MCRC falls in Sweet Sixteen of national championship

The Middlebury College Rugby Club (MCRC) saw their hopes at a repeat national championship come to an end last weekend, as the team failed to advance out of the Sweet 16 round. Thirteenth-seeded Middlebury faced off against fourth-seeded Miami of Ohio in Saturday’s matchup, a game that turned out to be far closer than the disparity in the teams’ rankings would imply.

In an extremely hard-fought, gut-wrenching performance, the Middlebury side left everything on the field despite a rocky first-half performance.

Both teams came out of the gates hard, and the Middlebury offense was spearheaded by the dominating kicking performance of captain Brian Sirkia ’12.5 as well as the speedy play of winger Zach Withers ’11.5.

The score remained close until the final 10 minutes of the opening period, in which the Blue defense allowed its opponents 17 points, losing their 10-7 advantage to end the half behind 24-10.

The second half, however, saw a rejuvenated Middlebury team regain the field and its honor. Infused with fresh legs in the form of the fearlessly aggressive Sam Harrison ’11, club president Blake Hinckley ’10 and new Feb Ben Stasiuk ’13.5, the team put Miami of Ohio under pressure early and was relentless for the remainder of the game.

The Blue limited their foe to three points in the half, and meanwhile demonstrated continued strong kicking and an incredible comeback drive.

“In the second half we fought back and salvaged our character,” said Kelner.

“In the end we only lost by four and I think that is a testament to the mental strength of the guys on the field.”

The match came down to the final play of the game, yet despite a brilliant effort the MCRC fell 27-23, resulting in its elimination from the tournament.

The team played a consolation game on Sunday morning, in which it took out the full fury of its disappointing loss from the day before, crushing Cal Maritime 40-22.

“The consolation game was a really important win for the club,” said Kelner.

“To go out on a high note after the disappointment of Saturday really salvaged the weekend for us.”

Seniors Blake Hinckley ’10 and Brendan Leanos ’10, captaining the team in their final career game, delivered standout performances, and the team cruised to a satisfying victory.

Although the team’s championship dreams were foiled, the MCRC ended the season on a high note in terms of the drive and determination they exhibited in the tournament. The team graduates one starter and two substitutes, and given its plethora of young talent, the future looks bright for the club.