Whittinghill, seen here during last season’s DI final. /// Photo: Brittany Biedenbender (@brittbiedphotography) •
The Gold Cup was a great addition to the DI club calendar. The top-two teams from last year’s Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions banded together for a round robin that spans the split season. The fall saw two of three rounds completed, and the Club Game of Fall 2016 occurred between Chicago North Shore and Beantown.
A combination of coaching familiarity and new additions helped Beantown establish itself early in the DI New England league (read more). The team defeated league champion Boston and then topped visiting NOVA during the first round of the Gold Cup (read more). Chicago North Shore was dominating the Midwest as per usual and hadn’t played any games outside of its league to lend some perspective to the DI national runner-up’s relative strength. Both sides entered the Nov. 13 contest undefeated, and although the Gold Cup match had no effect on standings, both sides took the fixture seriously.
“This was absolutely the toughest game of our fall season,” Chicago North Shore co-captain Christiane Pheil confirmed. “The split season can be tough for D1 teams – it drags on and it can be challenging to divide it up into smaller milestones. The Gold Cup was just that – we used it to drive our mindset all fall, we worked hard to build depth and develop, and aimed to show our best come November. You could tell that both teams worked towards this game, and the result was 80 full minutes of high intensity rugby.”
“It really felt like our entire season rode on that one game,” Beantown No. 8 Morgan Roberts reflected. “To be really honest with you, I just remember being entirely focused on what we were doing. … [You] really needed to use footwork to take care of the ball and go forward. It was definitely one of those games when every minute and every tackle mattered.”
And that mentality translated onto the field. Stern defense marked the first half, and Chicago North Shore coughed up a bunch of penalties. Fortunately for Beantown, hooker Emily Jones made the trip to Chicago and slotted two opportunities for the half’s only points.
Trailing 6-0 into the second half, Chicago North Shore outside center Gabby Whittinghill scored the first try of the day in minute 49, added the conversion, and then repeated the feat minutes later for the 14-6 lead. Whittinghill has been incredible this fall, moving from wing to center this year and scoring 112 points so far this season. She went on to score all of her team’s points against Beantown.
“Gabby has shown tremendous potential and athleticism from the moment she stepped on the pitch for us last year,” Pheil praised. “She was able to make an immediate impact with her speed and agility, and then added the rugby intelligence and nuances along the way. This season it all started coming to fruition with Gabby. We have definitely positioned ourselves to get to ball into her hands as often as possible – she is a true finisher for us – and with the team’s support, she can make a lot happen. I am really excited to see how she continues to develop against better competition come the post-season.”
Jones added her third penalty in the 64th minute (14-9), and then with four minutes remaining in regulation, Beantown retook the lead.
“My try was off of a five-meter scrum. … [W]e had intended on driving it in as a pack so I just needed to dribble the ball at the back,” Roberts recounted. “But we stopped moving, and I knew I just had to pick, stay low and go against the defender.”
The No. 8 pierced the try line, and Jones added the two-pointer for the 16-14 edge. Beantown just needed to hold off the home side during the remaining minutes, but North Shore surged and turned to Whittinghill to finish an attacking effort. Four minutes into injury time, Whittinghill crossed for her third try of the game and the win, 19-16.
“Obviously we came up short, and a big part of that was finishing and discipline within those last few minutes,” Roberts lamented. “I think the desire was there. We definitely have the talent. Now it’s just small tweaks and being cerebral.
“This game spoke volumes about North Shore’s resilience in tough game situations,” Pheil concluded. “We have always struggled to prepare for tougher competition – primarily because we do dominate within our league. So when we reach the post season and get scored on – and it’s the first time we’ve been scored on all year – it’s challenging for our team to respond. It’s uncharted territory. We rarely face those neck-and-neck matches, the ones that push you to the final minute. That’s what the Gold Cup was for us – beyond a victory, it was proof to us that we can succeed within that pressure-filled environment and overcome a deficit. We will absolutely carry that experience into the spring, when we face those moments again.”
“I’m sad we lost – we all were,” Roberts added. “It was hard to swallow. But I still loved that game. It’s just good rugby.”
And it was a game that validated the creation of the Gold Cup. Making those long trips while in-season are difficult, but a test like that – especially in advance of the long winter break – is invaluable. Both of these teams got the push they needed, and they’ll be ones to watch come the post-season.
READ MORE
Club Team of the Fall 2016: ORSU
High School Player of Fall 2016: Cassidy Bargell
College Player of Fall 2016: Ilona Maher