BRUNSWICK, ME. – The Colby-Sawyer women's rugby team competed in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) semifinals on Saturday afternoon against the Polar Bears of Bowdoin College. Unfortunately, the women took a hard hit as they dropped the match 54-7, ending their season with an overall record of 4-4. 


HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
The Polar Bears quickly put some numbers on the board as they scored their first try of the match 10 minutes after kickoff, with another following along in the 36^th minute. Two more successful tries from Bowdoin College in the first half of the match had the Chargers trailing 28-0 going into halftime. 
 
The Polar Bears continued to jump on the ball early in the half, scoring off the kickoff to improve their lead over the Chargers to 35. First-year Carmella Richardson (West Chesterfield, N.H.) showed off her speed with a promising 50 meter run just before being tackled by a Bowdoin defender inches from the goal line.  Another successful try and a conversion from the opposing team set the score 42-0. Sophomore Kaitlyn Veracka (Lebanon, N.H.) intercepted a Bowdoin pass and scored the Chargers only try of the match with a successful conversion by Richardson to cut the Bowdoin lead to 35. Despite their great efforts, the Charger defense was overpowered by the Polar Bears, allowing a couple more tries and conversions to set the final score at 54-7, and sending Bowdoin College to the NIRA finals. 
 
TOP PERFORMERS:
 
Senior Sophia Zaragoza (Mount Tabor, N.J.) left it all on the pitch during her final match as a Charger earning the "Leading Tackler" title of the day. Strong play was exhibited from junior Tori MacLeod (Franklin, Mass.) first-year Sydney Calderwood (Amesbury, Mass.) and sophomore Bethany Ralph (Whitman, Mass.). On the offensive side of the ball, Veracka scored her second try of her college career with her first coming in the last three minutes of the Chargers victory over New England College. Richardson completed her first collegiate season with a total of six  tries and five successful conversions. 
 
COACHES CORNER: 
 
Head coach and Director of Rugby Ed McKenna is very proud of his team's growth and exclaimed that today's match was an opportunity to gauge their progress against a team that beat them pretty handily a couple months ago.  McKenna said, "It was clear, especially in the first 30-40 minutes, that we've taken monumental steps toward building a strong rugby program and culture, which would not have been possible without the leadership of our captains and returners. I'm humbled to be their coach and excited for the future." 
 
THE STORY OF "THE RESILIENT SEVEN":
 
"As we head into our semifinal match this weekend, it feels important to recognize those who carried us. So, this is a story of the forgotten few…the resilient seven- one having now graduated- who persevered- or reengaged- and facilitated the rebirth of this NCAA women's rugby program. Regardless of what you think you know about these athletes' previous experiences with and in this program, they lived through it, so they hold their truths. And with that, we should acknowledge their strength and courage to dig in; to remain hopeful as the negative voices grew louder; to stay committed as the roster dwindled to 16…15…14…13…12…11; to patiently and passionately facilitate the development of 16 new student-athletes, most of whom had not played rugby; and to rebuild a team culture steeped in positivity, respect and growth. And fun. Plenty of fun. This is the story of 2021 nursing graduate and team captain Kaylie Demitraszek, 2022 senior captains Sophia Zaragoza and Bella Paul, and juniors Celina Dao, Daya Espino, Madison Hill, and Tori MacLeod without whom this program would be dead. In a national rugby landscape filled with anecdotes of triumph, and pandemic perseverance, I'd argue no story deserves more attention than that of these incredibly resilient and amazing young women, what they endured and what they rebuilt. So here it is, albeit truncated. And because of them, and those who bravely stepped into the arena by their side, we won this season before it started." 
 
(Words From Head Coach Ed McKenna Before Semifinals Day)