W. Rugby ends season with heartbreaking loss

With no time left on the clock last Sat., Nov., 4, a referee made a questionable off-sides penalty call, and Vassar was able to make the ensuing kick, putting a final sour twist on an otherwise sweet season. The Bulldogs led favored Vassar, the No. 1 team in New York, 7-5 for most of the game before the closing three-point kick gave Vassar the 8-7 victory. "It was the most heartbreaking moment of my athletic career," Emily Lehrer, SM '03, said.

COURTESY WOMEN'S RUGBY The womens' rugby team scrum battling against Dartmouth.

Despite the disappointment of the final defeat, the team considered its improbable run to be an unquestioned success. In the shadow of Yale's varsity programs, the feisty womens' rugby team grappled with a lack of funding, inexperience, and injuries to make the division playoffs and finish their season ranked third in New England.

The Bulldogs entered this season in a wave of uncertainty. With 10 players graduating, the team needed to not only regroup on the field but also uphold the organization that keeps the team functional. Because they received only $1,000 from Yale and did not obtain training resources or transportation, the squad also functioned, in the words of Lehrer, as a "regional governing body" that raised money, washed clothes, arranged for buses, and managed the equipment.

However, according to the team, the story of this season did not rest in the details of bus travel, but on the dedication and athleticism exhibited on the field. That process started with the stellar play and steady leadership of Captains Elizabeth Halsey, MC '01, and Regina Fitzpatrick, BR '01.

While Fitzpatrick buoyed the defense with her kicking ability and excellent open-field play, the offense was helped by the strong play of Brooke Rosonke, BK '02, Miriam Seifter, JE '03, and the rookies, including Lauren Mutti, JE '04, who added enormous strength on the scrum (the pack of forwards). The youth of the team, thought to be a hindrance early in the year, now serves as a good nucleus for the future.

In addition to the talent that helped win games, the squad boasted an ever-increasing amount of teamwork and intelligent play. The women struggled during their first tournament—lacking chemistry and focus on the field, the new mix of players had trouble adjusting to each other's style of play.

However, the Elis channeled this early frustration into a commitment to fine-tuning their game. "The new combinations of players forced us to adjust," Lehrer said. "We improved our thinking about the game as the year progressed and now we understand in-game situations much better."

The team is trying to forget the Vassar loss by focusing on the future and the positive team spirit they fought hard to develop this season. "It was not always convenient to go to practice in the dark, cold weather and subject yourself to being tackled," Seifter said. "But afterwards we would always have a team dinner and laugh about it."

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