Amherst College: Match Reports and Chronicled Miscellany

10/13/2012, Amherst at ECSU

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:42:13 +0000

10/13/2012, Amherst at ECSU Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 4:42 PM

On a deceptively sunny Saturday morning (it was real Cold), the Amherst squad formed up in the tennis court lots to embark on the one-and-a-half hour drive to Willimantic to face up against the undefeated ECSU Warriors, putting their own 18 game winning streak on the line. The new Head Coach, Kent Newcomb, had been running the Lord Jeffs into the ground the past week in preparation for what he knew would be the tightest match of the regular season. Through mud and blood the Jeffs had slogged through their drills, and after a rehabilitating team dinner and breakfast were well-prepped for the challenge.

Before departing in four personal vehicles and a loaned Amherst van, barrel-chested forwards captain Joe Moffitt exhorted each player to “have no conversations during the ride with anybody other than yourself. Get yourselves ready. Visualize three things you want to accomplish on the field today.” Newcomer and King of the Rookies Will Brothers echoed the sentiment with a loud “Whoop!” and a click of his Texas cowboy heels, and the team was off.

Hours passed without incident.

The cars arrived at the field-side lot over the course of twenty minutes, to see the fully-assembled Warriors team already filling their half of the field. Perhaps not astonishing given the size of their school, they counted a full 50 players dressed in the uniforms of their various sides. This contrasted with the smaller Amherst contingent of 22. Having overestimated the time to arrival, the Jeffs were left with a full two hours before kick-off. The team began to increase its focus and players loosened their muscles, passing, kicking, and stretching on the field before the warm-up began in earnest. From there, Coach Newcomb ushered the team to an adjacent field to keep the rest of warm-ups hidden from ECSU’s view. The backs ran lines and worked on kicking, while the forwards honed their 7 man, 4 man, and 2 man line-outs and reviewed the super-secret, never-failing “Juggernaut” play. As gametime approached, Coach Newcomb stood in the center of the bound-up team, delivering a speech “like he used to tell in his playing days,” reminding the boys of their identity as rugby players, their superior skill, and their tenacity. The team was truly jazzed and ready to take down ECSU, especially after some rousing primal exclamations from bearded backs captain Nick Parada after the coin toss.

Moffitt returned the opening kick-off with a five yard dash into the enormous ECSU lock #5, a 6’5” 250 lb. DI football transfer. The team soon found out that although #5 was a quick-footed charger, his rugby skills were questionable, and we were able to neutralize him for the rest of the game with solid rucking and tackling from rookie prop Kody Weaver and flanker Kir Chowdhury. The flow of the first half soon developed to a rhythm of running and rucking, with the backs mixing in a slew of kicks to ECSU’s shoddy fullback and wings. Despite the mediocre ball-handling skills of ECSU they displayed a remarkable strength in their rucking, scrumming, and line-outs, engaging Amherst’s forward pack in a pitched battle for control of the ball. Through the best efforts of both teams, neither could keep possession for more than a few carries, the ball bouncing between teams for the full forty minutes without a try. Amherst was able to cash in on two penalty kicks courtesy of resident stud Nick Parada, but no vulnerable penalties were conceded by Amherst, holding ECSU scoreless in the first half.

Notable efforts during those first forty minutes included the selfless sacrifice of starting hooker Rob Cross, who stormed a hopeless three-man ruck to win possession back for his team at the cost of the left side of his face. He was helped field to be replaced by the uppity Mark Roh. More injuries were sustained by freshman lock Jason “J Kuan” “Jay Z” “Public Urination” Kuan with a wayward ‘bow from teammate Jordan Pinsky “right in the nose” and the unrelenting digging of Joe Moffitt’s knuckles in the midst of the very contested scrums. To finish up the half, Amherst served up a demoralizing goal line stand to the pressing Warriors, handing them their first scoreless half of the season.

The second half was opened with a cross-field kick to ECSU’s outside center, who was able to scream up the sideline and advance an awakening 50 yards before he was brought down by a host of embarrassed Jeffs. The play in the second half was characterized by constant kicks out of hand, thoroughly tiring both teams in the chases. ECSU, taking advantage of their great depth, began to substitute many of their forward players. This, while giving Andrew Mowry the advantage in the lineouts and the whole pack the dominance in the scrums, provided the Warriors with sets of fresh legs that Amherst couldn’t match. The game began to devolve into a contest between beleaguered skill and more amateur but energized play.

