The Rats ran into a wall of “Burly Girls” at Moakley Park this past week. Though never deficient in effort, they lacked the size, strength and power that would buoy Burlington through another waterlogged Saturday match. The Green Mountainwomen pounded CRWRFC through the middle, and by the game’s close had amassed a plethora of points to River’s single score. Charles River’s speed and athleticism served them with several runs on the outside, though they were hard pressed to halt Burlington from stampeding through the middle of the pitch. The Rats struggled to contend in the rucks, and though they improved as minutes evaporated from the muddy match, they faced a three-score hole already by the half.
Bright spots became more frequent for the Lady Rats as time progressed. River, making it a point to spread offensive possession whenever possible, broke through several times on the periphery of the field. Winger Katy Wilks did yeoman work Saturday, completing full A and B-side games. She earned a backs’ Bitch of the Pitch selection from the captains for the acute speed and vision that helped her explode over Burlington territory on multiple occasions. Fullback Maegan Hoover also played a strong game for the Rat backs, collecting positive yardage for Charles River throughout the second half.
Though vastly outweighed and largely out-muscled, the Charles River Lady Rat pack held its own in scrum play, owing to experience, cohesion and technical prowess. Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio won Burlington’s Opponent Bitch of the Pitch nod. The contrast in pack size and style was not lost on the Burly ladies, who chose Nattalicchio after remarking what an impressive performance had been turned in by what their captain called “the smallest hooker [she had] ever seen.”
River scored late in the game on a spectacular individual effort by Anne “Wales” Beaumont. On a penalty awarded to Charles River, Beaumont took a quick tap inside the 22-meter marker, dashing through the retreating Burlington defense. Beaumont rolled off several tackle attempts as she approached the try line. She finished an impressive run with an equally impressive touch-down, executing a spin move away from a final defender while stretching down into the try zone. Beaumont collected the forwards’ Bitch of the Pitch honors on the day.
The Rats scratched again at the Burlington try line late in the game, but in the end were forced to settle for the one score in a heavy loss. Head coach Carl Morris, after the game, praised the hearts of the tiny Rats, who had maintained motivation and intensity despite a Burlington scorecard rolling like a stock ticker. Morris cited various improvements to be made, and vowed to remold River’s strategic focus during the week.
The CRWRFC B-side, by contrast, continued to roll. Multiple Lady Rats made their presences known to Burlington as they captured the game, outscoring the Burly B-side two tries to one. Veteran Andrea Polcaro began the honors as she scored her first career try on a short burst through the center. Polcaro touched the ball down to give Charles River a lead they would maintain for the game’s entirety.
CRWRFC newcomer Holly Leonard played a noteworthy match on the wing, combining her speed and agility with several pop kicks over approaching Burlington tacklers to advance the ball. In selecting Leonard as River’s star for the B-side game, captain Alicia Evangelista cited one highlight reel play in which Leonard kicked the ball over the encroaching Burlington line, and then quickly advanced to tackle the player who caught it. Nicole “Chaboozi” Bure too had another strong game for Charles River. Bure earned a selection from Burlington for her play, which included several forceful runs and hard tackles. Jess Ingram-Bee also continued to excel for the orange and green. Ingram-Bee touched down the second Rat try, while also completing several runs through tight space in Burlington’s defensive end. The petite Ingram-Bee invigorated her teammates as she made decisive tackles on much larger Burlington players. Afterwards, coaches Morris and Hal Baker continued to express positive opinions of River’s performances in second games this season.
The Lady Rats redeemed themselves at Charlestown’s Tavern on the Water, where the core of River’s Game Stars defeated Portland’s in head-to-head social competition. Charles River hopes to take their winning ways back to the turf this Saturday at Moakley Park, when the orange and green will host Springfield at 2:00pm.
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