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Vassar Rugby Repeats as CRAA DII Fall Champion

  • 05 Dec 2022
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Vassar Rugby

Press Release – Senior Caeli Porette was named the Tournament MVP as the Vassar College Women’s Rugby team repeated as the CRAA Women’s Rugby Division II [Fall] Champions with a 78-24 victory over the United States Coast Guard Academy. This was a Championship to savor for the Brewers as they traveled to defend their 2021 title with a squad of 38 players, comprised 21 rugby rookies and just four seniors.

Vassar College Women 78 v 24 U.S. Coast Guard Academy Women
Tries: Sophia Bailey (4), Caeli Porette (4), Asia Baker (2), Yasmeen Kassem-Scott (1), Julie Geller (1).
Cons: Zoe Lynch (9)

In the end it was an emphatic win for the Vassar College Women as the team scored 12 tries and winger Zoe Lynch kicked 9 of 12 conversions. But the Brewers turned the ball over at the outset and the Bears went straight to work pushing the ball wide and outstretching the Vassar defense as Coast Guard’s wing Sarah Moore went over for a try.

Vassar restarted and pressured the Coast Guard getting a turnover and the forwards went to work. Keeping things tight and attacking the fringes of the ruck the Brewers entered the opposition 22. But the first of four good strips by Coast Guard defenders allowed the Academy to kick deep and then force a scrum in the Vassar half.

Vassar settled into their picking game but also swung the ball to the backs and at the 12 minute mark, Vassar’s Sophia Bailey settled the nerves diving over to make it 5-7. The freshman scrumhalf had a banner day and by the finish had 4 tries. The second try was an exceptional individual run fom just inside the Vassar half Bailey took a quick tap when a penalty was awarded and ran diagonally to the left wing then cut back to the inside and outdistanced the entire team to score to the right of the right upright! It was sensational and Vassar had the lead.12-7. It also bears mentioning that Bailey was joyous after both the tries scored, jumping up and down, smiling and beaming with pride. This number 9 is no one trick pony for she has also produced some outstanding tackles and rucks dynamically.

The momentum in the game had shifted and the Vassar forward play that had been pretty good to this point kicked into a higher gear. All eight of the pack were making yards, the support was close and there were solid gains by Grace Skakel, Asia Baker and Lauren Showalter.

Vassar struck next through Caeli Porette as they received an offload from inside center Isabel Rodriguez who had made an impressive line break. Porette didn’t make the line but after a couple of phases inside the Coast Guard 22 they were again available with flyhalf Kasey Drake connecting and it was 19-7 as Vassar was able to move the ball upfield and the backs were getting over the gain line as well.

At the next scrum near halfway on the Coast Guard 10-meter line on the right side a poor pass was bobbled by Bailey. The freshman opted to pass it to the backs and uncharacteristically Isabel Rodriguez passed to Porette. The Vassar backs were probably just as surprised as the Coast Guard defenders as Porette sprinted to the left hand corner to score untouched. At 24-7 Coast Guard had to respond and that they did.

Coast Guard had field position and when they moved the ball to the backs they would run switches. Vassar was guilty of giving a couple of penalties away at the breakdown and the Academy swiftly tapped and scored in the left corner. A 24-12 scoreline at the 30 minutes mark was much more respectable and a decent period of possession saw the Bears attack consistently. There was a real urgency and determination about their carries and it resulted in a good try. Fullback Hannah Green went over and it was game on at 24-17.

Vassar now needed to wrestle back the initiative and they did so delivering not one but two telling scores. With five minutes remaining in the half the Brewers drove into the Coast Guard 22 and the forwards bludgeoned their way through the orange and blue defensive line. A penalty allowed Bailey to tap and slither over despite a high tackle. Vassar caught the restart, Porette slammed up the middle breaking the line and the forwards drove relentlessly as a penalty sent the Brewers back but a turnover allowed Vassar to get possession and a high tackle from Coast Guard led to a second yellow card and that meant a red for the player! Down to 14 players for the remainder of the match was always going to be difficult. With the clock past 40 minutes, Vassar struck again through Asia Baker and so in seven minutes the score had gone from 24-17 to 36-17.

In the second half Vassar scored first with Porette slicing over between the sticks. The team was playing with real confidence and the work of the Fall Season was paying dividends. Next up on the scoresheet was freshman Yasmeen Kassem-Scott and later Julie Geller found the whitewash.

It really was a team effort and the close support from the Vassar forwards and the backs getting over the gain line were keys to success while on the defensive side of the ball there was a real intent to pressure the opposition and tackle. The countless hours hitting blue shields and getting good body position in all the contact areas was evident.

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