Women's Rugby 

BENNINGTON, Vt. - In a preview to the Annual Mud Bowl Tournament, the Southern Vermont College Women's Rugby team played Middlebury College at home on Sunday, April 6, 2008. The game ended with a score of 30 - 0 but that is just a formality.

"All in all, I think we played great," stated head Rugby coach Jerm Madison. "Middlebury is Division II while we are only Division IV. And yet we still held them pretty well."

The first half opened up as a struggle with both teams going back and forth. One moment, SVC would drive down, turn the ball over and then Middlebury would drive down and turn the ball over. Middlebury finally scored off of a penalty with about 10 minuets left in the half. The failed their conversion and the half ended with the Mountaineers down 5-0.

"We were feeling great after the first half. On paper, they should have dominated us but our girls stepped up and held them to only one try while being on the verge of scoring several times, ourselves," said Madison.

The second half was quite different. The play was mostly in SVC's territory and SVC kept playing defense. Middlebury scored five more times in the second half and failed to convert any kicks.

Madison had this to say about the game; "Fitness killed us. Middlebury was much more in shape then we are. We were pretty gassed by the middle of the second half and could not play our game. But as I said, we stepped up and played a tough team and held them pretty well considering everything. I am proud of the girls and I know that we are on the right track. If we continue playing against better teams and stepping up our game, there is no reason we can not play with higher divisions next fall."

The Mountaineers' women's rugby team will play home next, on Saturday, April 19th, in the seventh Annual Mud Bowl Tournament. Their first game will be at 11:30 a.m. at the SVC pitch. All are invited to come and support the SVC and enjoy in the festivities.