River Jumps In

Here's try-scorer and guest blogger Sarah "Bee" Wetherbee's take on this past weekend's CRWRFC rugby events!

A cosmic April fool’s joke had the clouds finally break over Boston after a calendrical turn to the Month of Showers this week. And with a scheduling twist that brought the Lady Rats away from their flooded home field beside Carson Beach, River met Seacoast on Saturday. The ladies of CRWRFC, on the strength of only a single full practice due to aforementioned weather woes, flowed with cohesion and communication befitting a team seasoned with many more training sessions. The Rats brought mid-season intensity, scrapping with a bigger Seacoast team for a try-for-try draw. The deciding tallies, though, came on a conversion kick that gave Seacoast seven points to Charles River’s five. That score would stand as the final.

Despite the point differential, River controlled much of the play throughout the game. An outsized but technically-impressive Ratpack, led by Captain Alicia Evangelista, drove very well, managing to maintain possession for long periods and to steal a couple of scrums from Seacoast. Chrissy “C” Andronico took home Bitch of the Pitch honors for the forwards for her impressive play, in which she set the tone for the series of hard hits, powerful runs and strong rucking that CRWRFC hopes to bring to the rest of its schedule.

Charles River’s try was representative of the team’s cohesive effort during the game. During a lengthy possession through several breakdowns, Charles River’s pack drove the ball down the field. In an excellent communicative effort, River transitioned the ball smoothly through the back line and out to winger Katy Wilks, who broke for a substantial gain. Wilks dished the ball off to Sarah “Bee” Wetherbee, who was running in support, as she was tackled with less than fifteen yards between her and the try zone. Wetherbee took the ball over the remaining turf, stretching over the line for the score as she was brought down.

Defensively, River held strong against the Seacoast attack for the majority of the match. The Rats battled back-and-forth near midfield for much of the second half. Fullback Maeghan Hoover dammed up the middle of the field, preventing any major Seacoast breakthroughs. Hoover later earned Bitch of the Pitch nod from Seacoast’s captains for her superlative efforts. Seacoast’s lone try came on a very lengthy breakaway run up the sideline by a speedy wing. The notable conversion kick that followed would put them on top for good.

It appears that the Lady Rats might have to make their own fortune in the Year of the Tiger—they had multiple near-tries late in the game, including two balls held up by Seacoast, one Chuck River lady sandwiched between the ball and the Seacoast upright at the try zone’s edge, and one instance where a Rat careened over the touch line by the corner flag before being able to touch the ball down. Unlucky. But those scrappy Rats will certainly be equal to the task moving ahead, and are look forward to earning their W’s in the coming weeks as they steamroll toward the NERFU tournament. Despite Saturday’s score, River’s ladies were all smiles after a resplendent team effort. Captains Evangelista and Jenn “JVK” VanKuren, as well as coaches Carl Morris and Hal Baker, spoke positively to their team about the season opener.

The Spring 2010 season brings enormous depth and potential to the Lady Rats’ squad, and a multitude of Charles River rookies, some new to rugby, sparkled alongside veteran rats with grayer whiskers of wisdom in B-side play. Though the match featured a resurgent set of Seacoast’s starters, the Lady Rats held them to a single try, and finished with a 5-0 score. River ladies with all levels of experience shared excellent tenacity and communication, creating a united front against a tough Seacoast team. Captains were particularly impressed by the play of newcomer Jess Ingram-Bee, who earned River B-side Bitch of the Pitch honors after having a hand in several key plays during the match. The captains and coaching staff again praised the team’s effort, which was, in all senses of the phrase, a team effort. Throughout the afternoon, the Lady Rats made a promising start to 2010.

River will host Portland this Saturday, April 10th, for a 2pm Home Opener kickoff at Moakley Field.