In their first real test of the season, the men's Bowdoin Rugby Football Club met the University of Maine, Farmington Beavers (1-0) in Bowdoin's home opener. The game that ensued proved to be an exhilarating match between two skilled rugby clubs. Play moved rapidly across the field and only an aggressive defense, marshaled by talented forwards captain Truc Huynh '05 allowed Bowdoin to maintain a solid lead throughout the game.
"I thought we did extremely well. We were the underdogs going into the game. Everyone in this league thinks it's between Farmington and Colby this year. We proved them wrong this weekend," Huynh said of Bowdoin's performance against Farmington. Dan Jaffe '07, commenting on the Farmington ruggers, was of a different opinion. "They were young, some of them didn't even look like college kids; but that didn't stop us from giving it to 'em real good," he said.
Offensively, Bowdoin's disciplined forward pack showed good technique in converting rucks to the backline, allowing tries from Alex Castro '06, Whit Schrader '05, and Nick Reid '05. Reid also scored points for Bowdoin on a penalty kick; bringing the final point total to 28-10. The win puts Bowdoin on top of the New England Division II-North ladder, above rival Colby College.
This coming weekend Bowdoin hopes to improve on their record in what will be a challenging away game against Bates College in Lewiston. Bates comes off of a close loss to Colby and a draw against the University of Maine at Orono. Hungry for a win, Bates will likely play an aggressive game. The Bowdoin squad, however, remains confident. Schrader, who scored a hat trick against Farmington, said "the team is showing heart and commitment. If we keep up this intensity, it's going to be a great season."
Indeed, Bowdoin rugby has much to be optimistic about. This year's team has the potential to repeat the stellar performance of the 2001-2002 squad, which ranked second in the Northeast, narrowly missing advancement to the national championship. This past weekend's strong start against Farmington is the first step toward that goal.