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Volume CXXXII, Number 22 |
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Take two: Ruggers kick off spring season
MIKE BALULESCU
STAFF WRITER
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Warren "Roadkill" Dubitsky '04 and the Bowdoin ruggers took two out of three games during the weekend tournament. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient) |
The last thing anyone on the rugby team expected was a sunburn in April, but last Saturday's balmy Massachusetts weather burned the Bowdoin ruggers worse than the spotty toaster in Thorne.
Despite the unseasonable heat of the Williamstown pitch, Bowdoin came out of its first tournament of the season with an impressive 2-1 finish, posting huge wins over R.P.I. and host Williams College.
The odds were stacked against the ruggers in black from the start, as the tournament schedule required a 6:00 a.m. departure from Brunswick to reach far-flung Williamstown. "The ride out there was pretty tough," said fullback Brian Durant '05. "It was hard to sit so long in the car before we played our first match, and we encountered a lot of unanticipated setbacks that made the trip even longer."
When they finally arrived, the Bowdoin men were greeted with sunny skies and clear weather, but the pleasant morning air soon turned to a scorching midday heat. In addition to the oppressive sun, Bowdoin was scheduled for three A games and two B games, so no one was going to sit back and relax.
"I was so tired by the end of the tournament," said junior captain Ryan Chisholm. "I mean, all that rugby just buried me."
Most of the ruggers played 150 minutes or more of rugby throughout the day, and the Williams tournament became as much a battle of will and endurance than anything else. "I can't believe how hard those guys worked," said Whit "Gattaca" Schrader '05, who was unable to join the team on Saturday. "Who can last that long, anyway?"
Bowdoin lost to Trinity College in the tournament's first round, although the close 17-7 score confirmed the relative equity of the two teams on the field. After the Bowdoin ruggers had time to adjust and warm up, they beat their next two opponents with ease, taking out R.P.I. and Williams before the afternoon was over.
"I was really impressed with the team," said junior captain Warren "Roadkill" Dubitsky. "We played hard, we worked hard, and I think we were successful under the circumstances. Some things are just bound to happen, and success for this team just seems inevitable. We all have rugby goals on and off the field, and I think it shows in our perseverance."
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from scrumhalf Tom "Ebony" Hazel '05, whose athleticism was apparent every time he had the ball. "We played really well, but we still need to make some adjustments. Playing in the shade would be nice for one."
The men's rugby team will take a break for quiet reflection during Ivies Weekend and will finish their spring season with a tournament in Portland on May 3.
GO BLACK!
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