AMHERST, Mass. — The Bowdoin College women’s rugby team closed out a perfect regular season with a resounding 51-3 win over Amherst on Saturday afternoon.
The Polar Bears finished their regular season with a record of 9-0 (6-0 NESCRC), will be the top seed and will host the NESCRC Championship next Saturday at Pickard Field. Match times are tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Against Amherst, Kamryn Sanchez started off the scoring with the help of a five-meter scrum which the Polar Bears drove into the endzone.
Dani McAvoy followed with a try of her own following a good series of upfield offloads and maintaining possession in the rucks. Early in the first half, the backline struggled to find its timing and the resulting passing was not up to their usual skill level.
Regrouping, the combination of forwards rucking and backs playmaking, sent Randi London and Rachel Henderson into the endzone on two beautiful running lines in the first half, with London converting one as Bowdoin led 22-0 at the break.
The second half began with a series of penalties against the Polar Bears and the defense countered as Amherst repeatedly pressured Bowdoin to score.
The defense held, but allowed a penalty kick in front of the uprights, which the Amherst fullback slotted perfectly from 20 meters. After the ensuing kickoff, Bowdoin forced a turnover and remained in control for much of the half.
London, benefiting from excellent passing and running lines from her teammates, scored two more tries. Lynn Freedman, the open-side flanker who supported well all game, took the ball off a short angle and ran it in for the third try of the half. Anissa Tanksley scored off a penalty play in the right corner and co-captain Uche Esonu tallied the final try of the game.
Dani McAvoy converted two of the five tries in the second half.
The Bowdoin B team won its first match 20-10.
Forwards Dominique Wein, Tasha Yektayi, Maggie Acosta, Sam Caras, Anna Piotti and others rucked well, pressured defensively and excelled in the lineouts. The backline was led by the combination of Kim Gilmore and Emily King, with hard runs by teammate Sarah Levy.
Scoring for Bowdoin were scrumhalf Kim Gilmore, fullback Hayley Kein and wing Aviva Mattingly.
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