If the ladies of Charles River were looking merely to set a tone for the fall this
past weekend at their season opener, they instead rapped a reverberating rugby gong
over Moakley Park. Amidst a picturesque scene beside South Boston’s Carson beach,
the Rats hosted a newly-formed Amoskeag team, welcoming the visitors into the New
England Rugby Football Union with a sound 63-0 defeat in their inaugural match. River
boasted a slew of talent and a roster of depth, easily overpowering their opponents while
utilizing all available subs and still loaning some players to round out the visiting squad.
Tries were plentiful in both halves for Charles River. Starting Wingers Katy Wilks
and Julia Messing led the scoring, tallying three tries and two tries, respectively, all in the
first half. Center Maegan Hoover touched down two tries in the first half as well. With
Fullback Alex Schmidt converting four kicks, River had amassed a 43-0 lead by the
referee’s halftime whistle. The plentiful River tries came on the strength of a
phenomenal pack performance up front. River dominated possession, rucking
consistently over Amoskeag throughout the game. The green and orange bulldozed
Amoskeag in scrum play, stealing six possessions in the first half alone. Messing’s first
try stemmed from an Amoskeag put-in captured by River, as did Hoover’s. The ever-
technically spectacular front row trio of Alicia Evangelista, Lisa Natalicchio, and
Jehanne Junguenet set an impossible standard for Amoskeag to match. Powerhouse
locks Anne Beaumont and Kara McAuliffe helped drive the Rat Pack consistently over
Amoskeag, while flankers Whitney McCoy and Amanda Bernasconi pressured
Amoskeag without hesitation.
Bernasconi, flanking the pack, played an impressive match for the Lady Rats.
Bernasconi flew off the scrums all morning, bringing with her an aggressive tackling style
that knocked several Amoskeag carries loose. Bernasconi was recognized later by
captains Evangelista and Jenn Van Kuren as the Forward of the Game. Her tackles
infectiously energized an accelerating Rat Pack into a series of mercilessly hard hits.
Vet lock McAuliffe also knocked several balls out of Amoskeag’s stunned hands in the
first half, as did Chrissy “C” Andronico, coming from the 8-man spot. Combining power
and finesse, the River forwards displayed precise vision and flow, passing and running
through Amoskeag territory with ease. Junguenet and Evangelista connected several
times on short passes, and Andronico showcased an agility and speed finely tuned over
the off-season. With ball carriers tackled, the River forwards fluidly maintained
possession with nearly instantaneously-formed rucks. They maintained possession with
little challenge from Amoskeag.
River’s transition game through the halfbacks shined all morning. Scrumhalf Erin
Gillespie dug the ball out of scrum play with ease as Andronico communicated with and
held the pack. Gillespie’s sure hands coupled with the well-greased pivot point created
by flyhalf Rachel Gaines’ noteworthy play. Gaines read the Amoskeag defense
throughout the match, both calling and facilitating the back line plays that would lead to many River tries. Gaines earned a Bitch of the Pitch nod for the River backs as she
orchestrated the aqueous transition across the line. For their part, the River backs
played Gaines’ calls to the note. Centers Amanda Martin and Maegan Hoover read the
field extremely well, alternately punching through openings in the Amoskeag defense
and dishing the ball down the line to Schmidt at fullback and out to explosive wings Wilks
and Messing.
In the second half, River showcased a deep and talented roster. Lori White and
Jess Ingram-Bee flanked the pack, continuing the swift running and rucking play of their
predecessors. Quick transition, led by scrumhalf Colleen Shea, led to an inaugural
Charles River try from rookie Rat Leigh Wilson at Center. Wilson made several gains for
River throughout the second half, pairing with Molly Desmond to create a strong, sure-
handed middle to the back line. Desmond and Wilson connected throughout the second
half, leading to several instances of forward progress for River as well as to Wilson’s try.
Andronico, too, made her presence felt in the second half. She touched down
two tries, one after Desmond plucked a loose ball from the air before threading the ball
through the River back line. In a clinic-type demonstration of support running, Andronico
followed, receiving the ball from a teammate in traffic and powering over the remaining
distance to the Amoskeag try line. Andronico’s second try, River’s last, came on the
strength of a pass from rookie Maggie Mink, playing in her inaugural match. Mink and
Andronico connected for two passes before Andronico broke up the left sideline for the
score. Between Andronico’s two scores, rookie wing Lane Standige broke on a long
run for her first try with River after a series of punishing tackles from the Rat pack. Jess
Ingram-Bee and Kara McAuliffe both knocked balls loose from Amoskeag, resulting in
River recoveries. Steph Wooler, subbing at flyhalf, rolled the ball out for Desmond and
Wilson. After Wilson sliced deftly through the Amoskeag defensive line, she dished the
ball to Junguenet waiting in forward support, who then saw Standige on the outside, who then took the ball into the try zone. The Rats finished the match with astaggering sixty-three points.
Afterwards, the Chuck River ladies hosted Amoskeag at Charlestown’s Tavern
on the Water for a sunny afternoon of socializing on Boston Harbor. Maegan Hoover,
who played well on both sides after loaning herself to a shorthanded Amoskeag, was
recognized by the visitors for playing alternately to their detriment, and then to their
advantage. Bernasconi and Gaines earned Player of the Game nods from their own
captains. The Lady Rats would like to thank all the fans that came to share their first
victory at Moakley, and Amoskeag for coming out to play and wish them good luck in the rest of their season.
River will travel to Springfield this Saturday, September 18th to challenge the Rifles in their second union match.
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