BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College women's rugby team posted a furious rally to stun the University of New England 32-22 in the final match of the season for Maine's two varsity programs on Saturday afternoon at Pickard Field.
A rematch of a regular season contest claimed by UNE on October 7, 31-15, the squads finished as the top two teams in Tier 2 of the Northeast Intercollegiate Rugby Association. Bowdoin ends its year with a mark of 6-2 while the Nor'easters finish at 5-3.
Match Highlights
- UNE struck first with an unconverted try and went up 5 - 0 in the first 10 minutes. Taking advantage of a deep kick-off from Liz D'Angelo, Bowdoin responded with a #8 pick-up off the five-meter scrum and Paige Pfannenstiel quickly evened the score, 5-5.
- UNE scored the next 12 points taking a 17 - 5 lead but captain Cristina Lima ran hard off a penalty play from 10 meters out, faked a pass, broke several tackles and dove into the try zone to bring the score to 17 - 10.
- The half ended with another UNE score, leaving the Polar Bears in a 22-10 hole.
- Inside Center Kendall Schutzer'18 opened the second half scoring for Bowdoin with a strong run through the Nor'easter defense.
- Paige Pfannenstiel followed that up two minutes later, directly off the kick-off and tore through the defense for a 70 meter score, converted by D'Angelo, and tying the score at 22-22.
- Bowdoin continued to dominate with possession and field position. Scrumhalf Juliette Dankens and Flyhalf Liz D'Angelo were outstanding in choreographing the attack and D'Angelo's kicking game opened up the field for the backline.
- On one such possession of multi-phase play, good running and handling found the ball passed from Sierra Soghikian to Georgia Bolduc, whose speed on the outside took her forty meters in for the try.
- Pinned deep against their own try line, Bowdoin's defense held UNE out and on a Bowdoin scrum, Pfannenstiel again did the #8 pick-up and broke loose for 50 meters, setting up phase play controlled by Lima, Pamela Zabala and the Bowdoin forwards and eventually drawing a penalty near the goal line. Pfannenstiel quick-tapped the ball and crashed through the defense for her third try of the game, and the final score.
