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Kent State Restarts with Pitt Win

  • 21 Sep 2021
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The Allegheny conference got underway last weekend, and while most teams are regrouping with 7s, a handful of colleges are able to play 15s. In Division I, Kent State and Univ. Pittsburgh met for their season-openers, and the Golden Flashes came out on top 33-26.

RELATED: Fixtures & Results: Sept. 17-19

Fall 2019 was a solid 15s season for Kent State, and the Ohio program was readying for a robust spring 7s season when Covid-19 halted play in 2020. The team wasn’t allowed to assemble in fall 2020, and that dearth of activity could have destroyed the program.

“Fortunately for us the [National Collegiate Rugby] did a virtual season so that was good for us to really keep our momentum going and keep players engaged,” Kent State head coach Hannah Henry reflected on fall 2020. “We did lose a big number of players, but we weren’t able to do anything [in person] until this fall, which makes it hard to retain and recruit numbers.”

But recruitment was good this year, and approximately 35 of the 50 players who showed up to training consistently return. The roster is larger than normal, and is a mix of those completely new to the sport, rookies with high school experience, and a dozen or so veterans. It’s forced Henry to adjust training focus and get back to more fundamentals, but numbers are numbers, and that is a huge asset as teams emerge from two years’ hiatus.

Kent State hasn’t elected captains just yet, but Henry indicated that there are several qualified candidates and it’s just a matter of narrowing down options.


Photo: Sara House

“But I’ve been super impressed by two of our rookies,” Henry said. “Sophia Schweitzer was with us during the virtual season but this is the first time we’ve actually seen her play. So she’s kind of a rookie, but kind of not.”

Sophomore Schweitzer played with Highland, Medina and Brunswick during high school.

“She’s really shown up as a leader,” Henry said of the flyhalf. “She’s a quiet one but does everything to a T. I just am beyond impressed by her abilities – the tackles, the rucks, forming the back line and getting them in place. She’s just a solid rugby player.”

The coach also highlighted freshman Casey Brinker, who comes out of the St. Joseph Academy program near Cleveland. The hooker is also quiet but is the example of work rate, and put in a stellar performance against Pitt. Anna Walters wasn’t available for the game, but Henry is eager to see the Hudson graduate on the pitch. She’s the third Walters sister to attend Kent State. Henry played with the eldest and coached the middle sister, who was getting married last weekend, accounting for Anna’s absence.

“My scrumhalf is a very seasoned veteran – Brooke Barnes,” Henry said of the Brunswick product who also plays with Cleveland Coalition during summer 7s. “She’s phenomenal. She’s aggressive and isn’t afraid to get in there and has a good boot. She went 4/5 on conversions and would have gone 5/5 if Pitt’s uprights weren’t wonky.”

Kent State didn’t play any warm-up matches before Saturday’s game against Pitt, although a handful of players traveled to a skills clinic hosted by the conference and Pitt Forge on Sept. 11. Before game time, the team huddled up and every player announced a personal goal to the team.


Photo: Sara House

“I want to hit all my tackles. I want to make it through the game stamina wise,” Henry recited some players’ goals. “That’s super important to let them know that even though the team goal is to win, you should have goals set for yourself.”

The last time Pitt and Kent State faced each other, the former won and ended the Golden Flashes’ playoff hopes.

“They beat us on the last play of the game,” Henry clarified. “Time was up and I was screaming at people to kick the ball out but no one was listening. And then Pitt scored with no time left for the win. That was hard to get over. So coming into this, it was, ‘This may or may not be the toughest match you have this season in our conference. We have to make sure we come out of this on top.’ And they did.”

Kent State held the lead throughout the match, but Pitt put in a worthy comeback that put the outcome in question.

“The first 10-15 minutes, we didn’t move too much from the 50,” Henry recapped. “At that point, I started to get nervous. We kept going back and forth, but neither team was gaining that much. Then we got a try on the wing and started to pick up speed.”

Kent State put up three tries in the first half but then started to fall off in the second stanza.

“The coaches heard Pitt say, ‘They’re losing momentum,’ and they took advantage,” Henry said of Pitt’s second-half surge. “But that’s what kicked them into gear – knowing that if they didn’t move forward, then Pitt was going to capitalize.

“Casey played a crucial role in the forwards,” the coach said of an inspirational performance. “She’s so aggressive and was all over the place. She helped lead the forwards and kept pushing.”

The forwards could also be heard chanting, “Gretchen,” the scrum sled’s name, every time they packed down.

“I understand. It’s the first game, the team is mostly rookies who have never played rugby before, it’s a million degrees out – you’re going to get tired. And once you’re tired it’s hard to turn around and go the other direction,” Henry said. “But everyone on the team was, ‘Hey, if we don’t pick it up, we’re going to lose.’”

Kent State was able to respond with a couple of tries and maintain its lead, ending with a 33-26 win. Brinker was named Forward of the Match, and Schweitzer the Back of the Match.

“They were so pumped after the win,” said Henry, who was still nursing a lost voice. “Everyone’s families came out to the game – we’re only two hours from Pitt – so it was an awesome atmosphere with the families cheering on. And we had a B-side match, so some of the players who didn’t make the 23 got to play and get a taste of real rugby, not just practice rugby. And we had four zulus [first collegiate tries] in that game, so that was awesome.”

Kent State is playing Youngstown State this weekend and scheduled for West Virginia on Oct. 9, but the rest of the calendar is pretty light. Typically, Henry is able to book a friendly against DI Davenport University, but the Panthers have joined the Big 10 this year and have more travel on the books. Notre Dame College (NDC) is regrouping in the Allegheny, and although the former NCAA varsity program is committed to the small-college 7s division, better-than-expected numbers brings potential for a 15s friendly against the Golden Flashes.

“You take the approach that every game is a serious match, whether it’s against a senior women’s club, Davenport or NDC, or a weaker team in the conference,” Henry said of staying sharp. “Make sure we’re playing good, quality, solid rugby. Make sure we’re improving week to week, even when we’re throwing in people who aren’t typical starters so they can learn and improve.”

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