Rats Capture Division Title at NERFU Tournament

After being awarded only a paper plate, decorated by New England Rugby Football Union Coordinator, Neil Foley, to show for their placement at the 2010 NERFU Tournament, the Charles River Lady Rats departed for Newport in 2011 hungry for hardware. They arrived back to Boston having not disappointed. The Green and Orange took the Division III title, in a shutout sweep of their opponents. The Rats amassed 73 points during the tournament, while holding the opposition scoreless. En route to their title, Charles River handily defeated the Northshore and Springfield Women’s Rugby Clubs, by scores of 41-0 and 32-0, respectively.

On the point of Fort Adams State Park in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island, the River ladies threw down the rugby gauntlet in the Division III bracket. They took the pitch first against Northshore, pressing the opponents back early when Lock Anne “Wales” Beaumont forged her way into the try zone for the Rats, only to be held up on the attempt. River rallied on the resultant 5-meter scrum, though, when Center Amanda Martin punched in a try after a nifty switch play orchestrated by Flyhalf Jenn “JVK” VanKuren. Veteran kicker Alex Schmidt threaded the uprights for the conversion, putting River up by the only scores they would need. The Rats pelted Northshore with pressure. Highlights include back-to-back crushing hits dealt by Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh and Kara McAuliffe, both of which knocked the ball loose from Northshore’s hands, and Scrumhalf Erin Gillespie’s unrelenting attack on her counterpart, which led to several turnovers. Chrissy “C” Andronico, too, brought her trademark bite to the match for River.

Aggressive advances from the talented Rat Pack framed River’s second try. Quick runs from Jehanne “Juggs” Junguenet, Lane Standige, Beaumont, and McAuliffe framed an impressive display of communication and hands through River’s back line. Emily Cody took the scoring honors for River, but not before passing through the entire back line of Gillespie, VanKuren, Martin, Julia Messing, and out to the wing for the score. The speedy Julia Messing capped the half with two more tries—one assisted by a long run from Standige, and one on a long break down the sideline. The veteran front row trio of Junguenet, Hooker/Captain Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio, and Alicia Evangelista, left little room for Northshore advantage through scrum play, and River rounded out the first half with a comfortable 26-0 lead after Schmidt went 3 for 4 on conversions.

Wing Katy Wilks added two tries in the second half—one on the strength of a pass-run combination from VanKuren to Messing to Wilks, and the other after a supreme personal effort from Susan Lackey, who ran unchecked through several defenders. Elise Overgaard held the pressure at Lock, after subbing in. Molly Desmond ran consistently throughout the match, seizing opportunities where available, and utilizing excellent ball management skills through breakdowns. River added their final try after a nifty steal by Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh, who ran with the ball before dishing to Amanda Martin through the middle. At the referee’s discretion, the match was ended five minutes early as a No-Contest, and Charles River took a 41-0 victory.

After a brief layover, the Rats re-laced their boots to take the pitch against the Springfield Rifles. Galvanized by the tilt against Northshore, Charles River came out firing like their opponents’ namesake. Powerhouse Center Amanda Martin charged at Springfield early, on a run through the middle. After a series of forward possessions, including a nicely-wrangled lineout, strung together by a fiery Rat Pack, Amanda Martin again took the ball in for Charles River after a switch from VanKuren. VanKuren’s skill in deception would be on display again minutes later, as she scored on a run through the middle after a well-thrown dummy that crossed up the Springfield defense. The River possession, though, had been made possible by an aggressive poach from Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh, who was amidst her second very strong showing on the afternoon. Standige took the kicking honors in River’s second game, and laced her first NERFU tournament conversion on VanKuren’s try. Forward-to-back transition was again smooth for the Lady Rats, as long-time Scrummie Erin Gillespie moved the ball effortlessly. Alex Schmidt made a noteworthy run on a newly-constructed River play, while forward Whitney McCoy played solidly through pack play for the Lady Rats. Emily Cody broke free for the Rats at the end of the half, but was halted on a high tackle just before reaching the try line. McDonagh was there for the score off the resultant scrum at 5 meters.

In the second half, River captains Jenn VanKuren and Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio displayed great confidence in the depth of the Green and Orange, as they elected to fill all of their allowable substitutions at the start of the second half. They were not disappointed. Kate Etcheverry held the Hooker position, and Sabrina Neuman and Elise Overgaard helped the Rat Pack keep Springfield scoreless through the second half.

River’s second-half scoring drive was catalyzed by a sharp downfield kick from Lane Standige. Wing Katy Wilks and standout rookie Alex Hubelbank chased, picking up the ball for runs before Standige caught up to take it in for the score. Veterans Alicia Evangelista and Whitney McCoy led the Pack with poise, both running, rucking, and supporting teammates with clinical precision. Susan Lackey played a tremendous half, inspiring her teammates with conflagrant rucks and tackles.

