The University of Hartford went 1-4 in last year’s DII New England Wide conference, and then flipped its regular season record in fall 2019. The Connecticut team finished second in the league, which afforded a berth to the USA Rugby DII Fall College Championship Round of 32. Hartford played the closest game all weekend, defeating Tri-State runner-up Marist College 21-17.
RELATED: Fall Championship Brackets (use tabs at bottom of doc to move between competitions)
Hartford head coach Jake Dilts joined the program last year and had five practices with the squad before the ’18-’19 season began. Last fall was an adjustment period as both entities familiarized themselves with each other.
“Then we had a pretty successful 7s season, and it was the first time they played 7s. That’s what made a difference with the team,” Dilts said of a turning point. “So even though we have low numbers, everyone is a pretty good open-field rugby player. They just know the game and move the ball well.”
Hartford started this fall with a roster in the low 20s and had the goods to beat Smith 71-0, Vermont 29-19, New Hampshire 34-10 and Maine 59-21. But by the time the team faced the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Oct. 26, the squad had narrowed down to 16 players. The reigning conference champs ran out to a 40-5 first-half lead.
“As a team, we were kind of shocked. It was the first time all season where we were trailing right from the beginning,” Dilts said. “We had one sub and were down to our third-string scrumhalf, who learned how to play the position that week. She, Makayla [Patton], really stepped up though.”
Fortunately, Patton had the team’s two captains and crucial leaders, No. 8 Rama Sisay and flyhalf Ariana Davis, playing on either side of her.
“Rama is a really good athlete and has been our leading try-scorer this year, but our whole team functions well as a unit,” Dilts said. “Ari started the season as inside center but due to injuries has moved to flyhalf and really been directly traffic and distributing the ball well. It’s important because we do a lot off our flyhalf on attack. … In the forwards, everyone has been doing a good job, but prop Vanessa Phillips has really stepped it up this year in the scrums.”
In the second half against Coast Guard, Hartford scored four tries through Sisay (3) and Patton in the 62-27 decision.
“We took a lot away from that game,” Dilts said. “It was a big thing for my team not to just roll over and we actually tied the second half. We’ve always thought very highly of Coast Guard – and still do – and were happy we could hang with them. That game built a lot of character and confidence.
“The competition was really good this year,” the coach continued. “We got beat by Coast Guard pretty well but they lost to Vermont, so there were three 4-1 teams out of the conference this year. Just goes to show that any given Saturday one team could beat another. It made for a tough race.”
Coast Guard finished first in the standings and Hartford second, meaning that the teams were scheduled for a rematch a week later to decide the title. But after incurring more injuries, Hartford forfeited the championship in an effort to get healthy for the Fall Round of 32.
Hartford traveled to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and readied for a team that sharpened its game against Vassar College twice this fall. The Connecticut side got one of its scrumhalves back and so people were able to return to their positions. Sisay got the scoring going early with a long breakaway try, and Hartford took a 21-5 lead into the break.
“It was a crazy game; tale of two halves,” Dilts said. “We went up pretty quickly and then Marist turned it on in the second half. Marist is a very good team and was able to drive the ball downfield on us. They got to within four points, but our defense rallied around each and we were able to put together a long drive to run out the clock.”
Hartford won 21-17 and banked that experience of a finishing out a match. That knowledge will come in handy at regionals.
“They also learned that they can rely on their teammates,” Dilts said. “If anyone had lost their assignment on defense and left a gap, then it could have changed the game. But they believed in each other and everyone put in a good effort on that field.”
Hartford will have nearly its full squad as it returns to the Hudson Valley this weekend for the Fall Round of 16/8. On Saturday, the team will face Mid-Atlantic champion Bloomsburg, which beat Syracuse 38-12 to advance to regionals. On Sunday, Hartford will play Coast Guard or Temple.
“We have to play our game this weekend,” Dilts said of focus. “Our team knows our offense so if we can maintain ball on offense and play solid defense, we have a shot with any team. It really comes down to our team playing together and supporting each other. Last weekend they might have surprised themselves a little bit but have confidence that this Saturday they can compete.”
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