Photo courtesy of Lily Stevens ‘27.
Mount Holyoke Rugby lost 34-14 in an away match against Springfield College on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. Next, they will compete against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
By Zellie Calavita ’26
Staff Writer
The Mount Holyoke College Rugby team fell 34-14 to Springfield College on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Springfield.
Despite this loss, Charlie Barnard ’25 expressed his pride in the team's performance.
“We're seeing big improvements in our playing since our first game of the season, and this match was definitely the best we've done as a team thus far,” he said.
Carlin Rosen ’24, Reeve Haefele ’25, Allyson Joseph ’24 and Mitsuki Ito ’26 were recognized after the game for their noteworthy contributions. “I am so proud of my teammates [Rosen] and [Ito] for scoring our first tries of the season,” Emma Roth-Wells ’24 said. “Overall, everyone played really well.”
“Everybody on the team is starting to learn the different habits of each other and has started to work as a team,” Ito said.
While reflecting on the game, Rosen emphasized the importance of using both their own and the opposing team’s strengths to develop a strategy.
“Springfield players in general were much larger than our players, but we were much faster than them. … We had to have multiple players tackle the Springfield players, but we were also able to get two tries by outrunning the Springfield players,” Rosen said.
Rosen also spoke of their appreciation for the team’s atmosphere.
“I played team sports for 10 years before joining MHC rugby, and I have never experienced as much kindness or support from my teammates than I have on this team,” they said.
Forward Ava Healy ’24 praised the team’s strategy, courage and strength in their game.
“The team’s performance was phenomenal today, [and] the air was truly electric. We played one of the best games that I’ve seen,” Healy said. “There was a palpable pride in the atmosphere, pride in ourselves as players and as a team. This team is a strong team — in physicality, teamwork, spirit and heart.”
Mount Holyoke Rugby’s next game is their annual Camille Sillman Memorial game against Wentworth Institute of Technology on Oct. 21.