential starters who played high school ball at Kenmore, Hamburg, City Honors and Fairport. As for the on-field performance, Hann focused on fundamentals and started to see a shift in play this season.
“Defense is my forte. I prefer to stop better teams first and then work from there,” Hann explained. “But we also have a strong, well structured attack, and the players told me this week that they understand it now. That’s what it comes down to – girls buying into the structure. The light bulbs are going off as they become more successful with it.”
Buffalo won its first three games, getting leading performances from halfbacks Casey MacLeod (Kenmore) and Cassandra Ware (City Honors). Outside center Myadah Kaila (Northeast Academy) is the powerful try-scorer, and No. 8 Jackie Schwob (Kenmore) is the emblem of defensive work rate and aggression. The first big test came against the undefeated Buffalo State on Oct. 1.
“They’re a crosstown ‘rival’ in the loose sense of the word,” said Buffalo State coach Jennifer Jenkinson. “Our relationship with them is more collaborative. We know each other very well – Jerry and I coached together. We’re competitive and want to beat each other, but in a good way.”
Buffalo State’s recent history has differed slightly from Buffalo’s, and it’s driving the team’s performance right now.
“We had an experience two years back, when we advanced to regionals and lost to Vassar handily,” Jenkinson recalled. “Ever since that point, the girls have been fighting to prove that they belong in the post-regional environment. Those freshmen and sophomores are now juniors and seniors, and they’re fighting together to keep going. That internal drive will be what makes or breaks it.”
Like UB, Buffalo State is buoyed by players with high school experience. Local product Kirsten Dole is in her seventh year of rugby and doing an excellent job captaining the team from No. 8. But the team is starting to attract downstate athletes, like Play Rugby’s Aisha Cantalicio, a freshman who stepped into the scrumhalf position with ease.
So when the two Buffalo teams faced each other, they were coming to the match with similar weapons. The game went 12-10 to Buffalo State (UB missed the centered conversion with minutes on the clock), however neither side was satisfied with their performances.
“We prepared for them all week and knew they would run at us with their big forwards and then move it out their backs, who are also big,” Hann said. “We tried to stop them on the third phase of attack and were pretty successful in turning the ball over there. We tried to play our wide attack, but sometimes when you play a physical team, you go to their level. We smashed each other. It hurt us trying to play their style for a while.”
“It wasn’t our best game even though it was competitive,” Jenkinson said. “We didn’t win the way way we wanted to. There was a lot of hero ball – one player trying to make a break and score a try rather than looking for the offload. There were more individual efforts.”
Both sides took their lessons to heart and employed them in last weekend’s games. Buffalo State faced another physical team in Geneseo and was able to contain the impressive Tahlia Brody in the 20-15 win. Buffalo moved the ball away from contact against reigning conference champion Ithaca and utilized flyhalf Ware’s able boot (25 times according to Hann) to keep play in the Renegades’ end. UB won 49-12. (photo, above, courtesy of UB Women’s Rugby)
“It was a huge confidence builder. But as a coach, I won’t let it go to their head,” Hann said. “Ithaca was our first goal, but right now, Buffalo State – they’re intense and physical.”
“They’re feeling very prideful,” Jenkinson said of her players. “Buffalo was a low – we weren’t playing together – but against Geneseo we showed we can rebound and play a collaborative team game.”
The season is far from over. Buffalo will play Geneseo during the final week of the season, and Buffalo State will take on Ithaca College. And then the conference final four will commence and very likely feature the aforementioned. As both Buffalo teams continue to work toward the post-season, they’re both hoping for a berth out of the conference.
“In general, Jerry and I have tried to grow the Buffalo area women’s rugby arm, and in my opinion, there is a bit of gratification with us both being on top,” Jenksinson said.
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