The mood on the field, however, took a sudden turn at the 55^th minute, when rookie fly half Sam Seham scooped an errant ECSU pass from the turf and sprinted 60 yards past the screaming Connecticut fans to earn his first try (and the honor of a Zulu). The Warriors, with their perfect season hanging in the balance, began to live up to their name: tempers on the field escalated to a point not usually seen away from the Williams game, and fists began to fly at the bottom of rucks and in the depths of the mauls. Micah Rotich, unsuspecting at the front of a ruck after the whistle had been blown, was blindsided by ECSU #19, a prop with 150 lbs on Micah’s Kenyan frame. Several players on each side immediately ran to clear the scene: play stopped for several minutes as the referee considered the best way to proceed after this obvious infraction and the concurrent appearance of blood on ECSU #13’s forehead. Unsatisfactorily, no penalties were awarded.

A bevy of more such incidents followed, including the tackling of full back Nick Bruce into the sideline benches, and the sidelining play of Joe Moffitt, who brushed off a would-be tackler with a strong knee to the head. Amid this confusion and ugly temperament, the Warriors snuck a ball through Amherst’s line, scoring an evening try with easy conversion to bring the score to 13-7 Amherst. Excitement on the field was peaking to an absolute maximum, only tempered by the both teams’ fatigue due to 70 minutes of all-out exertion.

After five minutes of frustrating back and forth between the backs lines, the Warriors snaked another long return through to the Amherst 22. The unending supply of substitutes onto ECSU’s team strung together a hard-hitting sequence of crashes and pick-and-goes, culminating in a gut-wrenching and ill-earned try to bring the score to 13-12, Amherst, with only two minutes to play. The Warriors’ kicker lined up for an easy 20 meter conversion from the center of the posts. A short conversation came up between the referee and Amherst’s players about the regulations concerning the charge down: the conclusion that the Jeffs lined up shoulder to shoulder underneath the posts ready to scare ECSU’s poor kicker with an intimidating advance. Upon the kicker’s first forward motion, the Jeffs charged. Miraculously, the kicker completely shanked what may have been the easiest kick of his career, sending the ball flubbing into freshman Jeff Mark Hawkins. Exuberance exploded from the sidelines. But then: a whistle.

“Re-kick!”

“What?” the confused Amherst team looked around at themselves.

“Re-kick! Amherst touching the posts!”

Apparently, an Amherst player had been brushing the post with a shoulder before he charged, which endangered the concentration of the kicker. (Let alone that he must have been aiming at the corner flag.) Shocked at what seemed a display of outright manipulation by the referee, Amherst lined back up on the try line while the relieved ECSU kicker set back up for his kick. Amherst was hoping for a repeat performance, and ECSU, for a successful conversion. The hopes of his team buoyed the kicker to competency, though, putting the Warriors into the lead at 14-13.

Amherst fought with a passion for the few remaining minutes, desperate for a chance at kicking to salvage the game. Alas, it was not to be: the Warriors defense stood strong until the final whistle.

14-13 victory for East Connecticut State. We’ll see them again in the play-offs to avenge the loss of our three season winning streak.

Tags: match report

5/7/2011, Amherst vs. Williams

amowry14 — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:36:42 +0000

5/7/2011, Amherst vs. Williams Andrew M. Mowry Thursday, 8/29/2013, at 9:36 AM

The week of practice before the April 30^th home matchup against Williams was all business. The injuries and absences from the previous two weeks cleared up and Amherst’s full squad was finally fit and ready play. The tackle dummies donning Williams jerseys saw extensive use all week, and by Friday the team was rearing to have a go at the hated Williams “White Dogs”, who last fall bested Amherst in Williamstown.

After team breakfast, the boys arrived at the field early, some already with headphones on blasting pump-up tunes. The mood was serious, as Amherst was well aware they were facing an undefeated Williams side, and that their very own undefeated season was on the line. Soon enough Williams rolled up to the pitch, and with gritted teeth and furrowed brows Amherst began their warm-ups.

