Coach Macy,
I’m terribly sorry to be doing this but I have to cancel our teams’
match for this weekend. There’s been some recent issues on our end,
dealing with the school and transportation, that rose up rather
unexpectedly. I, along with all my team members, apologize for this
inconvenience and and we are embarrassed by this situation. We have
been looking at all possible alternatives, but we have been unable to
find any solutions. We wish your team the best of luck going forward
and again we are terribly sorry for the trouble this has caused.

My apologies,
[Northeastern Mad Dogs]

Men – Jordan Schmitz, Colin Bartolomeo, Atoa Ripley
Honorable Mention – Duke Makina, Kevin Anagnostou

Women – Jessica Davis, Kimberly Shepherd, Vaimoana Vailea

Every member of the Yellow Jacket nominations was a freshman or sophomore with the exception of Anagnostou, who was the conference’s second points scorer. Congrats to these dedicated players for their accomplishments.

Fly Half Duke Makina

When we started training camp this year, there were expectations relatively high for both teams. As players trickled in, they nervously got to know one another and felt the exhilaration of taking the field together for the first time. We brought in over a dozen new players, many from the western half of the USA. If that wasn’t enough, it was the first time the women’s team participated in camp.

It was unbelievably hot, and injuries took their toll. I wouldn’t say we were happy with the way camp finished, but we were happy that it finished. We decided to end on a lighter note with a talent show. Everyone who had yet to attend a camp before performed. After a night full of laughs, deep thoughts, and thrills, we retreated that night knowing we had firm foundation for the coming season.

Competition started with a bang as the guys took on division one finalists Harvard while the girls were excited to use Roger Williams as the litmus test for their level of play. While each game had different results, both teams felt comfortable in their new identities. The women would be a force to be reckoned with and the men had realized that they could play with the best in the region. Disappointment was natural with a penalty kick sealing the men’s loss but the foundation discovered at camp stayed strong.

In the first three weeks of the season, both teams saw their biggest tests. The women’s team played against perennial national finalist Stonehill and walked over two scrums for tries. If anything, this was the women’s biggest win of the season. The girls came back from Easton, MA changed. They were always tough, but afterward they were tough and confident. Their fate was sealed and their bind as team mates strengthened. The men, meanwhile, drew Bentley and Providence back to back. After failing to avenge a loss to Harvard the men felt their match against Providence was more about honor than victory. They regained it in flying colors as they wore Providence down over eighty minutes and ran away with the game. Just a week later, the men would unseat Bentley as the team to beat in the conference. During this time period, the women’s team was swelling with confidence as they continued to best their opposition and expand their attack.

Students became far more engulfed in academics as the semester went on but it didn’t keep players from having a good time. Teams cruised to wins over Merrimack, UMASS Lowell and St. Michael’s displaying depth and enjoying a great homecoming weekend. Captains Jordan Schmitz and Adrianne Rubiaco attended the AIC athletics Hall of Fame ceremony, while other students took time to travel to Westfield to root on our nationally ranked track team. A small group of men’s players even found time early one morning to volunteer on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The team also made a sizable donation to the Make a Wish foundation, and saw five of its members receive Who’s Who among American College Students awards.

Season’s end was tough for us. Our program was deeply hurt by mistakes I made as an administrator. I was challenged to be upfront and accountable for my actions and I hope I made you as players as proud of me as I have been of you. That night in the Bradley room will forever remain one of the worst meetings I have ever had. There were mixed emotions to say the least, but we earned everything we felt.

In the meantime, our women’s team showed intense support and carried the program during what would be a low point for the men’s program. They kept heads held high and finished the season with two fantastic wins over nationally ranked St. Michael’s to win a conference championship. It was a bittersweet moment, however, as they hurt for fallen players and their brother team. Regardless, the team that had grown so steadily had finished a semester to remember. The women’s team had come into its own for the first time as a team with strong physical play, confidence, execution, and, above all, a burning desire to succeed.

The men’s team set out to put the immediate past behind them and attended the Empire 7’s tournament at Stony Brook University. After some nervous play early in the day, the men’s team found their stride in their first ever sevens tournament. Sevens Captain Atoa Ripley encouraged the guys with stirring words and savvy play as they put together a Plate Championship performance. All of us (coarse bus driver included) breathed a sigh of relief and were happy to bring a trophy home to campus.

