In a bit of a perfect storm of injuries and conflicts, the Fairfield Women went up to a rainy
Poughkeepsie NY with a leaner bench this week.
Vassar came out of the gate with their beehive rucking style and utilized fast and overpowering
rucks to quickly dictate the pace of play. Our defense was a bit slow to adjust, resulting in a
quick score in the first 4 minutes. As expected, it was a forward-heavy game, but our pack
displayed amazing resilience and tenacity to prevent the Vassar pods from making the gain line.
The few times that Vassar opted to send the ball out to the backs, our defense was dominant
and forced turnovers and knock-on, exposing a vulnerability that was not left unnoticed.
Ultimately, despite our tenacity and, the Vassar forwards were able to push through after
several phases. Despite the score, we are encouraged with our ability to counter Vassar and the
cracks in their style of play are starting to show and we look to close the gap in future meetings.
Tremendous work rate by forwards, particularly Captain and hooker Kayla Fox '25, 8-man Tia
Stanton '26, prop Hannah Bershefsky '25. Strong carries by flyhalf Serena Koshy '25 and fullback
and Captain Maggie Kelly '25.
Our new First-Years made an impact in this game, by executing on their newfound rugby
knowledge. Congrats to Jacqueline O'Connor '27, Molly Muller '27, Katie Quinn '27, Madison
Ryder '27, Ashley Dellolio '27 on fantastic debut on the field.
Strong carries in the backline and open-field tackles, led Laura Garofalo '26 to be named the
Backs BOP. Sophomore Lauren Cunneen '26 executed near perfect tackle rate, earning the
forwards BOP.

Match Report submitted by Jane Kim – Head Coach, Women's Rugby