Vassar Rugby Bows Out in Tri-State 7s Semifinals

By Tony Brown

NEW PALTZ – The short trip over the Mid-Hudson Bridge was made by the Vassar Men’s Rugby squad and the first 7s tournament of the spring season took place at SUNY-New Paltz with the Tri-State Conference title on the line. A year ago Vassar made the final and finished runner-up and was hoping to go one better this year.

It was always going to be a big ask of the lads to win the event outright given that the Brewers only had a single week of practice but the effort from all was admirable and there were a huge number of positives.

The A-side did not lose a pool game earning victories over SUNY-Oneonta and SUNY-New Paltz while drawing with Molloy College. Meanwhile a number of Vassar players supplemented other teams and gave an excellent account of themselves.

The 3 pool winners advanced to the semifinals along with the best second placed team. So Vassar topped Pool A, SUNY-Maritime went 3-0 in Pool B and USMMA, Kings Point were Pool C winners. The last semifinalist was Hofstra University on account of being the best second placed team.

Vassar battled Maritime and in the closest of matches the Brewers were just short, losing 14-17. In the other semifinal USMMA defeated Hofstra 27-17. Thus the Championship game pitted the merchant mariners against each other.

USMMA, Kings Point won 26-5 to take the title this year.
Vassar College Men 29 v 7 SUNY-Oneonta Men

The Oneonta team was surprisingly physical and not only tackled well but also contested at the breakdown. In some ways this was the ideal first game for the Brewers for it would challenge them yet if the team could maintain composure there would be opportunities to score. There were a few wayward passes but for the most part Vassar did a good job of moving the ball to the wide channels and in the end 5 tries to 1 earned a good win.

Vassar College Men 21 v 21 Molloy College Men
This was a match where two missed tackles led to flat out sprints and Molloy tries. It was not as if the Vassar defense was manipulated in any way just 2 passes and a straight run.

Molloy scored first right from the kick-off in the manner previously described. Vassar responded well and TJ Usher sliced through to level matters at 7-7. The teams traded scores again before Molloy went ahead 21-14 and with time running out Vassar mounted a furious attack. It was do or die stuff and eventually the ball came to Mark Gislason who darted over and then slotted the conversion and it was 21-21.

Vassar College Men 20 v 17 SUNY-New Paltz Men
Tries: TJ Usher (1), Jack Gibberd (2), Kaiden Tocher (1).

This was the pool decider and SUNY-New Paltz already had 2 wins to Vassar’s 1 win and 1 tie. It was a fast and physical contest and there was a ton of local support for the Hawks. Some excellent Vassar defense and a couple of outstanding scores saw the Brewers prevail and again the team had to come from behind when the score was 17-15.

The New Paltz restarts were top quality and Vassar’s Kaiden Tocher did a good job of staying calm under the high ball. Jack Gibberd scored 2 tries and the later of the two saw him bump off the would-be tackler with such force that any Pacific Islander would have been proud.

Vassar led 5-0 when TJ Usher sliced through but Caleb Persanis of New Paltz showed everyone a clean pair of heels over 60 yards to give New Paltz the lead 7-5. Vassar’s retort was emphatic as Gibberd went through and a 10-7 lead was nice but did not feel safe.

Gibberd’s second made it 15-7 and one felt that the game was slipping away from the hosts. Then came those steppeling kicks and one fell to New Paltz and in a flash it was 15-12. The momentum was now with the home team and the Hawks scored to earn a lead of 17-15. Then came the grandstand finish as Kaiden Tocher found his way to the goal line and a 20-17 lead. There was still time to restart and New Paltz surged down the field with the ball being flung wide. A desperate race was on with Vassar’s Luca Pereira Frears getting across to tackle the wing should he pick up the ball. Pereira Fears launched himself into the tackle as the winger kicked ahead and the danger was extinguished. Vassar kicked the ball off the field and the final whistle blew. It was a fitting finish to the game.

Tri-State Conference 7s Championship
Semifinal
Vassar College Men 14 v 17 SUNY-Maritime College Men

Vassar might well be credited for bringing the fans back to watch Rugby since their games are regularly becoming real barn burners! The Brewers will be a tad disappointed in this result for it was a case of too many unforced errors and if truth be told some timidity.

Vassar took the lead as TJ Usher again proved to be the most elusive player on the field and one would have thought a 7-0 lead might have settled the nerves. Alas there was too much hesitancy in attack and Maritime went over and although Vassar still led it was just a margin of 2 points, 7-5. Another 2 tries after missed tackles and it was 17-7 with the Privateers ahead. Back came the Brewers in the dying minutes and Usher scored to make it 17-14 but time expired and it was a case of what might have been.

Team: 1 Kaiden Tocher 2 Jack Gibberd 3 Dimitrios Tzepos 9 Matheo Dwyer 10 Mark Gislason 12 TJ Usher 14 Ted Twitt.
Subs: Luca Pereira Frears for Dimitrios Tzepos.