119 River Drive

In reaction to a windy, cloudy and cold but otherwise dry morning at Moakley Park two weeks go, the Lady Rats of Charles River Rugby unleashed a self-constructed deluge against their opponents. The Green and Orange A- and B-sides combined for a total of 119 points, while boasting an impenetrable defensive levee that held both North Shore and Amoskeag tryless through two games. The matches totaled 60-0 and 59-0, respectively.

In A-side play, The Rat Pack showcased a plethora of power and talent. Lane Standige at Flanker, and Chrissy “C” Andronico, at 8-man, both had tremendous games for the forwards. The pair would combine for six of River’s twelve tries—Andronico touching down four, and Standige two. All told, the River forwards would take nine of the twelve, with additional scores coming from Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh, Anne ‘Wales” Beaumont, and Kara McAuliffe from the scrum, with Junguenet nearly adding another in the second half. The Rat Pack united for an impressive combination of stolen possessions, with River taking a total of seven scrums and seven lineouts from North Shore. The prolific victory manifested itself on the back of a cohesive effort from the ladies of Charles River. Vet props Alicia Evangelista and Jehanne “Juggs” Junguenet led the rucking charge, maintaining possession for the Rats though supportive runs and superb on-field awareness. McDonagh played a noteworthy game, bringing a spark of aggression and quickness to the Rat’s Hooker position.

The speed of the Rat Pack, perhaps unmatched by any other scrum in NERFU, became apparently early against North Shore. Standige ran well throughout the match, including showcasing a burst of speed that allowed her to block a North Shore kick near the try line, then touch down the ricochet for her second score. Jenni Houde punched through the North Shore line on several occasions, while Andronico frequently required multiple tacklers to take her down.

River had its transition game on point against North Shore, on the strength of the veteran 9-10 combination of Erin Gillespie and Alex Schmidt. Gillespie balanced herself skillfully between forward and back play, facilitating seamless ball movement. Schmidt’s spatial awareness and sure hands resulted in both successful play calling and crisp execution for the River back line.

In the back line, the speedy Emily Cody punched in two tries from the wing. Hands were sharp through the back line of centers Amanda Martin and Lizzie Chapman, Captain Jenn “JVK” VanKuren at Fullback, and Katy Wilks on the wing. Martin and Amanda connected seamlessly, punching through the North Shore defensive line with ease. Martin displayed a strong rucking game, quickly circling in behind her linemates in support. Wing Katy Wilks stayed active from the outside, preventing any North Shore advances from turning the corner.

Late in the game, River again displayed its depth and versatility. Cody played a strong end of the game at Scrumhalf, including taking down her North Shore counterpart from a scrum late in the second half. Diana Ekman and Krystyna Koz subbed in at wing, and both immediately made their presence known on lengthy gains from either side. Long-time veteran Kara McAuliffe brought her high Rugby IQ and aggressive tackling style into the second row. Her efforts would earn her a try in the second half.

All told, River would amass 60 points, clearly overpowering a North Shore squad full of new faces. With the victory, River evened itself out to a 1-1 record. After the match, Captains Jenn “JVK” VanKuren and Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio recognized Lane Standige (Flanker) and Emily Cody (Wing/Scrumhalf) as Players of the Game for Charles River, both well deserved.

In B-side action, the Charles River second side took on an inexperienced Amoskeag squad. The Rats nearly matched the score collected by their A-side counterparts, toppling Amoskeag 59-0. Forwards and backs combined for a well-balanced team effort, controlled ball possession, and technical discipline (with River accumulating only two penalties during the match). Forwards were led by the tremendous efforts of Susan Lackey and Deirdre Murphy. Lackey hosted an on-field rucking clinic for Charles River, almost singlehandedly maintaining ball possession through many breakdowns in the first half. Murphy powered through Amoskeag all afternoon, punching in tow tries and making numerous tackles even despite suffering what turned out to be a broken hand in the first half. Newcomer Jordan Lavy had a strong game at scrumhalf for the Green and Orange. Lavy displayed a sure set of hands through set play and loose play, as well as unrelenting pressure on her counterpart from Amoskeag throughout the match. Jordan Ciciliano added a score from Flanker, Kara McAuliffe and Sabrina Neuman built a strong base in the Rat Pack from the second row. A-side Scrumhalf Erin Gillespie also turned some heads as she displayed a side of power to compliment her usual finesse, sliding into the prop position with very few growing pains. Gillespie would march in for a try in the second half.

The Chuck River backs displayed excellent communication, concentration and skill throughout the match. Flyhalf Miranda Wakimoto and Inside Center Sarah “Bee” Wetherbee had great chemistry in the line. The pair combined for six of River’s eleven tries, Wakimoto for four and Wetherbee for two. Despite the wind, the backs displayed strong ball movement down the line, from the sure hands of Wakimoto, through Wetherbee, Molly Desmond at Outside Center, Val Winger at Fullback, and the expeditious Ekman and Koz on the wings.

The combined effort left little room for Amoskeag to capitalize on available opportunities. At referee Julie Butner’s final whistle, Charles River’s second side had accumulated 59 points. Rat Captains VanKuren and Natalicchio recognized Center Molly Desmond and 8-man Deirdre Murphy as Players of the Game for the second side. Amoskeag recognized Wakimoto, who had drawn their attention with her stellar efforts. Through two matches, Charles River had collected a combined squad total of 119 points on the afternoon, a new club record. The Lady Rats would like to thank the fans that joined them at Moakley, North Shore and Amoskeag for traveling down for the matches, and Stadium Bar and Grill of South Boston for hosting the teams after the matches.