Brooklyn Rugby Club claims victory in first official home game

September 30, 2014 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Rugby Club claimed victory on its home field. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Rugby Club

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In week 4 of the 2014 season, the Brooklyn Rugby Club men got back on the winning side with a 26-24 win over Village Lions D3 in their first official game on their home turf. The Brooklyn women traveled north to Worcester, MA, and suffered a tough loss to Charles River RFC, 27-19.

After two consecutive debilitating losses, the Brooklyn men rebounded with a satisfying win over the Manhattan-based Village Lions D3 squad. Brooklyn jumped out to an early lead, scoring the game’s first three tries and going up 21-0. Craig Mackenzie, Iain Cockshott and Craig Sinclair each scored tries for the men in black and blue, and Johnny Gearity converted on all three conversion attempts.

However the second half proved to be a wake-up call for Brooklyn, as the Village Lions came out fast and hard, quickly adding two tries of their own. Jake Wyse added a fourth try for Brooklyn to increase their lead, but Gearity missed on the conversion leaving the door open for the Lions. The Lions would add ten more points before the final whistle sounded, but fell just short after a ferocious comeback in the waning minutes of the game. The Brooklyn men held on for a two-point, 26-24, victory over the Lions.

Brooklyn: 26 – Village Lions D3: 24

Tries: Craig Mackenzie, Iain Cockshott, Craig Sinclair, Jake Wyse

Conversions: Johnny Gearity (3)

The Brooklyn women traveled to Massachusetts to face Boston-based Charles River RFC. From the get-go, Charles River showed dominance in the rucks, allowing them to retain possession at a number of key moments throughout the game. After falling behind by two tries early in the first half, fly half Kyla Maxwell scored Brooklyn’s first try and Erika Hernandez added the conversion. Shortly thereafter, Amit Aharon brilliantly read the oncoming offensive play, intercepting the pass and returning it for a try to bring Brooklyn within two points. Erika Hernandez’s nodded the game at 14 with a successful conversion. Charles River added one more try just before halftime to take a 21-14 lead into the break.

The second half was a test of resiliency for the Brooklyn women, who had to battle through a number of injuries to key players. Charles River kicked two penalty conversions early in the half, but Brooklyn inched closer when Natalia Szymanski broke through the line to give the team its third try of the game. After Kyle Maxwell missed on the conversion attempt, Brooklyn forced several defensive turnovers and did not allow Charles River to cross the try line in the second half. But despite a noble effort, the Brooklyn comeback fell short with the final score 27-19 in favor of Charles River.

Charles River: 27 – Brooklyn: 19

Tries: Kyle Maxwell, Amit Aharon, Natalia Szymanski

Conversions: Kyle Maxwell, Erika Hernandez

At the midway point of the season, the Brooklyn Rugby men and women both find themselves at an even 2-2. Both teams have a BYE week on October 4, and will return to action on Saturday, October 11.

Upcoming Matches:

Brooklyn Men: @ New York Rugby Club – Saturday, October 11 @ 1:00pm, Randall’s Island, New York

Brooklyn Women: @ Burlington Rugby Club – Saturday, October 11 @ 1:00pm, Essex Junction, VT