MCRC opens with victory over Harvard

The Middlebury men’s rugby team bested the Harvard Crimson this weekend in a tough warm-up match that resulted in a Panther victory of 33-17. Although Harvard had possession of the ball for most of the first half, the MCRC was relentless as they reclaimed control in the second half and came out on top.

With the return of Ben Cmelja ’11, Zach Bills ’11 and Drew Harasimowicz ’11 from abroad, the MCRC appears ready for a dominating season. Within the first four minutes Middlebury won a penalty within striking distance and co-captain Brian Sirkia ’12.5 kicked to score the first points of the day; he would go on to hit two other penalty kicks and convert two of the four Middlebury tries.

“We stayed in control by not making usual first game mistakes like forcing passes and being timid in the tackles,” said Sam Harrison ’11. “We communicated well, played with our heads and sacrificed our bodies.” Chris “Calves” Vandergrift ’11 contributed a key play of the game when he intercepted a skip pass and made a 60-meter fast break down the field to score. Another exciting moment came when a great team effort from forwards’ captain Rowan Kelner ’12 and winger Dylan Whitaker ’13 resulted in Kelner outpacing the Harvard defenders to dive onto the ball and add another five points to the scoreboard. Sirkia also had a few great runs that left the Crimson defense in the dust, a fond reminder of how the co-captain earned the nickname “Bry-guy the Try-guy” during the 2009 National Championship spring season.

“We knew our forwards were a strong bunch, but it was really good to see the back line creating space in open play and swinging the ball to Mugo out on the wing,” said Sam Harrison ’11. Kennedy Mugo ’12, after taking a season-long break from rugby in the spring, used his speed and agility to score two tries for the Panthers.

The team set the tone for what looks to be a very successful season. With the large percentage of seasoned veterans on the team, the return of a few key players from abroad and several sparks of new energy, the Middlebury men’s rugby team is motivated to work hard every day in preparation for their upcoming season.

“We took a lot of positives away from the game, including only giving up two tries despite having a fraction of the possession,” said Brian Sirkia ’12.5. “It also showed us that we have a lot work to do before we become a national level contender and meet our full potential.”

The MCRC officially opens up their season Saturday, Sept.18 as they take on the Norwich Cadets at home at 1:00 PM.