Gulls Victorious in Rugby Debut

An enthusiastic and motivated Endicott College Rugby Club made history in their inaugural game, beating local rivals Salem State University 8-0 at Endicott Stadium Saturday March 30th.

Fly-half Austin Spencer (North Yarmouth, Maine) kicked the first points for the Gulls late in the first half before Man of the Match, Brian Sussingham (Yonkers, N.Y.), crashed over for a try midway with seventeen minutes remaining in the second half.

The home side opened brightly with hard work at the break-down allowing the Gulls to dominate possession early on. Loose Forwards Tom Murray (Hanson, Mass.), Matti Oberg (Cumberland, Maine) and Charles Nastasi (Reading, Mass.) set up quick ball at the first and second phase, which allowed Sussingham and Inside Centre Tommy Carver (Pepperell, Mass.) to make sizeable gains through the middle. Winger Justin Klanica (Cheshire, Conn.) saw an early chance bounce away from his fingers, as a telling kick by Spencer caught the Vikings flat-footed.

The Gulls had majority of the possession throughout the first half, thanks largely to the hard work of the forwards – specifically the front row trio of Adam Smith (Andover, N.H.), Elliott Laden (Cheshire, Conn.) and Ryan Stanek (Cheshire, Conn.) – who gave the team a great foundation to work from. Scrum Half Greg Kitto orchestrated the attack, as the Gulls continued to crash the ball down the field, forcing the Vikings onto the back foot. Strong tackling from the visitors kept the Gulls at bay until 10 minutes left in the first half.

A crushing hit from the Vikings on Laden, meant that Billy Zukauskas (Southington, Conn.) entered the fray mid-way through the first half, and his work in the scrummage ensured that there was no drop in productivity from the forwards.

The Gulls put together a relentless succession of phase ball which ended with a Viking’s infraction, for entering the ruck from an offside position. This allowed Spencer to score the first points in Endicott Rugby History, as he slotted the penalty from 30 yards out.

Despite long runs, both teams were unable to add to the score board before the end of the half, as the Blue and Green went into the break holding a slim 3-0 lead. The second half continued the way of the first, with early Endicott ball, being smothered by an organized Salem State defense. When the Vikings did get the ball, they also looked dangerous; as several break away opportunities were snuffed out by the work of Full Back Jake Lipp (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

It wasn’t until the mid point in the second half, when the Gulls made the decisive blow. Carver fed the ball to Sussingham, who slipped his defender, and raced 25 meters for the score. Spencer couldn’t make the most of the try, narrowly missing the conversion.

Salem State went on the attack, trying to reduce the deficit but strong tackling from the likes of Lock Forwards Alex White and Mike Littlefield (Mechanic Falls, Maine), ensured that the break-down was strong, and Matt Camilleri (Chester, Conn.) chased down a Vikings attack late in the game that threatened a score late in the game.

Pat Cormier (Portland, Maine) and Pat Cullen (Beverly, Mass.) both entered the game mid-way through the second half, and worked relentlessly, whilst Dan Pelzar (Granby, Conn.) expertly deputized at scrum half after Kitto received a foot injury.

The Gulls host the Vikings again at Endicott Stadium on 27^th April, trying to continue their early form in their first season.