THE RUGBY BREAKDOWN: Endicott Wants More Headed Into Postseason Play

STORY COURTESY OF THE RUGBY BREAKDOWN

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott College is undefeated in the Colonial Coast Rugby Conference and has booked a spot in the Small College division's championship final on Nov. 6. Should the Gulls win the conference title, then the team will enjoy a hometown crowd for the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Eastern Regional Playoffs in Beverly, Mass. 

Endicott is the reigning Colonial Coast champion and advanced to last year's national quarterfinals. That team achieved those heights with an almost entirely rookie team.

"Our captain, Cassidy McElhinney (Natick, Mass.), was one of two people who returned from the fall 2019 team," Endicott women's rugby head coach Carly Baker said. "So for fall 2021, we lost everyone besides two people to Covid. We were like a brand new squad last fall."

Nevertheless, the Gulls advanced to the 2021 Round of 16 and beat Middlebury, and then the following day played Cortland to a competitive loss in the national quarterfinals. It was a valuable experience from which the team built.

"Last spring was really beneficial," Baker explained. "It helped our newer players develop a good skill set, which has led us into this fall season. Now we actually have a good core group of returners who have made a huge commitment to themselves and the team."

There are eight active seniors on the squad, and most are concentrated in the forwards. Captain McElhinney leads from prop, and Caitlin Burke (Dudley, Mass.) anchors the tight five at lock. Allyson Belknap (Glen Rock, N.J.) and Jourdan VanAmburgh (Selkirk, N.Y.) do work as flankers, and Carolina Stubbs (Newtown, Conn.), whom Baker called the unsung hero in most matches, is huge in the breakdowns, tackles and with ball in hand. Kaitlyn Quinn (Salem, N.H.) directs from flyhalf, while back Kylie Breen (Norfolk, Mass.) and front row Summer Cardoza (Edgartown, Mass.) are important finishers. Amelia George (Holyoke, Mass.) is the team manager.

"It's a combination," Baker said of personnel and the root of the team's success. "We have a few juniors, and then our fullback, Tess Merrill (Greenwich, N.Y.), is a sophomore who joined last fall and has been a really key component to our team. Just very athletic and has stepped up huge for us making runs and tackles when needed. Such a reliable person."

Endicott started the fall 2022 season with a scrimmage against Providence College, which is currently undefeated in Rugby Northeast's CRAA DII. [Related: Explaining Women's College Rugby]

"Oh my god it was like night and day," Baker compared year-over-year gains. "All of last fall, we were focusing on developing skills and learning the rules... Now we're really working on advanced skills, which helps us in our attacking structure and our defense and tackling. It's really making an impact in the breakdowns and looking to win the ball back every single time, which has been effective for us in every match we've played so far."

Endicott was grateful for the tune-up, as the season began against Plymouth State. The Gulls got the push they were looking for in the 22-12 decision. Salve Regina followed, and Endicott impressed in a 41-0 win.

"Getting those two important games under our belt, we started to understand that we have the potential to go for a good run," Baker said. "We have the squad to do it."

That realization, paired with the knowledge that the subsequent league games might not be as competitive, stoked more activity in the squad.

"I'm finding that the players want more," Baker said. "They know there are more teams out there, whether that's at the championship or regionals or nationals. The level of play is going to get better so they want to be in the classroom, watching film, and learning more that way. They're working with each other. 'How can we be better? What steps can we take?' They're working on the culture and commitment building. Making sure they're getting up at 6 AM for team lifts. That's all stuff they take on and that's what you look for in a good core team leadership group."

Endicott went on to beat UMass Dartmouth 59-0 and Wentworth, 100-5, on Senior Day. This Sunday's game against UMaine-Farmington will close out the regular season, but regardless of the outcome, Endicott is heading to the Nov. 6 conference championship. Same goes for Salve Regina.

As to whether the team's had a good enough build-up for playoffs, Baker's opinion wavered. The coach appreciated the field time, but as Competitions Director for Colonial Coast, Baker knows that teams are still very much recuperating from Covid. When cancelations and forfeits occurred, across all conferences, Baker was happy to see the community come together to make games happen.

"A lot of teams have struggled with numbers or coaching changeover that things are still up in the air," Baker said of the reliability of game day. "So everyone's looking out for each other and trying to get games going again – because that's what it's about with Covid."

With that said, Endicott is in a better place than it was last year, when it finished in the top eight of the nation. The Gulls are internally motivated, playing at a higher level, and to add to the excitement, the team has the opportunity to perform in front of a home crowd come regionals.

"They try not to think beyond that first step [of the postseason], but they do get excited with, 'We have a good squad, coach. We can do this,'" Baker said of the team's vision. "They do think about the possibilities and the limits, but they know they've got to handle the task at hand. That's kind of our mindset."

Whoever wins the Colonial Coast championship will report to Beverly, Mass., on Nov. 12-13 for the NCR National Rounds of 16/8. Endicott will host the four teams in the East block, while sites in Virginia, Nebraska, and Indiana host the South, West, and Midwest teams, respectively. The Upstate New York and Rugby Northeast champions (and a fourth team) will also report to the Gulls' home pitch.

"Hopefully we can seal the deal in the championship, because for our community and our school and our team, [hosting regionals] is a big thing for us, and we're looking forward to that," Baker closed. "If I want to expand and get more rugby players, whether high school or international, to the campus, this will put us on the map. It'll help grow our program. It's very exciting."

The four regional champions then advance to the national championship weekend on Dec. 3-4 in Houston, Texas, where DI, DII, and Small College titles will be awarded. 

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(Photo Credit - Ryan Asia Atkins '23)