A colossal clash of Boston women’s rugby was set in dramatic fashion under the lights of Moakley Park’s turf field last Friday night. Charles River hosted the second squad of Beantown for an 8:30 PM match. The teams battled back and forth in a fast-paced, aggressive show during which both sides offered up their bodies and their resolve. In the end, the Beantown ladies topped the Rats by two scores, handing the home team a 22-10 loss, their first of the season.
A torrid pace marked much of the match, alarmingly setting the tone in the early minutes. Despite the plausible advantage of a wide field to River’s speed game, the Beantown forwards tied the ball up relentlessly, keeping a largely pack-to-pack contest through the middle. The Ratpack shined all night, however, standing their ground against a strong Beantown squad with a penchant for maul play. Gains for each side were plentiful, but the contest was marked by long stands and momentum shifts through the center 2/3 of the pitch, making for a rubbery back-and-forth that both sides would sustain almost continually.
The River ladies struck first, after setting the stage with a well-placed kick from Flyhalf Alex Schmidt, followed by a series of short carries involving both River forwards and backs running in support. Jehanne Junguenet, at the start of a very strong evening performance, carried for River. Veteran 8 Chrissy “C” Andronico also made a gain for River, as did Center Maegan Hoover, and Flanker Lane Standige. River rucked consistently and with strength, maintaining an almost unbroken possession string as they pushed into Beantown’s end. River’s fleetfoot Wing Katy Wilks made the final put-down, after the roll over the try line had been a group effort laden with strong forward rucking and skillful ball retrieval from Scrumhalf Erin Gillespie. The Lady rats went up 5-0. The bout heightened as Beantown recoiled from the early River score. Strong kicks from Alex Schmidt and Fullback Lizzie Chapman temporarily dispersed Beantown’s encroachment on the try zone. After a long push down the field, however, the visitors tied the score at five apiece.
Beantown made a push down to the River end again after a series of offside penalties to the Rats. Scrumhalf Erin Gillespie held up a Beantown try attempt, while Lock Whitney McCoy and 8-man Chrissy “C” Andronico halted consecutive mauls. The Ratpack, consistently a force to be reckoned with, wheeled a scrum deep in their defensive end, winning possession back for Charles River. In the face of Beantown’s sustained pressure, Flanker Lane Standige and Inside Center Amanda Martin pressured the Beantown offensive with relentless persistence. Standige and Martin, along with Lock Kara McAuliffe, unleashed several punishing tackles that backed Beantown off the try line. River’s talented hooker Lisa Natalicchio stole Beantown’s put-in on the next scrum, and the kicks of Alex Schmidt and Lizzie Chapman gave the Lady Rats some much-needed breathing room. Through the final minutes of the half, the teams returned to their aggressive contest for ground through the middle. Both squads saw yardage gains and losses. The half ended with the 5-5 tie sustained.
Encouraged by their robust first half, the River ladies took the field with eyes aflame. A series of short gains powered the Lady Rats down the field. Andronico was murderous in her tackling game, barely giving Beantown any room to maneuver. Jehanne Junguenet and Alicia Evangelista set the standard for rucking and ball possession to start the latter part of the match. It was a spectacular individual effort from Outside Center Maegan Hoover, however, that led to Charles River’s second try. Outside the 22-meter marker, Hoover received the ball, approaching the Beantown defense. Hoover punched through the initial line, accelerating in the face of tackling pressure. Executing a brilliant set of stutter-steps and spin moves, she bounced off several Beantown defenders, maneuvering her way through pressure and into the try zone. The ladies in orange celebrated wildly.
With the score 10-5, the teams returned to the battle for ground. Captain Alicia Evangelista continued to foil Beantown’s forward carries though the middle. River’s Flankers, Jess Ingram-Bee and Lane Standige, popped from aside the scrum with exemplary agility, leaving Beantown few strategic options from set play. The Beantown ladies continued to draw the Rats into mauls. McAuliffe, Andronico, and McCoy stood their ground, slowing the advantage. Again, however, Beantown knocked on River’s doorstep. The Rats held fiercely, holding up a Beantown try attempt. A subsequent attempt to kick for points missed the mark for the visitors, and, after a scrum to Beantown on the resulting River knock-on, the Lady Rats wheeled the scrum and regained possession. Pressure mounted far inside the 22-meter mark, until another skillful kick from Schmidt cleared play from the area. Scrappy play elevated the intensity level; both teams saw opportunities brighten and fade. Beantown’s sustained pressure would manifest itself in points, though, when they would finally push through near the center of the pitch. With a conversion to follow, the visitors took the lead, 10-12.
The Rats surged back, and even play continued into the middle of the second half. Possessions were alternatively strung together and broken for either side. McCoy and Andronico again presented a solid rucking game that benefited River. Junguenet made several short carries through the middle, while Colleen Shea, in at Flanker, kept the pressure on from set play. Amanda Martin, a formidable tackling/ball carrying threat all night, held the middle of the line steadfastly. Despite that the game was largely played in the middle of the field, Beantown’s next try came on a break around the outside. River’s defensive aggression through the back line wavered late in the game, and Beantown took advantage. They would score once on a long run around the outside after a break through the middle, and again minutes later on two back-to-back lengthy gains.
The Lady Rats’ efforts never wavered, and they made a push for another score as time dwindled. River ran and popped down the back line from a throw-in past midfield, only to be handcuffed by the sideline. Beantown’s maul attempts were foiled late in the game by River powerhouses Kara McAuliffe and Chrissy “C”Andronico. Despite the shining effort from the pack, coupled with Scrumhalf Erin Gillespie’s unwavering handiwork pulling the ball out, the Lady Rats were unable to capitalize in the final minutes. At the game’s end, Beantown emerged victorious, topping Charles River 10-22.
The River ladies congratulated themselves on a well-played match, sparkling with talent as well as perseverance. Captains Alicia Evangelista and Jenn “JVK” VaKuren recognized the skilled, versatile play of Rookie Lane Standige in the pack. They also lauded Amanda Martin, punisher of ball carriers and purveyor of “the heart of a lion”, as articulated by VanKuren. Beantown recognized Charles River Captain and svelte Prop Alicia Evanglista for being “pound-for-pound the hardest hitter in the league.”
The Lady Rats would like to thank their fans for coming out to support them during this memorable Friday night matchup under the lights. They will travel to Worcester’s Crompton Park this Saturday, to take on the Shamrocks at the foot of the College of the Holy Cross. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00PM.
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