Women’s rugby begins season against Cortland
On Saturday, Sept. 9, Geneseo’s women’s rugby team had their first match of the fall season against the Cortland Peace Frogs. Although the team suffered a 40-17 loss, there was nothing but excitement on the pitch. With a large and supportive crowd, Geneseo was pumped up for a good game. The Warthogs were anticipating a fun game with a large class of new players as they put their skills to the test and scored three tries as a team, and one player’s first.
The opening half of the game provided the team with one try earned by second-row senior Hannah Reid. Reid took the ball out the back of the ruck, meters from the try zone, and plunged over to put Geneseo on the scoreboard. Hopes were high after the score and morale continued to climb for the rest of the game. With strong tackles from players like sophomore fullback Jess Leonard, junior flanker Maria Netto, and junior inside center Caitlin Schirmer, the Warthogs resumed their fight.
After halftime, Geneseo came back refreshed and energized as they scored two more tries, and totaled 17 points at the end of the game. Sophomore half-fly Ava Spotteck made their conversion kicks on junior outside-center Alexandra Wallace’s try. Wallace scored the very first try of her rugby career after getting a clean pass and used her speed to make it to the try zone.
Penalties awarded to Geneseo were either followed by a planned play or kicked out of bounds to perform a lineout.
The Warthogs won all their lineouts with sophomore second-row Stella Khanis jumping and senior props Peyton VanBoden and Claire Bressette lifting, while junior scrum-half Sophia Weik threw the ball in. The throw got the ball moving quickly through the back line to inch the team forward. With some good runs from powerful players including Spotteck, sophomore outside center Sophia Bobeck, senior wing Nicole Petfield, and Bressette, their defense stood strong and held Cortland back as best they could.
There were a few scares on the pitch as the scrum collapsed, but the Warthogs took a breath and won the rest to result in quick outs to the back line, spinning the ball to the wing and gaining meters. Advancing up the field, because of the stoppages, the team not only obtained meters but points as well. Sophomore hooker, Anna Taylor hooked the ball through the props and second rows where sophomore eight-man Maddie Sepcaru gave it a touch for Weik to get it out of the mess before Spotteck kept the team moving forward.
Though it didn’t culminate in victory, the game was spirited and enticing which made for great rugby and a good start to the Warthogs’ season. The Lady Warthogs will hit the pitch again this weekend on Saturday, Sept. 16, with an away game at SUNY Oswego with kickoff at 10:30 a.m. Their next home game is Oct. 14 at noon—their senior game against LeMoyne College.
Thumbnail via Potted Palm Productions