March 16, 2017
Vassar Women’s Rugby Lose to Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica
Photo: Vassar Athletics
Doug Coil
The Vassar Women’s team brought 32 athletes on the tour of Spain and won 29-12 against Unió Esportiva Santboiana (UES) in their first match on March 14th. and then end their tour on Tuesday, March 21 against the Manresa Women at 8:30 pm.
On March 15th they had the formidable task of facing the Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica (INEF), which is the physical education department of the University of Barcelona, and an open club. Their team included four international players, with Maria Lasada, Angela del Pan, and Maria Casado playing for the Spanish women’s national team and Alicia Stone playing on the German national sevens team. Vassar College Women’s rugby lost 42-0 against the Instituto Nacional de Educacion Fisica Women (INEF)
Although the Brewers camped on the hosts’ goal line early in the match, they were unable to put the ball over the line. Both Kate Sworden and Oshana Reich were close and Andi Ramsay was stopped short of the line.
INEF took a 5-0 lead as they got the ball wide and went in for a try. INEF controlled the scrums and were quick to the breakdowns. Vassar’s defense kept INEF from adding additional points, until the closing minutes of the first half where they added a converted try for a 12-0 lead at the break. Fullback Rachel Elson was particularly effective in making numerous try saving tackles.
In the second half INEF changed their tactics of moving the ball wide and attacked up the middle creating a numbers issue that INEF would exploit for the win.
The last match for Vassar on their Spain tour will be on Tuesday March 21st, 2017, against Manresa Women.
Vassar Women: 15 Rachel Elson 14 Abby Alexander 13 Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild 12 Alicia Menard-Livingston 11 Andi Ramsay 10 Mary Margaret McElduff 9 Jennie To 1 Kate Sworden 2 Marron McConnell 3 Mariah Ghant 4 Miranda Scarlata 5 Lauren Workman 6 Claire Fondrie-Teitler 7 Nathalie Freeman 8 Oshana Reich.
Subs: Kayla Lightner for Andi Ramsay and Sarah Mawhinney for Claire Fondrie-Teitler. Additional squad players: Ellen Quist, Amy Hansen, Dylan Joyner, Sam Sample, Danielle Kaminski, Kayla Vasquez, Catherine Gladstone, Olivia Clopton Foster, Charlotte Benoit, Caroline James, Kristina Catomeris, Lizzie Bennett, & Makenna Emery.
