The Yale University Rugby Football Club

YALE 26 - Trinity College 0

In an early morning playoff match on Saturday, Yale defeated Trinity College for the second time this fall and advanced to the New England Semifinals next weekend. The match did not represent Yale’s best effort this autumn, but the Bulldogs nonetheless extended their undefeated record and in the process earned their first shutout of the season.

The match began somewhat slowly but soon picked up tempo with the encouragement of Yale’s reserves and fans. Early in the half the Bulldogs were able to recycle the ball deep in Trinity territory until Eli winger Bobby Cardone ’06 carried the ball into the left corner of the try zone. Yale followed with another try several minutes later, this time off a set piece crash to fullback Matt Reagan ’05. Later in the half, Yale worked the ball wide off a center scrum which resulted in a 50-meter break and another Cardone score, giving the Bulldogs a 19-0 lead. Cardone leads the team in tries, with seven scores this season from the wing position.

The second half was characterized by frequent stoppages due to penalties and injury timeouts, and further exacerbated by some chippiness on both sides of the ball. As the game slowed both teams seemed to lose focus on their pattern of play, and the result was a less-than-stellar half of rugby. Still, Yale managed one more try off a loose ball at a ruck (Garan Geist ’06) and continued to play solid defense throughout, never allowing any serious Trinity scoring threats. The game ended with the score 26-0 in favor of Yale.

This weekend Yale will travel to Middlebury, Vermont to compete in the Division II New England semifinal round. Yale will face Middlebury College on Saturday and either Coast Guard or Colby College on Sunday, depending on the results of both semifinal matches. The Bulldogs need at least one victory this weekend to continue their season and advance to the DII Northeast playoffs; a victory over Middlebury is required to secure home field advantage for the first round of Northeasterns. However, this will be no easy task. Middlebury has defeated Yale in the last three matches, and they carry an undefeated mark this season as well. Yale must carry their confidence, toughness, and team character with them to Vermont next weekend as they continue their drive to nationals.