Smith blows Rugby's bulwark into smithereens

Author: Simon Keyes

Good news and bad news for Middlebury's women's rugby team. The bad news is that it lost to Smith College 20-12 on Sept. 29. The good news is that, the team will get a second chance for a home victory, this weekend, when Mount Holyoke comes to Middlebury.

After a convincing win at Colby-Sawyer, in which the team piled on 44 points, the Panthers had some difficulty putting points on the scoreboard.

During pre-game warm-ups, captain Jessica Weiss '08 noticed the obvious size differential between the two teams.

"This weekend posed a challenge as the Smith forwards were much bigger and stronger," wrote Weiss in an e-mail.

However, the difference in personnel was not a foreign concept to Weiss, and she remained confident in her team.

"While we are often overpowered by physical size, we have a quick and athletic team," wrote Weiss, "and usually use this to our advantage by getting the ball out to the wings and running it down the field."

The Panthers performance out of the gates early did nothing to belie Weiss's assertions of her team. Kristina Brown '10 displayed some shifty moves and true grit to plunge into the end-zone, putting the Panthers ahead 5-0. Brown's classmate, Sophie Dorot '10, converted on the kick to tack on two more points.

However, Smith responded quickly with a penalty kick, and the match soon became a back-and-forth battle of attrition.

The Class of 2010 stepped up again for the team as Jackie Montagne '10 found the end zone. Once more, though, the Pioneers were up to the challenge and came right back with two scores. After the smoke cleared on the exciting first half, the Panthers went to the break down by one point, 13-12.

After a grueling first half, the Panthers did not back down, at least not on defense. The team surrendered only one score and kick in the second half as the Pioneers extended their lead to 20-12. The size of Smith's players may have finally taken its toll on the undersized Panthers as Middlebury failed to find the end zone or the uprights in the second half.

There were a lot of positives to be taken from the loss, however, and Weiss remained optimistic. The athletic play of the team was a real highlight, but what Weiss was especially pleased with were the contributions from the first-years on the team.

"Strong performances by rookie prop Avery Rain '11 and rookie flanker Emma Lennon '11 helped us win the ball in rucks and open field play," wrote Weiss.

With the road trip over, the Panthers finally get the opportunity to play on their home field, this time looking to continue their strong play and to pick up a win over Mount Holyoke this weekend.