This past semester we achieved much as a program. We packed our stadium time and again and more and more became the team on campus people talk about.  With our commitment to each other, our extracurricular accomplishments, and our vivid personalities, we turned people’s heads before they even came to watch us play. We cheered louder, played harder, and loved every second of it. We put amazing differences behind us, struggled through conflict, and found ourselves united as seventy athletes for a common purpose: AIC Rugby. Eight letters that sum up a school and a sport, but, to each of us, it means so much more.

Both teams will look forward to next semester as an opportunity to grow and change directions. The women will strive for success on a national stage, while the men will be seeking new horizons. Whatever successes both teams head toward, we must not leave behind what we already have—one another. Continue to use the time we have together to the fullest extent.  Our true success lies in our ability to learn and grow because of the commitment we have to each other. Apply that to your relationships at home over break and bring it back here in January. For we are, now as much as ever, a team to be proud of.

With love,

Coach Macy

Fall 2011 by the Numbers

• Record: 15-1-1
• Point Differential: 631-78
• Women’s Team: Rugby Northeast Champions
• Women’s All Conference: Jess Davis, Kim Shepherd, Vaimoana Vailea
• Men’s Team: Empire Sevens Plate Champions
• Jess Davis: Women’s Conference Top Scorer (18 Tries)
• Women’s team highest ranking: 9^th
• Men’s team highest ranking: 12^th
• Who’s Who among College Students: Jasmine Worrell, Alexander Lavruk, Kevin Anagnostou, Nick Felton, Laurel Myers
• Dean’s List: (21) Jessica Davis, Jordan Schmitz, Kevin Anagnostou, Corey Newton, Jason Pagan, Sean Mahoney, Josue Guerra, Mike Ramsey, Maggie Pratt, Nick Felton, Laurel Myers, Nate Burrage, Johnni Dideriksen, Treasure Davis, Jasmine Worrell, Kara Donoghue, Kim Peloquin, Silas Cooper

Bentley had a successful run last year at nationals and was looking to repeat. AIC, on the other hand, wanted what Bentley had. AIC is looking for a piece of the pie that Bentley had been enjoying as a nationally recognized program. Captain Jordan Schmitz told the team on Friday’s walkthrough that Bentley “was only holding a place at the table for [AIC] and that it was time to take what is [AIC's].”

On an atypically warm October night, the two teams took the field and started what would be a great show for all in attendance. AIC took the fight to Bentley at first with some crunching tackles and some quick territory gains off of turnover ball. Atoa Ripley (OC) gave the game what it needed early as he raced through the defense on the short side of the field and dotted a try down between the posts. Kevin Anagnostou (IC) converted to give AIC an early 7-0 lead.

Bentley picked themselves up quickly and pressured the AIC try line greatly with phase after phase of first channel forward play. The line held due to some hard tackling and a Bentley penalty. Soon enough, Bentley was right back in the AIC red zone as Kevin Raferty scored from a maul to bring Bentley nearly level. The game began to get away from both teams as the intensity picked up leading to half time and AIC gave away a penalty on the last play of the half. Spencer McKenna easily put through the penalty and gave his team the 8-7 lead at half time.

In the second half it would be almost all AIC as they pounded their way to victory. Bentley began to miss chances and seemed happy to kick away possession. Sam Seumaala (FL) set up what is now AIC’s try of the year as he dished to prop Josh Tanuvasa and watched him rumble down the sideline for the second half’s first score. Bentley was visibly deflated.

Later in the second half, the AIC forwards continued to harass the half back combination of Bentley and turnovers started to take a toll on the visiting team. Two more tries were set up by Colin Bartolomeo (N8) and Duke Makina (FH) and were happily finished by Makina and John Jackson (W).

In what was a physical, vocal, and downright barn burner of a match, AIC walked away with what was the biggest win in its short history. Man of the match, Nick Tinnirella (FB) did a great job handling the dozens of possessions kicked away by Bentley and ran a finely orchestrated counter attack. AIC now sits firmly at the top of the Rugby Northeast standings and travels to Merrimack (2-1) this Sunday.

Final Score: 22-11
Try Scorers: Atoa Ripley, Josh Tanuvasa, Duke Makina, Josh Tanuvasa
Conversions: Kevin Anagnostou
B Side Result: W43-0

Click the Pic for More Match Photos!

Video Highlights:

Bentley’s intelligence at the breakdown served them well as they flooded the second channel with defenders and kept the AIC backs from getting involved. The two teams exchanged tries in the same fashion as before and ended the match in a 10 all tie. Though AIC was disappointed in what felt like a loss, they still sit at second in the Rugby Northeast standings behind St. Michael’s. The Yellow Jackets will be looking to pick up a win this weekend at home as they take on Merrimack.

