In Conclusion
Saturday May 2, 2009
Festival Rugby on Founder’s Day
The forecast was for grey skies with showers and early on it was overcast and gloomy. But it was warm and by the time the women’s game kicked-off the sun was peeking through the clouds. It turned into a beautiful day on the rugby field with sunshine complimenting some good quality rugby. There were record numbers for alumni attendance and a good crowd on hand to cheer on Vassar Rugby past and present. In all 45 Vassar College Rugby Alumni returned to campus, 29 men and 16 women, and it was a joy to see them all back at the Farm.
Vassar Women Alumni Team 0 v Vassar Women College Team 33
Tries: Julia Nissen (1), Alex Milne (1), & Laura Redden (3). Cons: Alex Milne (4).
Last year the Alumni team won this corresponding match 12-0 and the 2009 team had a lineup that looked even stronger! But the college quickly moved the ball around in the first half dragging their older opponents left and right and some were soon gasping for breath! “I haven’t run in a year,” lamented Danika Oriol-Morway! The tactic paid dividends as the college scored 5 tries and allied to a near perfect day kicking from Alex Milne took the tally to 33 points.
In stark contrast former Vassar captain, Jess Houser, kicked out of hand numerous times and the returns were zero! Intent on having some fun, the still fit and lean lock, only succeeded in handing over the ball to Vassar’s current fullback, Lorraine DeGraffenreidt, who gleefully returned it with interest. The alumni cause was not helped any by the fact that speedster Dana Wasserman pulled a hamstring in the first half, nor by some very dubious refereeing. Normally, the more elderly can expect a break from the referee but that was certainly not the case this year.
There were some intriguing match-ups in the contest. In the forwards Becca Marcus at loose-head went against junior Natalie duRivage and it was a tussle royale. The diminutive duRivage can scrummage with the best of them and she more than held her own. At halfback, vets Alison Gaffney and Elise Okusami were opposite Keri Peacock and Alex Milne. Honors were shared but the college held an edge given that they had the lion’s share of the ball. Then of course, there was Oriol-Morway up against DeGraffenreidt with the former as sharp as ever for the initial minutes before oxygen debt crept in! Laura Redden capped her VC Rugby career with a hat-trick of tries and the unsung heroine displayed her great running style as she swerved and sliced through the defense.
The women’s alumni game is gathering momentum and last year they fielded almost a complete team and this year again numbers were up. Indeed, had everyone present been healthy a complete 15 would have been alumni. (See epilogue below…)
Alumni Team: 15 Danika Oriol-Morway ‘07 14 Stephanie Rapp 13 Anna Schneider 12 Dana Wasserman ‘03 11 Charmaine Chua ‘08 10 Elise Okusami ‘08 9 Alison Gaffney ‘06 1 Becca Marcus ‘08 2 Alyssa Bell 3 Sari Warren ‘05 4 Vanessa Morris ‘05 5 Amanda Waterhouse 6 Rachael Kutikoff ‘08 7 Ashley Lorentzen ‘07 8 Jessica Houser ‘99.
Injured/present but did not play: Alexis Liakos ‘08, Heather Anderson ‘05, Sarah Griffin ‘06, Jessica Chong ‘07, Robin Berger ‘07.
College Team: 15 Lorraine DeGraffenreidt 14 Kate Hancock 13 Laura Redden 12 Morandi Hurst 10 Alex Milne 9 Keri Peacock 1 Krissa Wiechmann 2 Alana Melton 3 Natalie duRivage 4 Meredith Kendall 5 Hannah Roth 6 Alexandra Thom 7 Alexis Hedrick 8 Dani Goodman-Levy.
Vassar College Women 2008-09 Overall Record: 12-6-0.
Next: Fall 2009 Season.
VC Men’s Alumni Game 2009
Vassar Alumni Team 34 v Vassar College Men 15
Alumni Tries: Garrett King (1), Chris Bedevian (1), Joe Schumacher (1), James Cantres (1), Tom Szymanski (1), Will Thanhauser (1). Cons: Andrew Abshere (2). College Tries: Roku Fukui (2), Ryan Keeble (1).
The first 20 minutes of the match was one-way traffic. Simply put the Alumni, a.k.a. “Big Pink,” received the ball and then kept it. They signaled their intent right from the outset by taking an early quick penalty and they scored 4 tries in 26 minutes opening up a lead of 22-0. It was textbook stuff. Quick ball recycled at the breakdown was moved to runners coming on to it at pace and the college was on their heels.
Garrett King caught the opening kick-off and laid down the marker with a strong run. Tony Baldor at scrumhalf whipped the passes away and at 10 Andrew Abshere distributed. Matt Tracey had some good breaks up the middle and Edwin Cintron was impressive in the forwards. In fact there was much to be pleased about from an old timers viewpoint as many alumni distinguished themselves. In addition, the referee, Miss Fontaine Lloyd of the Rugby Referees Society of New York, did a wonderful job and the players responded with some good skills. The game looks so simple when the rucks are clean and swift!
