The University of Hartford and WNEC Rugby share a longstanding rivalry. This was the fifth match between the sides with a lot of history behind the battle. WNEC had beaten UHart four times out of four previous to this match, with the Hawks craving that first win over the boys from just north up I-91. Moreover, this marked the last match for UHart for the season, as well as WNEC's final tie against collegiate opposition. Emotions were running high from the start.
The starting lineup was as follows:
1 - Ryan "Shedlock" Shultz
2 - Jon "Frenchie Where's My Eyebrow" Ouellette
3 - Cheers Tom Get Me a Jersey LeClair
4 - Sean Gallagher
5 - Jake Eastman
6 - Joe Monaco
7 - Dave "DJ" Shermer
8 - Stephen "Try Machine" Farnham
9 - Zack Phelan
10 - Seth "Meat" Metcalf
11 - Dan Palmer
12 - Craig Spyropoulos
13 - "Weird" Will Reilly
14 - Dalton Boglisch
15 - La Quan "Pookie" Schoolfield
WNEC barely made it to the field in time for kickoff and also realized only then that the jerseys had been left in Springfield. But, in a twist of fate, this proved oddly fitting as the club took to the field wearing a motley collection of training jerseys and t-shirts, echoing the disheveled mix of jerseys we had worn in the team's first matches three years previous.
The WNEC defense, scrum, and lineout were all excellent, but some of the worst one-sided refereeing I've ever seen kept handing the ball to UHart every time WNEC hammered their way to the tryline. Eventually, the Hawks caught the break they were looking for, their winger cruising over after a long sprint down an overloaded sideline. The attempt at a conversion was laughable at best and the halftime scoreline stood at 5-0, in favor of the home team.
At this point, WNEC made three substitutions. A direct swap was made at winger with Tyler Modlish coming on for Dalton Boglisch. Tom LeClair was forced from field with a rib injury, which sent the hulking figure of John Loubier Jr. into second row and bumped Jake Eastman to tighthead prop. Lastly, a sprained ankle brought Seth Metcalf off the pitch and the crafty Jon Fields replaced him.
After the half, Stephen Farnham solidified himself atop the scoring chart for the spring campaign with his fourth try, burrowing a path through a crowd of defenders to score. Ryan Shultz converted easily, later adding a penalty kick to his tally before UHart struck back through their winger again to knot the scores at 10-10.
WNEC refused to give in to the home side and barged back down into opposition territory again. Johnny Esposito ran into space before his offload was scooped up by winger Tyler Modlish, who skirted over for a try in the corner just past the arms of the scrambling defenders. The conversion just barely failed to hook around enough and WNEC were back in the lead.
Again though, the lead was short lived. UHart now found life through their imposing replacement prop who carried with an impressive blend of pace and power, running to effect with their backline. His runs eventually put his side in position for another tying score, bringing the match to 15-15 with plenty of time to play. After this try, Johnny Esposito was dispatched to the field as a replacement for Joe Monaco after a tireless effort from the starter.
UHart renewed their attack immediately after collecting the restart, blitzing down into the WNEC red zone and putting extreme pressure on the defense, but the line held firm. Defensive efforts were committed with heart and soul, holding up the UHart attack twice after they breached the tryline, denying the Hawks at every point.
While the home team seemed to be on the ascendancy, the tables turned in the blink of an eye when inspirational Captain Dave Shermer turned the ball over and flew 90 meters to score, barging over two would-be tacklers, side-stepping two more with almost casual ease, and then burning all the rest to dot it down directly under the posts. Shultz converted handily to extend the lead to 22-15.
UHart did not go quietly into that good night however, marching back down the the WNEC line, befitting the drama of the match so far. Their attacks were centered near the posts, knowing their kicker was off target and that his conversion attempt was critical, but the defense held firm, eventually forcing them to send their prop down the wing to get it over in the corner. The kick would be a difficult one, even for the best kickers, and the attempt was horribly mangled for the fourth time on the day, giving WNEC a two point lead with mere minutes to play.
The defense flew downfield off the kick and pinned the home side deep in their own territory. Uhart struggled to move the ball back up the pitch but the choking defense forced an error as they tossed the ball directly into a charging defender and scrumhalf Zack Phelan soon sent the egg sailing out of play to notch WNEC;s fifth victory in as many attempts over the University of Hartford.
Man of the Match - Dave Shermer, without a doubt. Few players are as effective as him, both offensively and defensively, and he demonstrated his ability to the greatest extent from kickoff to the final whistle. A true Captain, he is entirely deserving of this award, the game-winning try notwithstanding.
Hitman - Craig Spyropoulos. I don't know what it was, but Craig was a man on a mission today. His challenges were massively forceful, leveling attacker after attacker without relent. Some men win this award through one earth-shaking hit, other earn it through a dominant match-long effort. Craig has won it today thorough both.
WNEC 22 (Tries S. Farnham, T. Modlish, D. Shermer, Conversion 2/3 R. Shultz, Penalty Goals 1/1 R. Shultz) defeated UHart 20 (4 Tires, Conversions 0/4)
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