Try Scorers: Jessica Davis, Vaimoana Vailea

Scoring was opened by Eight Man Jessica Davis as she took a quick pass from Flanker Rochelle Higgins on the short side and burst through the defense and centered a try. The backs took over the game shortly after and tallied tries by Centers Bethany Montague and Maggie Pratt as well as two break away tries from Wing Mercedes Minaya.

The attitude of the team was still somber after realizing how many chances were missed and how many wrinkles there are to iron out before taking on a quality Bentley University this coming Friday.

Scorers
Tries: Jess Davis (2), Maggie Pratt, Bethany Montague, Mercedes Minaya (2), Vaimoana Vailea
Conversions: Maggie Pratt (2)

The match started off slow with the Yellow Jackets failing to take points away from three chances with line outs within the PC red zone. Those early missteps allowed the ‘Black Pack‘ to get out in front first with a penalty kick from Fly Half Lucas Gowland. AIC soon responded with some punishing runs from the forwards as the AIC attack changed channels across the field quickly. Prop Josh Tanuvasa put the yellow jackets on the board first by crashing over the line after breaking a few tackles.

The game would be back and forth for most of the first half, while AIC was continuing to punish Providence and waiting for the game to open up. With about twenty minutes left–it did. AIC scored three tries and ran away with the game.

Scorers:
Tries: Josh Tanuvasa (2), Anthony Aranda, James Del Bozque, Nick Felton, Jordan Schmitz
Conversions: Kevin Anagnostou (4)
Penalties: Kevin Anagnostou

B Side Result: W22-5

Once the whistle blew, you would have thought Stonehill was the new team. AIC battered Hill Rugby in the first channel for the better portion of eighty minutes while enjoying a decided possession and territorial advantage. Stonehill tackled and attempted to turn the ball over bravely but the physicality of AIC was just too much. The Yellow Jackets finished the game by a score margin of six tries to one. In what is probably the rarest and most poignant exhibit of a forward pack’s dominance, the AIC women walked two five meter scrums over for a try.

The back line was led well by Adrianne Rubiaco and the wheels outside took their chances well when they had them.  Christina Gedeon and Bethany Montague both chipped in with big runs as needed. The women’s rugby team will host Providence College in their home opener this coming Saturday the first of October at 7pm.

Final Score: 32-5
Try Scorers: Sakina Feurtado, Kimberly Shepherd (2), Jessica Davis (3)
Conversions: Maggie Pratt

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

After what seemed like a slow start, captain for the evening Colin Bartolomeo fed wing John Jackson off a turned over ball and watched him race away for the score. Colin added a try of his own along with three other try scorers to take a 29-0 lead going into the break.

The second half saw AIC empty it’s bench while the reserves continued to keep pressure on the opposition. The speedsters out wide (Corey Newton, Nick Felton) put in tries of their own along with fourth scrum half Atoa Ripley. The final score ending up at 57-0.

Tries: John Jackson, Tehan Redman, Duke Makina, Colin Bartolomeo (2), Nick Felton, Atoa Ripley (2), Corey Newton
Conversions: Kevin Anagnostou (6)

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

1234567►

The evenings events were shortened after Sidney Sussex College cancelled their appearance citing transportation problems, but there was still plenty of rugby to be played between Harvard and AIC’s first and second teams.

The match started with a new look haka from AIC and a strong start to the match. Harvard took the ball in through the forwards early and often and found themselves a try from a maul within the first five minutes. AIC responded with some deep penetrations but ultimately struggled to finish. Forwards’ captain Colin Bartolomeo scored on a quick tap and the Yellow Jackets found themselves up by two going into half time after Kevin Anagnostou easily slotted the conversion.

The second half was even more physical as both teams went back in forth with big hits and some bone crunching runs. Harvard proved to be the more disciplined of the two side and AIC gave up some costly penalties. The play of the game came from a Harvard mistake near their own goal line and was exuberantly finished for a try by Fly Half Duke Makina.

Near the end of the game, Prop Josh Tanuvasa was cited for a high tackle by referee Ben Murray and Harvard kicked the penalty in injury time to win the game. The Yellow Jackets will look forward to correcting course as they start conference play against Stonehill at 7pm on Saturday at AIC.

Tries: Colin Bartolomeo, Duke Makina
Conversions: Kevin Anagnostou
Final Score: L13-12
B Side Score: W19-10

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

1234►