By Fiona Espinoza-Castro
Correspondent
The College’s Women’s Rugby Club was founded in 1988 by Lisa Ripa and Danielle Gonzales, with a history of highs and lows as the team developed. Originally coached by players from the Men’s Rugby Club, the team began competing in 7s and some 15s tournaments, gaining experience.
This fall, women’s rugby brings a new generation to the team. This past weekend, the Lions faced off against Montclair State University, which ended with a final score of 12-82, a defeat for the club following their loss to Stony Brook University, 14-64.
The match started with the Lions struggling defensively, as they lost ten tries in the first half.
However, the College found success while attacking Montclair’s defensive gaps.
By identifying the Red Hawks’ weaknesses on the outside, players were able to make key line breaks, moving as a unit rather than alone. They experimented with different offensive pod-like layouts, including two black lines instead of one and two scrum halves, each responsible for their respective side of the field.
Even though Montclair had the upper hand and was a consistent threat to the Lions defense, it was a learning experience for the young team to focus on technique and precision with tackling.
“We still have a lot to learn as a group, but we have so much time to grow together,” said captain Kira Rubian, a junior visual arts major. “There is so much potential among us, we just need to keep working and building upon that.”
The Lions also took advantage of Montclair’s coverage on the wings and were successful in catching them off guard on the edges, where they were more sparse.
During the game, several rookies stood out, including Jackie Zuza, a junior women’s, gender and sexuality studies major, and Drea Maglione, a freshman computer science major. Zuza continually made good runs and was persistent on offense, gaining ground for the team by crashing through the Red Hawks defensive line. Maglione did a phenomenal job on the wing, maintaining good runs with the ball and supporting players on her inside as well.
As the second half approached, it was a completely different game, as the Lions had two scores after they achieved a try, while Montclair had four. Even though the game ended in a defeat, the players walked off the pitch feeling content with how they improved over the last 40 minutes.
Last spring semester, the women’s team had great chemistry and were very successful, ending up in the Semifinals of the Tri-State 7s tournament, the league’s end-of-the-season competition, where sixteen teams from the tri-state area participated.
However, this season has presented challenges with the loss of key seniors and the introduction of new coaching staff.
“We lost some of our best players and our old coaches after last season,” Rubian said. “Right now we are a fairly new team in terms of collective experience. Our goal for this year is to build back up and grow closer-knit in the process, I’m hopeful that we will figure out these changes and have a comeback in the next few games of the season.”
The new coaching staff is still learning the ropes regarding the support the team needs, as well as how to utilize each player’s strengths and build on their weaknesses. The team has had a difficult time adjusting, with only thirteen returning players and sixteen new members.
The Lions have two more home matches this season — one on Oct. 13 against Fordham University and one on Oct. 20 against Rutgers University — hoping to regain momentum and secure their legacy.
“We had a rocky start, but I have confidence in my players and I know that we have it in us to turn this season around,” said Rubian. “We are driven, hardworking individuals who are hungry for their own collective success.”
