Lady Rats leave Monsoons Weathered

The orange and green-clad ladies of Charles River pulled out a 66-0 shutout against former club rival North Shore Women’s Rugby on October 1^st. On yet another rainy, muddy fall Saturday, the Rats gathered at Moakley Park before a sparse crowd of resilient fans. River scored early and often, with Inside Center and former team MVP Amanda Martin leading the charge with three tries. The Ratpack was indomitable, led by the veteran front-row trio of Chrissy “C” Andronico, Captain Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio and Jehanne “Juggs” Junguenet. Despite a marked size advantage in the pack, North Shore was unable to gain much momentum in the face of the technically-superb River scrum. Second rows Kara McAuliffe and Jordan Ciciliano dug in, allowing little wiggle room for the North Shore push. McAuliffe would punch in two tries on the afternoon as well.

Charles River’s loose forwards have made names for themselves throughout the division this season, and the North Shore match bred no exception. The hard-hitting Flankers Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh and Susan Lackey punished ball carriers, while making aggressive advances themselves. Number 8 Lane Standige played a tremendous game, orchestrating the River scrum from the back, running with authority, and playing aggressive defense. Standige, liftee in the River lineouts, also stole several of North Shore’s throw-ins, forcing key possession changes.

River newcomer Julie “Traut” Trautwein made a strong showing from the pack, turning heads with her aggressive tackles and impenetrable defense. And Cassie Cox, gaining momentum each week after returning from a knee injury, showcased sharp running and tackling skills. With the stellar forward-back combination and spot-on kicking of Alex Schmidt, River amassed a 66 point total, boosting themselves to 4-0 on the season. The real headline, though, continues to be the Charles River defense, which has allowed only 12 points against through four matches played. After facing North Shore, River looks forward to a bye week, with a scheduled match against Burlington.