WNEC struggled to compete with the firepower of two D2 clubs on Saturday, but did account well for themselves to leave the field, even if not with a win, with their opponents' respect.
The first match against Holy Cross got off to a poor start as WNEC leaked three tries in the first half to find themselves adrift 19-0 at halftime. The long drive down the Pike followed by a prolonged layover before Holy Cross arrived left WNEC flat in the first period, which a skillful Holy Cross side took advantage of with a high-tempo gameplan and fluid ball distribution to their outside backs. It took until the closing minutes if the fist half for WNEC to establish themselves defensively and begin running with the authority our powerful carriers are usually known for.
Immediately after the break WNEC came out firing and Tom LeClair was able to find his way across the line to score an unconverted try, but we were not to score again, suffering the all too frequent problem of struggling to break through the defense even after prolonged periods besieging the tryline. Holy Cross regained the ascendancy during the final quarter, bagging three more tries against a tired defense to claim victory by the wide margin of 40-5.
Two substitutions were made over the course of the match, with Ryan Donovan making his debut off the bench at lock while Barney Davis made his second appearance of the season as a temporary blood sub for Tyler Modlish.
Naming a man of the match for this contest seems inappropriate as the team as a whole struggled and no player showed the consistent exceptional effort to deserve the accolade.
Holy Cross 40 (6 tries, 5/6 conversions) to WNEC 5 (Try T. LeClair, 0/1 conversion)
In the second match, WNEC fielded a heavily shuffled lineup comprised primarily of the lesser experienced players. While Shultz and Fielding maintained their positions at prop, usual eightman Stephen Farnham made his first appearance at hooker. Travis Collins returned from the wilderness to start at lock alongside Sean Gallagher in the engine room. John Loubier appeared at eightman while Carlo Sarmiento made his debut at flanker across from Ryan Donovan at the other flank, who had debuted off the bench in the previous contest. Int he backline, Joe Monaco started as scrumhalf with a backline consisting of Seth Metcalf at flyhalf, Dan Palmer and Brendan Remetta at wings, La Quan Schoolfield and Luke Zito in the centers, with Tyler Modlish at fullback. Zito and Metcalf were making their debuts.
This lineup played defensively very well but struggled offensively, primarily due to its jury-rigged nature. UMass eventually forged their way to a 13-7 victory but we made to work extensively for it. Two changes were made int he pack with Gallagher and Loubier making way for Tom LeClair and "J.J." Jason John, respectively, with the later making his debut. Although UMass scored a pair of tries and a penalty to get out to a 13-0 lead, the run of play was actually much closer than the scoreboard suggests.
Farnham eventually got WNEC on the scoreboard with an incisive run through the defense that LeClair converted but there just wasn't the time left for the comeback to continue and the match ended 13-7.
Unlike the first game, the Man of the Match was clear in this one. La Quan "Pookie" Schoolfield was a dominant defensive force, leveling any and all who dared carry the ball near him. Even men twice his size were smashed to ground by forceful challenges and UMass made a distinct effort to carry near the big hitter less and less, only for him to use his immense speed to go to where they were and continue putting in a storm of powerful tackles, any one of which was also capable of scooping the Hit of the Match award as well.
UMass Lowell 13 (2 Tries, 0/2 conversions, 1/1 penalty) to WNEC 7 (Try S. Farnham, Conversion T. LeClair)
Although we struggled this week important lessons on defensive shape were learned and new combinations were experimented with. The team is stronger after this and will use these losses as motivation this coming weekend when we make out club debut at the Beast of the East rugby tournament in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
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