Amherst elected to receive the kickoff, and after gaining possession the forwards tried to test themselves against the larger William’s pack right off the bat. Solid possession allowed the backs to attack into the 22, nearly scoring on the line, but knocking on just short. The Williams side cleared their line and went on the attack.

Despite holding their own against pick-and-goes, the Amherst pack suffered a soft penalty at the breakdown, which Williams kicked to touch, pinning Amherst deep in the 22. The Williams’ forwards put up an impressive lineout, and brought the ball down into a maul, where the 8-man picked from the back and broke the Amherst defense, scoring beneath the posts. “Chubby-outside-center” looked to have improved his kicking from the last year, and successfully converted to make the score 7-0 to Williams.

The next 15 minutes saw Amherst’s discipline break down at the ruck and maul, conceding close to 10 penalties. Many of the calls were suspect at best, and Amherst buckled up for a bumpy ride with an inexperienced referee. Williams capitalized and kept the boys backpedalling. The Williams 8-man proved too much for the Amherst back three once again as he picked from a ruck and shrugged off the Amherst defense, scoring beneath the posts and giving “Chubby-outside-center” the easy kick.

Just before halftime Amherst finally began to apply pressure, but it was too little too late and the halftime whistle sounded, Amherst trailing 14-0. At half, Amherst made some changes. Junior Forward’s captain Chris “C-payne” Payne was taken out after he re-injured his shoulder (a separated AC suffered just 2 weeks prior), and junior Mark Petros (who had been abroad up until a few days before the match) stepped in. In the backs, freshman Micah Rotich came in at wing.

At the beginning of the second half Amherst resumed in building momentum. The chat at halftime got the boys thinking about penalties, and the whistle stayed silent long enough Amherst to get into the Williams half. A penalty was awarded, and Jon Christian “JC” Evensen tapped the ball and fed it to sophomore prop Joseph Moffit, who blasted through the Williams pack and scored. Parada failed to add the extras, making the score 5-14.

Amherst received the next kick off and didn’t relent, keeping the ball in Williams’ territory. Freshman wing substitute Micah Rotich chased every kick Parada put down the field, pressuring the Williams’ back three and forcing errors. One kick in particular sailed high and near the touch line, giving Rotich plenty of time to motor his 5’ frame over and deliver a crunching tackle right when the Williams’ fullback received the ball. Rotich drove the man into touch and the roars of the crowd boosted Amherst’s energy.

In the next phase, sophomore inside center Garrett McCoy took a short pop from Parada and crashed through the defensive line, giving a trademark stiff-arm and scoring a try. Parada converted, bringing Amherst to just 2 points down, 12-14.

It was clear at this point that Williams’ fitness was becoming an issue. Amherst kept them pinned on their own try line, but couldn’t manage to get the ball over. Williams finally cleared the ball, which senior veteran fullback Michael Halvorson received at about mid field. He trotted the ball forward to the 10 meter and then, with ice in his veins, ripped a 40 meter drop goal through the posts. Without breaking his poker face, Halvorson jogged back to the Amherst half for the kickoff. The sideline erupted once again, as Amherst gained the lead for the first time, 15-14.

Williams looked distressed, and their handling in the backs began to suffer. The Amherst back line flew up on defense and disrupted passes and clearing kicks. The result was once again an exhausted Williams pack, who was kept running backwards to ruck for their failing back line. It seemed impossible for Amherst not to score, and Mark Petros thought he had an easy try off a pick and go, only to knock on just inches short.

In the final minute, Amherst was awarded a penalty behind the 22 just inside the touch line. Parada elected to go for points and put the game out of reach of a Williams penalty kick. The kick sailed through, despite the classic heckling and shouts of “ginger”. The ref then checked his clock and had had enough, blowing the whistle and marking the end to an undefeated season.

Williams, with drooping heads, brought their jerseys over and handed them to their new owners, signaling the start of celebrations.

A 10 a side B-side match was played, with mixed sides showing class and sportsmanship.

Congrats to the boys on an undefeated season and especially the seniors.