Five more points were added to River’s tally on an Emily Cody breakaway run to the outside. Vet River Lock Anne “Wales” Beaumont garnered cheers from her team as she, too, charged down the field on a long breakaway run. With Springfield in pursuit, Beaumont dished to Katy Wilks, who was caught just yards short of the try line. Animated by the efforts from Beaumont and Wilks, and the tackles of Hubelbank and Lackey, though, River would maintain momentum through the end of the match. Lackey would make the final River try of the tournament on a spectacular personal effort in which she broke three tackles and stretched for the try line after a 5-meter scrum when Hubelbank’s attempt was held up.

The victories, amounting to 73-0 for Charles River against their opponents, earned the Lady Rats the New England Rugby Football Union Division III championship title. The Ladies in Orange and Green celebrated, and were awarded a cup for their efforts.

This tournament marked the end of the spring season for River, who will be playing in several tournaments but no scheduled divisional play through the summer months. River would like to thank and congratulate their long-time starting Prop and former captain, Alicia Evangelista, who played her final game as a Rat at the NERFU tournament. Evangelista will soon be leaving the Boston area to pursue career opportunities. Good luck Alicia! The Lady Rats would also like to thank all the fans that supported them through the spring season, as well as Stadium Bar & Grill of South Boston, MA, for sponsoring the Rats through the spring.

Stay tuned for information on tournament appearances through the summer, and enjoy the sunshine!

UP RIVER.

Rats Take Final Home Match, 43-7

A collectively smooth effort led the Charles River Rats cleanly over Middlesex last weekend at their home Moakley Park, 43-7. River utilized its speed and technical prowess to consistently break through Middlesex and maintain ball possession through most of the match.

The Orange and Green gained a quick score minutes into the match from Molly Desmond, who pushed a try in after a series of quick penalties to River. Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh and Emily Cody kept the early pressure on; McDonagh set the tone with an aggressive set of tackles and sharp runs from the Flanker spot, and Cody stole a Middlesex lineout to squelch an early opportunity for the visitors. She would steal several more as the morning progressed. Lane Standige, also at Flanker, played a very strong game for River. Standige punched in the Orange’s second try on a strong run from the 22-meter mark, evading several tackles in the process. She would add another in the second half on a 5-meter scrum following a strong personal effort by Jenni Houde, who powered through traffic deep in the Middlesex zone to set up the opportunity. Houde, too, would be rewarded for her efforts, as she touched down a score of her own soon afterwards.

The ever-prodigious Rat Pack catalyzed several breaks for River, with its consistent ball management and aggressive field presence. Captain Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio was sharp, making opportune pick-and-go plays that kept an expedient pace in River’s game. Alicia Evangelista drew attention with her low running and unwavering ruck support for teammates going into contact. The Middlesex Barbarians looked consistently to poach the ball during breakdowns, but the Rats fended off most attempts with strong ball placement. They countered with several steals made by Anne “Wales” Beaumont, and one from Houde as well, negating several Middlesex attempts to string together multiple phases. After Cody added an additional try near the end of the half, River found themselves enjoying a comfortable lead. Sure-footed veteran kicker Alex Schmidt laced her second conversion; Schmidt would convert four tries during the match.

River continued its sustained pressure into the second half—Standige added her second try early, while veteran Kara McAuliffe tied Middlesex ball carriers into mauls twice, resulting in play stoppage and a change in possession. The back line ran sharp cuts, crashes, and switches in tight. Center Amanda Martin added two tries to the tally, connecting with Captain Jenn “JVK” Van Kuren and Lizzie Chapman through the back. River’s depth was again on display, as rookie Elise Overgaard (Flanker) and Sabrina Neuman (Lock) entered the game and performed admirably. The Barbarians broke the shutout late, on a long run after a break through the River defense. The Rats countered, though—Alicia Evangelista made aggressive tackles late, and Wing Katy Wilks threatened another River try after a long run on a poached ball. The score would stay 43-7, though, and Chuck River would collect its second win for a season tally of 2-2—finishing 2-0 within their division during the regular season. Captains recognized forward Alicia Evangelista, who was playing in her final home game with the Lady Rats, after a long and inflential stay with the club. Lizzie Champman was also recognized for her strong play.

A fresh American International College team took the field against what proved to be a worn, motley B-side for Charles River. The AIC ladies came with aggression, bringing unwavering enthusiasm to the match. The visitors smartly leveraged their clear size advantage, drawing multiple Rats into tackle situations before pouncing on openings that resulted from the lopsided coverage. The Lady Rats enjoyed several sparks through the second side, but were unable to capitalize on gains and leverage a significant amount of momentum from AIC. The visitors finished having taken a 29-0 victory from the home team during the match. Captains Natalicchio and VanKuren recognized Deirdre Murphy for her strong play during the match.

Afterwards, the teams socialled at Stadium bar & Grill on Old Colony Road in South Boston, to enjoy some food and beverages after a full day of rugby. The Lady Rats would like to thank Middlesex and AIC for joining them on the pitch this weekend, for the fans that came to support them, and to Stadium for hosting the post-game festivities. Two Charles River teams will be in action tomorrow in Worcester, at a Mother’s Day 10s tournament hosted by the Shamrocks. The Rats look forward to enjoying varied competition tomorrow before playing in the annual NERFU Tournament next weekend in Newport.