Photo courtesy UNE Athletics (view more) •
The University of New England (UNE) is on the back end of its regular season, but it wasn’t until last Friday that the Nor’easters received an honest look at itself. Big wins against fellow NIRA Tier 2 teams Molloy College and Castleton showcased the team’s strengths, but the 31-15 victory over Bowdoin College was a challenge, and a confidence booster.
“We knew going in that this match was going to be a battle for the top of Tier 2,” said UNE head coach Ashley Potvin, who’s been with the team since its inception. “Their forwards had a lot more experience than we did and capitalized on loose ball better. They did really well in the scrums, too. We held our own in the forwards, but our backline had more speed on the outside, and we seemed to have a lot more continuity in being able to find each other and get the ball wide.”
A win against Bowdoin College – a long-standing, reputable program – is big, and a far cry from the Nor’easters’ humble beginnings. The team formed in fall 2012 but was unable to play games due to school insurance issues. When the club finally took the pitch in spring 2013, it lost a big contest to Colby at the Maine Cup tournament, and began building from there. It was a beneficial experience, one that has helped the Nor’easters weather the unknowns.
“When we first started as a club team, we didn’t know what to expect – what teams looked like or what the NSCRO or the division 3 formats looked like,” Potvin reflected. “But we came out and had a couple of great seasons there. Couple years later, we’re in the same position: We don’t know the teams or what elevated status looks like, but the players are doing a great job hitting the ground running. They came in prepared and willing to work.”
It’s been a transition for Potvin, too. The Norwich University alumna classified herself as a “very part-time coach,” closer to a volunteer based on the hours she committed. She was a teacher and also coached middle school and high school sports, but during the transition to varsity, UNE athletic director Jack McDonald advocated for a full-time coach and fully funded program. Potvin accepted the full-time position on June 1, 2016.
While it was too short of notice to recruit players, the team has been able to maintain 30-plus on the roster, and high school inquiries have started to trickle in with the heightened attention. The team is young, though. The sophomore class comprises nearly half the roster, and two of three seniors are injured.
“It’s one area where we struggle – having a leading voice on the field,” Potvin spoke to the young team. “But we have really solid athletes who have come out, learned the game and transformed themselves.”
Senior flyhalf Katie Gorenflo has been an impact player since her freshman year, and she directs a speedy backline that includes the power-running Zoe Adams and wing Caitlin Paredes, who scored four tries against Bowdoin. Junior No. 8 Kassidy Towne is a big force in the pack, as is junior prop Heather Baron, and they serve as examples for the underclassmen to follow. Potvin also credits the use of a full-time strength-and-conditioning coach and athletic trainer for keeping the players healthy, strong and on the pitch.
“We’re a very fit team and that has been able to get us through some tough games,” Potvin said. “We look to break through the line, build overloads and capitalize on defensive mistakes.
“Bowdoin tested us defensively, which was great,” the coach added. “They’re a great offensive team as well. I love those close games instead of those one-sided matches – it highlights areas you need to work on. For us, that’s scrums, lineouts and the backline, too.”
Earlier in the season, UNE played a cross-tier match against Harvard, and lost 54-0 to a bigger, more experienced squad. This weekend, the Nor’easters play Tier 1 Norwich in another big test.
“We did play Norwich in a 7s tournament a couple of years ago, when we were just getting into it,” Potvin reflected on the early club days. “It was sad – a large blowout – and I think they were coming off ACRA and USA Rugby 7s championships. I’m really excited to play them this year with Austin [Hall] still head coach and them coming to us. We’re a much more solid 15s program than 7s program to date.”
Even though the Cadets are struggling this year, there’s a big jump between NIRA’s Tier 1 and Tier 2, a separation that the young UNE program can appreciate. Nevertheless, the match will serve as another gauge to progress and pay off come November playoffs.
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