Relentless,

ACRFC

Team Roster:

Left to right: (furthest back row) Sean Monaco, Emil Vasilev, Dan Schulwolf, Tim Poterbo, Tommy Fredrick, (Second row, standing) Robert Hopley, Joshua Russakis, Simon Gao, Mark Roh, Tom Burnett, Joseph Moffit, Andrew Maori, Julian Scott, Sam Smith, Kai Hsu, John Kush Maingi, Kevin Vega, "Kash Money", (Front row, kneeling)Alexander Coburn, Chris McHale, Michael Halvorson, Jon Christian Evensen, Chris Payne, Mark Petros, Robert Cross, Micah Rotich, (Lounging) Nicolas Parada, Garrett McCoy

4/23/2011, Amherst vs. Wesleyan

amowry14 — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:33:55 +0000

4/23/2011, Amherst vs. Wesleyan Andrew M. Mowry Thursday, 8/29/2013, at 9:33 AM

Here is the report from Saturday. Cheers.

This past Saturday’s match was an early 11:00 AM away game at Wesleyan. The team was missing the starting fullback, 8-man, inside center, and open-side flanker, which allowed the depth an opportunity to prove their mettle. Because of awful weather conditions, it was dubious as to whether or not the match could occur at all, but the Amherst boys made the drive anyway, only getting confirmation that the match was a go about halfway to Middleton.

When the vans and cars rolled up to the always too narrow and ill-kempt Wesleyan pitch, the team was greeted by 35 degree weather, a torrential downpour and excessive winds. After warming up in standing water, Amherst was informed that the Wesleyan EMT had not even arrived yet, meaning that Amherst was forced wait in the freezing rain and mud for another 45 minutes before the kickoff.

When the whistle finally blew, the frustrated Amherst side received the kickoff and proceeded to work the ball patiently into the Wesleyan half. Despite the awful conditions, there weren’t too many knock-ons, and the backs were able to move the ball and kick-and-chase into the Wesleyan 22. Soon enough Amherst was awarded a penalty about 15 meters from the line. Flyhalf Nicolas Parada surveyed his options before tapping the ball on the ground the scooping it up for a dash for the line. The surprised Wesleyan winger was unable to stop Parada as he blew through the tackle and touched down in the corner, conversion missed.

Despite great defense from Prop Joseph Moffit (who was captaining the forwards in 8-man Chris Payne’s absence) and Outside Center Julian Scott, the next few minutes saw Wesleyan mount an attack led by the forwards that resulted in a converted try scored under the posts. Amherst now trailed 7-5.

Amherst did well to halt Wesleyan’s momentum and put pressure on the Fullback with deep kicks. Daniel Schulwolf, who usually starts at wing, manned the 15 spot admirably in Senior Michael Halvorson’s absence. Everything that came at Schulwolf was promptly scooped out of the mud and returned into space. Parada had a few chances at goal in the end of first half, but only one dropped, making the score 8-7 at the half.

At the start of the second half the weather had only gotten worse and every player on the pitch was now covered head to toe in mud. The Wesleyan number 12 began the half by cutting a hole through the Amherst defensive backline, but a scrambling covering defense from Sophomore Lock Andrew Maori saved the lead.

The game began to slow down as the pitch’s condition worsened, and Wesleyan seemed to be gaining some momentum. Amherst responded by bombarding the Wesleyan Fullback with high balls from the boot that more often than not resulted in an Amherst put-in to the scrum. On such a scrum at the Wesleyan 22 near the end of the match, Parada took the pass from the scrum and slipped through the Wesleyan backline, easily beating the Fullback and scoring beneath the posts, conversion successful. Amherst now led 15- 7 with little time left.

Wesleyan nearly scored in the final minute after a ball squirted from the scrum, but a pass was thrown forward and the final whistle gurgled in the rain.

Congrats to the boys on a classic rainy day win away from home. This Saturday the 4-0 Amherst squad plays for an undefeated spring season in the Amherst-Williams classic. Do you live in the area? Come down and support the boys at Pratt Field on Saturday the 30th! Kickoff is at 1:00 PM.

