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.
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