Women’s Rugby Routs Keene State in Season Finale

PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth State Women’s Rugby team had no trouble last Saturday against Keene State, crushing Keene State College 90-5 at the Recreation Field. The Owls showed up ready to play, but it was clear from the beginning that the recent D2 additions were no match for a dominant Plymouth State club. The first half started out well with Rene Lavoie scoring off a scrum, with a conversion kicked soon after by Hillary Scheer. A couple minutes later, Adrienne “Ace” Acosta picked the ball out of a ruck and scored Plymouth’s second try of the game. Among the other big scorers of the game were Hillary Scheer, Jenny Larochelle, Kelly Williams, Amanda Labrie and Michelle Cardinal, along with first try’s of the season from Melissa Pierce, Kara Marvelli. Beth Metts also converted 2 kicks in the effort, and Plymouth cruised into the half leading 51-0. Plymouth and Keene both substituted players for the second half, but the results were no different on the field. Meg Kennedy started play strong with a 50-yard dash into the try zone leaving Keene deeper in the dust after Metts made the conversion for 7 more points. Metts then scored her own try off a driving line out, while Acosta and back captain Kelly Williams ran in support with one another, charging down the field to score another try. Plymouth State sent most of their B-side in to play at this point, the match all but over as the hosts kept pulling away. Keene didn’t come away empty-handed though, finally putting five points on the board in what would be Plymouth’s only major mistake. Plymouth B-side buckled down from there on out with help from Williams, who led the hosts to another try with another conversion kicked by Metts to get things rolling again. Holly, a new member to the team this season then scored her first try, followed by Kara Marvelli scoring her second try to cap the blowout for Plymouth State. The game was an overall-success for the hosts, with an all-around team effort from their backs and scrummies fending off Keene’s enormous forwards. Plymouth will take their combination of cunning, strength and speed into the NRU Playoffs, which begin this Saturday at the Recreational Field in Plymouth.