Relentlessly thirsty for Williams’ blood,

ACRFC

4/2/2011, Amherst vs. Hartford University

amowry14 — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:32:52 +0000

4/2/2011, Amherst vs. Hartford University Andrew M. Mowry Thursday, 8/29/2013, at 9:32 AM

This weekend the Amherst boys traveled down to Hartford to face off against the Hartford University Hawks. The large campus, stellar facilities, and 40 plus member Hartford squad were an imposing sight for Amherst, who was traveling with weak numbers. The absence of veteran Thomas Burnett at outside center meant that rookie freshman Julian Scott would start his first game for Amherst. Rookie prop Chris McHale was also out for the weekend, giving sophomore rookie Tim Poterba the start.
During warm-ups it was made evident that while Hartford had numbers and size (their pack must have outweighed the Amherst pack by a few hundred pounds), they also seemed to have weak ball handling skills. It was obvious that Hartford would rely on their massive pack in a straightforward contest of strength and physicality.
Amherst received the kickoff and immediately kicked the ball deep into the Hartford 22. With forward momentum the Amherst forwards initially rolled over the larger pack, advancing with scoring intent. The shocked Hartford pack responded the charge by conceding a penalty. Although the penalty attempt was missed, the Hartford team was clearly shaken by the aggressiveness of the Amherst forwards.

The rest of the first half was marked by great build up in the backs that put the Amherst forwards in scoring position. But poor handling in contact saved Hartford time and time again as the ball was repeatedly knocked on. With so many stoppages, the Amherst scrum was really put to the test as they faced the larger Hartford scrum. But despite the size difference Amherst held their own, winning all of their own put-ins and on occasion driving the Hartford forwards back.
Near the end of the half, Amherst scored from a penalty in front of the posts kicked by back’s captain Nicolas Parada. With a majority of ball possession and field territory, the Amherst squad could well have been winning by a couple tries, but the half ended with Amherst leading by just 3-0.
At halftime energy was still high despite the brutal and slow pace of the game. Thumping tackles and mauls left both sides physically drained, giving the rookies a true baptism of fire, the likes of which can only offered by the game of rugby.

At the start of the second half Hartford scored off of a bit of loose play at half field, easily beating the last man with a 2 on 1. The conversion was missed, making the score 5-3.
Amherst surged back 10 minutes later after patiently working the ball through the backs, crashing with the forwards, and then spinning the ball out again. Outside center Julian Scott supported veteran center McCoy where a precise offload allowed him to skip through the Hartford defense and set up a ruck inside the 22.
Unfortunately, Amherst knocked on once again and conceded a scrum. But the relentless pressure had the Hartford forwards exhausted. The frustrated Amherst pack hit the scrum hard, forcing the ball to squeeze out the back of the Hartford side, where Amherst scrumhalf Jon Christian “JC” Evensen scooped and scored in the corner. With a nasty crosswind and hostile crowd behind him, Parada added the extras in style, silencing the rabble. Amherst now led 10-5, but with plenty of time left for Hartford to equalize.
The final 15 minutes of the match saw Amherst pinned on their own goal line. The Hartford forwards crashed and mauled the ball towards the line for what seemed like an eternity, but the Amherst defensive line held strong. Prop Joe Moffit led the defense with a manic aggression that left more the one Hartford player rolling on the pitch. With not a single ounce of energy left, Amherst was relieved by Hartford’s indiscipline at the breakdown. The ball was cleared and the final whistle sounded, releasing a chorus of groans from the Hartford sideline, and jubilation from the other. With a final score of 10-5 Amherst is now 2-0 on the season.

Congrats to the whole team and the rookies in particular on a hard fought victory away from home.

This Saturday Amherst hopes to go 3-0 against a strong Eastern Connecticut State team at home. Kick off 11:00 AM.

Relentless,
ACRFC

4/26/2011 Amherst vs Castleton State

amowry14 — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 13:30:08 +0000

4/26/2011 Amherst vs Castleton State Andrew M. Mowry Thursday, 8/29/2013, at 9:30 AM

The Amherst College Rugby Football Club’s first game of the spring 2011 season kicked off on Saturday March 26th. The opposition, Castleton State, bested the Amherst squad in a heartbreaker last fall by a late scored try, so they boys had a lot to prove going into the match.

Pratt field’s seemingly perpetually windy conditions marked the kickoff, but otherwise the pitch was dry and fair. Amherst received the ball and surged into the opposition 22, where strong forwards play had forward’s captain Chris “C-payne” Payne (Junior) touch down in the second minute of the match. Fly half Nicolas Parada added the extras.