King scored the first try and it was in part due to good recycling but also poor tackling from the college. In fact that was a feature of the first half as too often alumni players were able to break tackles. Nothing is more exhilarating than getting through the line or breaking a tackle particularly for those of additional years, pounds, and diminishing speed!
In that same vein, Vassar alum Chris Bedevian, unable to play last year due to a knee injury, stormed back this year and not only rucked like a demon but he had a signature run to score. In Bedevian’s day Christian Bruckhart and Frank Sharpe were his backrow colleagues, but they were otherwise engaged so he took the helm.
Fellow alum Joe Schumacher benefited from some swift ball movement to take the lead to 17-0 after Abshere’s conversion. He too had a good day playing in the center. He also made a critical tackle in the second half to deny Ryan Keeble a try.
Try number 4 was probably the most emotional of the day for the majority present. Twelve months ago Vassar’s 2007-08 rugby co-captain James Cantres lay in St. Francis Hospital fighting for his life after an horrific fallcausing serious head trauma. Yet he took the field yesterday with medical approval and played an excellent game. When Garrett King went through the defense but was halted close to the line, Cantres came bursting through to take an offload and score. The 7th U.S. Cavalry could not have timed it better. A great cheer went up from the touchlines as he had come full circle. It was a joyous moment.
After 25 minutes the college finally managed to secure some possession and they showed that they too could play a bit. After some good continuity, flyhalf Roku Fukui ran well evading a couple of tacklers and then he had the presence of mind when tackled, but not held, to dive over. Moments later with the alumni clearly tiring Vassar left wing James Purtle kicked ahead and the ensuing chase allowed Ryan Keeble to gather and score. It was game on at 22-10 at the half.
The Vassar tradition of the seniors crossing over to “the darkside” and joining the alumni team seems to favor the older team! The scorers in the second half were both Vassar seniors as first Tom Szymanski took route one to the goal line. Then Will Thanhauser got a good try. The college responded with a second Fukui try and the game finished at 34-15.
In all it was 6 tries to 3 in the Alumni favor but one might be forgiven for looking at the fact that 4 tries were scored by alumni and 5 tries by current students. I guess it’s all in the way you look at things!
Epilogue A huge thank you to the members of TA-55 for the bar-b-que and all involved with putting it together. Thanks are also due to the family members, friends, fellow students, and supporters of Vassar Rugby who come to the games and encourage the players.
In conclusion, special thanks to the Alumni for coming back and showing such wonderful support for the programs. The men and women who have represented Vassar College on the rugby field are a credit to the school, their families, and themselves and are part of a rich and worthwhile tradition - VC Rugby. Here’s to next year and another celebration of Vassar Rugby.
Alumni Team: 15 Aaron Gilson ‘07 14 James Cantres ‘08 13 Joe Schumacher ‘05 12 Matt Tracey ‘07 11 Eli Levine ‘86 10 Andrew Abshere ‘07 9 Anthony Baldor ‘04 1 Dan Zabar ‘06 2 Edwin Cintron ‘05 3 Dan Kalmus ‘08 Dave McCarthy ‘04 5 Paul Cummins ‘99 6 Andrew Newman ‘87, 7 Chris Bedevian ‘04, 8 Garrett King ‘08. Subs: Brennan White ‘05, Chris Magnani ‘07, Jeff Rubesin ‘08, Eric Schub ‘08, Matt Wise ‘07, Gary Heavener, Rachael Kutikoff ‘08, Brendan Rancier, Jon Trimby ‘07.
Injured/present but did not play: Bruce Mendelsohn ‘90, Tyler Shaw ‘98, Doug Thomas ‘87, Charlie Williams ‘80, Tom Weishaupt ‘07, & Luke Parker ‘07. Seniors who played for the Alumni in the second half: Dave Chase, Richard So, Winston Clement, Anshu Uppal, Rupert Johnson, Danny Thomas, Omar Fayyaz, Tom Szymanski, & Will Thanhauser.
College Team (first half): 15 Omar Fayyaz 14 Tom Szymanski 13 Ryan Keeble 12 Stefan Schwartz 11 James Purtle 10 Roku Fukui 9 Danny Thomas 1 Winston Clement 2 Kevin Frodell 3 Rhys Bambrick 4 Anshu Uppal 5 Rupert Johnson 6 Adam Steel 7 Will Thanhauser 8 Iain Gordon. Subs: Garrett Montgomery for Adam Steel.
College Team (second half): 15 James Purtle 14 Kornel Krysa 13 Ryan Keeble 12 Stefan Schwartz 11 Mike Ilardi 10 Roku Fukui 9 Garrett Montgomery 1 Barrington Archer 2 Brian Carvajal 3 Rhys Bambrick 4 Gui Farias 5 Tyler Blake 6 Andrew Massey 7 Hal Moore 8 Iain Gordon.
Injured: Nick Schmidt, Connor O’Neill, Conor Boylan, Charles LeSueur, & Aly Massoud.
Vassar College Men 2008-09 Overall Record: 10-6-0. Next: Fall 2009 Season.
