River Welcomes New Coach, Jumps to 2-0 Start

The Charles River Women’s Rugby Football Club has hired Jessica Balogh as the head coach for the fall 2011 season. Balogh joins River after returning from the west coast, having spent her club years with the Seattle Breakers after attending Bowdoin College in Maine. Balogh brings twelve years of playing experience and several years of coaching experience to the Lady Rats. She has seen early success with the green and orange, leading River to an undefeated start to the season.

Charles River grabbed their first on-field win and second overall victory after defeating the Springfield Rifles 25-12 last Saturday, September 17th. Their first scheduled match resulted in a forfeit in River’s favor, after the Middlesex Barbarians failed to round out a full roster for the game. River gained a technical 7-0 victory, but lost the opportunity to win a try bonus from their first opponents.

The Lady Rats exploded over the Rifles early in their second match, well-prepared for a Springfield squad that has given them trouble in the past. Pace was set early by a speedy Rat squad looking to capitalize on an uneven Springfield back line. With newly-minted scrumhalf Susan Lackey directing play, the Ratpack pushed unrelentingly at Springfield in the early minutes. Rat veterans Jehanne “Juggs” Junguenet and Chrissy “C” Andronico rucked with force throughout the game, but were particularly sharp in the first half as they helped River maintain the bulk of possession time. River maintained 26 of 30 rucks in the first half, while stealing the ball 6 times from Springfield. By the 17-minute mark, the Rats had punched two tries, one from commanding Flyhalf Alex Schmidt on a burst inside 10 meters, and the second from power-running Inside Center Amanda Martin.

Merciless Flankers Kara McAuliffe and Danielle “Dollar” McDonagh pounded the Springfield forwards through the middle. The Rifles tried to cycle the ball out, but the Charles River back line stymied nearly every attempt to punch through. The speedy wings of Springfield were unable to capitalize on several opportunities, as River’s defense continued to look sharp deep into the first half. Rat wings Julia Messing and Molly Desmond shut down the Rifles on the outside.

Susan Lackey continued to impress, playing an aggressive style at Scrumhalf that her Rifle counterpart was unable to match. She orchestrated a clean transition for Flyhalf Alex Schmidt, who called plays alertly through the game. River had punched in two more tries by minute 35, with Fullback Katy Wilks turning the corner on one, and Outside Center Sarah “Bee” Wetherbee cutting through the line on a sharp rub for the other.

The Ratpack was outstanding in scrum play all game, powered by Second Rows Anne “Wales” Beaumont and Sabrina Neuman. The sure foot of Captain Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio at Hooker retained every River put-in on the afternoon, stealing one from Springfield in the process. 8-man Lane Standige was tremendous in lineouts, stealing 7 Springfield lineouts in the first half and two in the second when lifted.

River took a commanding 25-0 lead early in the second half on a try by Flanker Kara McAuliffe. Production and play slowed, though, for River late in the game. The Rats appeared to have relaxed on the 5-try lead, and Springfield gathered some momentum late in the game. On the strength of a slew of Charles River penalties, the Rifles charged down the field, gathering an 8-man pushover try at the middle of the field at 71:00 minutes. A tiring River squad let up just before the end of the match, allowing Springfield a final try at 79:00. Despite the late lethargy, there were bright spots for the Rats, including a sharp late-game performance by Cassie Cox, returning from a lengthy knee injury. Cox subbed in at Outside Center and looked to have not missed a beat in her time off. Other highlights include an inaugural performance from rookie Julie Trautwein, joining the squad from Holy Cross RFC. River had built itself enough of a lead to win the game comfortably, 25-12, despite a late letdown.

The Lady Rats gratefully accepted the first active win, celebrating a 2-0 start to the young season. The green and orange would like to thank Springfield for traveling to meet them, as always. They would also like to thank the fans that came to support the squad in their first match, and Stadium Bar & Grill of Old Colony Ave in South Boston for hosting a wonderful social. http://stadiumbars.com/boston/ The Rats would also like to congratulate their stars of the game, Susan Lackey at scrumhalf, Kara McAuliffe at Flanker, and Springfield’s pick, Chrissy “C” Andronico at prop.

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.