The shocked Castleton squad kicked off again, hoping to pin the boys back in their own half. But precise kicking moved the ball back into the Castleton half, where sophomore inside center Garret “G-bang” McCoy battered through the feeble Castleton defense with a head of steam to score. Once again Nicolas Parada tacked on the 2 points.

Still barely into the first half, Amherst was awarded a penalty just behind the opposition 22 meter line, which Parada was happy to put through for 3 points. Minutes later another infraction gave Parada a tough angled kick, which despite the wind sailed through beautifully.

At 20-0, the Castleton State side was looking discouraged, but the boys in purple didn’t rest on their laurels. The Castleton scrum fell apart under the drive of the Amherst pack, led by props Joe Moffit (Sophomore) and rookie Chris McHale (Junior) who was playing his first match. The strong platform at the scrum gave scrum half and Club President Jon Christian “JC” Evensen (Junior) plenty of time to deliver crisp passes to Parada, who fed centers McCoy and Thomas Burnett (Senior), where hard running kept Castleton moving backwards. Joe Moffit took advantage of the weakening defense and bashed through the opposition forwards for a try, converted by Parada.

McCoy scored again on a beautiful run off of broken play at the Castleton 10 meter line, where he easily touched down beneath the posts, giving Parada the easy conversion.

Then, it was 5- foot-nothing freshman wing Mika’s turn to show his incredible pace. Shaking 3 defenders with now legendary speed, he flew past the defense starting from well behind the 22 meter to score his first try for Amherst, extras added.

The substantial lead at the half gave Amherst enough room to bring in all the new rookies, who showed admirable coolness with the ball in hand.

Castleton looked down and out, giving Amherst more opportunities to score in the Second half. Senior lock Sam Smith scored shortly after the whistle after bringing the ball down from a well thrown line by sophomore hooker Rob Cross and mauling the ball across the line to score in the corner. Conversion missed.

Michael “The Best Ever” Halvorson (senior) moved to fly half, where he put the fear of god in the opposition’s eyes with powerful running and clinical stiff arms, giving Joe Moffit the space to take off on a 35 meter run that would have made any back proud, ending in Moffit’s second try (unconverted).

Rookie wing Emil (senior) got his first try for Amherst in the closing minutes, finishing off a great run twenty meter run by rookie center Sean Monaco (sophomore) showing great awareness and support on a well worked passing move that seemed to go through the hands of all the rookies on the pitch (unconverted).

The day ended with a final score of 56-0, settling the score with Castleton in the best way. The boys from Castleton were gentlemen through the whole match and joined the Amherst club after the match for refreshments, exhibiting the true spirit of the game.

Relentless,

ACRFC

Spring 2010, Season in Review (PDF)

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:55:47 +0000

Spring 2010, Season in Review (PDF) Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 4:55 PM

(attached)

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Season in Review	442.05 KB

10/31/2009, Amherst vs Williams

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:57:42 +0000

10/31/2009, Amherst vs Williams Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 4:57 PM

After 6 games of warm-up for the biggest game of the season, the Amherst College Rugby Football Club faced its annual bout against the Williams College squad in a match that was supposed to be played a semester earlier. The rivalry game was canceled in the spring ’09 season due to Williams’ suspension from the New England Rugby Football Union for incident involving burning the jersey a member of their team was wearing during a social event. Needless to say, 12 months was too long for the Jeffs to not face the Ephs.

On a perfect rugby weather day, both teams came out even early tied at 3-3 after trading penalty kicks with flyhalf Nick Parada ’13 putting it through for the Jeffs. Amherst’s hard hits began taking its toll though, as William’s backfield started showing more and more weaknesses as the game progressed. Eventually, Amherst’s Outside Center Jim East ’12 proved to be the final spear in a drive that punctured the weak Williams backs for a try. Amherst would lead 8-3 at half.

Williams would respond at the onset of the second, with a fluke play, lucky try of their own, but the 8-8 tie would not last long. As Amherst fans continued to stream down Memorial Hill to see the epic matchup, the sidelines for the Jeffs were completely filled and screamed with noise unlike anyone had heard on the pitch for well over a year. The tie would be snapped by another well placed penalty kick from flyhalf Parada ’13 making the match 11-8. Soon after, the Jeffs again had the momentum and the ball as they drove down the field. The following score would be made following a certainly odd series of events. As scrum-half Tim Burnett ’11 scooped the ball out the back of his forwards, he heard the call for a drop goal. Yes… a drop goal. After a moment of hesitation, he reassured himself that he heard the call correctly and passed the ball to Parada ’13, who further proved his leg by sinking a drop goal and truly the dagger to Williams by enhancing the Jeffs lead to 14-8. The only person out of this equation was fullback Michael Halvorson ’11, who originally made the original drop goal call for himself to kick, not Parada, yet couldn’t help but be pleased that the hours of practicing drop goals in practice proved worthwhile.

The Game was over for Williams at that point. The Ephs were down, wounded, and struggling. Amherst further cemented the victory with a very deserving try from 8-man Caca Wanjala ’11. The end result would come out to be 22-8 with the Jeffs beating the Ephs soundly and stripping them of their jerseys per the usual tradition. Despite a fabricated report on the Williams Rugby website, no B-site match was played. ACRFC ended its fall ’09 season with a 1-6 record, but for all intents and purposes, a winning season, considering Williams ended at 0-5.

4/18/2009, Amherst vs Equinox Men's Club

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:58:24 +0000

4/18/2009, Amherst vs Equinox Men's Club Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 4:58 PM

ACRFC 41 vs. Equinox 0

After two consecutive wins ACRFC looked to keep the streak going against Equinox Men’s Club. ACRFC quickly showed its dominance in the breakdowns and in set pieces. Not wasting the opportunity Amherst turned early possession into points. The first half scoring was highlighted by a long run from flanker Chris Payne (’12), who has really developed as a rugby player since the fall season. With a sizable first half lead, ACRFC showed in the second half that they would not rest on their laurels as they continued to add points. Lock Sam Rudman capped off a great team break with his first career try. Equinox increased the tempo of their offense in the second half with better ball control but were unable to crack the Amherst defense. The game took an unfortunate turn toward the end as Amherst lock Sam Smith (’11) was knocked unconscious on the field and was taken to the hospital. Sam has since recovered from his injury. While Sam’s injury put a damper on the team’s spirits, the quality of rugby played began to speak for the hard work the entire team had been putting in during practice.

4/4/2009, Amherst at Wesleyan

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 21:08:38 +0000

4/4/2009, Amherst at Wesleyan Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 5:08 PM

ACRFC 19 vs. Wesleyan 7

ACRFC showed up to Wesleyan ready run and play fast but had to completely change its strategy, as the extremely narrow pitch and 30mph wind gusts caused the game to played tight and physical. Amherst took an early lead on a terrific defensive kick recovery from fullback Jake Garry (’09) who set up Linsmayer for the try. O’Connor put over the conversion and a penalty to give ACRFC a 10-0. However, Wesleyan came back with a try just at the end of the first half, making the score 10-7 Amherst. The second half was tough fought on both sides but O’Connor’s boot proved to be the difference as he made three penalties in the final 40min. Scrum half Romain Cames (’09) kept the defense organized as Amherst was able to hold on for the hard fought win. While the win wasn’t flashy, it helped give the team confidence that they can win tight defensive games. ACRFC would also like to thank Wesleyan for the hospitality after the game.

3/28/2009, Amherst vs Providence

amowry14 — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 20:59:08 +0000

3/28/2009, Amherst vs Providence Andrew M. Mowry Tuesday, 8/13/2013, at 4:59 PM

ACRFC 5 v. Providence 12

ACRFC returned from their yearly winter hibernation with rejuvenated spirits and some new faces. The team opened the season with a tournament hosted by UMASS Amherst. Without key members of the starting forwards pack, the first game against Providence proved to be a tough match against the eventual tournament champions. At the half ACRFC was within one score (7-5). Senior flanker Guy Matisis scored the Amherst try on a penalty from 7m out, making it a memorable rugby debut for the former Amherst football and wrestling standout. The second half was a defensive struggle with gritty play from the front row. Props Michael Gutilla (’09) and Simon Gao (’12) were stout in defense, with aggressive tackles and rucking. While the ACRFC defense held up for the majority of the second half the lack of offensive possession proved costly, as Providence was able to push over one more try near the end of regulation. While it was not the result the team was looking for, the defensive improvement was something to build on going into the game against Sacred Heart that afternoon.