Sports: Ruggers Take On Alumni

Dartmouth Sports

Ruggers Take On Alumni

by Donald Phillibert

Dartmouth scored eight tries to beat the New England Collegiate All-Stars 52-3 at Sachem Field. The Indian ruggers were drunk with victory from the past weekend, but they woke up the next to an alumni headache who instead of giving aspirin, handed the DRFC a sobering 38-7 loss.

The first annual match featured the New England Premier League champions against an all-star team comprised of players from other New England universities.

The Yankees have been hard hit by injuries during their spring season and were unable to field some of their usual starters.

Dartmouth started with several mistakes and New England took advantage of one to kick a penalty goal and take a 3-0 lead. At the 11 minute back, New England was penalized and the Indians ran it. Flyhalf and Captain Mark “Oveja Negra” Oldham ’99 used quick hands to put winger Mike Evans ’00 in for a 7-3 Dartmouth lead.

Hooker Dave Dexter ’00 won a New England put-in and Dartmouth went wide. Prop Dan “Beef is Back” Thibeault ’97 ran off the ruck and passed to lock Drew Gardiner ’00. The big lock passed in the tackle to prop Andrew Sweetland ’00 who ran it in for the 14-3 lead.

Flyhalf Oldham kicked a long ball down the sideline and winger Jeff Kinkaid ’01 gave chase and caught the New England wing in possession. Dartmouth won the subsequent ruck and hooker Dave “Density” Dexter ‘00 picked up the ball and fought his way in for the try and a 19-3 score.

In the closing minutes of the half, Oldham sent winger Evans in for his second try. Then Dartmouth scrumhalf Carlos Escobar ’00 ran weak from a scrum, dished off and took the return for the fifth try of the half and a 33-3 Dartmouth advantage at the break.
Midway through the third period, Oldham again kicked long down the sideline. Winger Kinkaid won the chase for the ball, kicked it into the in-goal and fell on it for the try.

Fullback Scott “Dead Squirrel” Whiting ’99 countered a missed New England kick. The ball went through several hands and several rucks before flanker Ben Bell ’00 put it over for the score.

In the fourth period, Dartmouth ran a quick penalty and center Mark “Fitness Faux Pas” Kowalsky ’99 flipped into the try zone to make the final 52-3.

Maybe it was the 5 former Dartmouth captains on the field or maybe it was seniors playing their first game as alumni. Naaah! It was Eagle Captain Al “Tricky Dicky” Dekin ’87 who took the DRFC to school in the annual alumni game.

The Indians took the field for the last time this season in the annual alumni game. They had finished the year as New England and Ivy League champions and had finished in the top 8 in the country for the second year in a row.

After a night of tomfoolery, the DRFC wiped the crust out of their eyes. Even so, they were ready to boast their youthful vigor over the wily veterans wearing the Old Green.

The older Indians were not without a few weapons of their own. Five former captains, two former Presidents, and other alumni dating back to the class of 1972 took the field in the traditional green jerseys.

But Al “Don’t Blink” Dekin, who led the U.S. national team in the Dubai 7s last winter, made all the difference. Al ran through, over, and around the undergraduates to lead the alumni to a 38-7 win at Sachem Field.

Early in the first half, Doug “Baby Fat” Burnaford ’98 stole the ball at a DRFC scrum. The ball went through alumni hands to former President Craig “Vidal Sassoon” Smith ’97 who scored the try. Dekin missed the kick, but the alumni were ahead 5-0.

With 15 minutes left in the half, the DRFC attempted a miss move out wide. Dekin intercepted the pass and ran 70 meters for the try. His conversion made it 12-0.

Early in the second half, Dartmouth ran a quick penalty. #8 Dave “Deliverance” Chamberlain ’00 snuck in for the try. Scott “Woostah!” Whiting ’99 made the conversion to close to 7-12 and it looked like Dartmouth was back in the game.

But then came the Al Dekin show. First he ran into a gap, threw a miss pass to Smith who sent Mike “The Eldest” Rigney ’96 in for the try and a 17-7 lead.

Minutes later, Dekin took the ball on the burst, kicked ahead to himself, and passed to Andy “Obi-Wan” Obenshain ’96 who sent Jeff “Woodsy”Woods ’97 in for the score and a 24-7 alumni lead.

The elder Indians recovered the kickoff and Dekin sent former Captain Torbjorn “Eurofoof” Dimblad ’97 away for the score. Torbs passed up several opportunities to pass to older alumni who had sprinted into support but sidestepped in to make it 31-7 for the alumni.

In the closing minutes, the DRFC was penalized and the alumni ran a quick penalty play. Prop Doug “Rugby Bear” Vandenberg ’97 passed to Qua “Ha” Ha ’97 who put Pete “I’m a Maniac... Maniac” Sisitsky ’97 in for the try despite his delicate hamstring. This left a 38-7 final score.

The alumni victory put an end to a two game winning streak for the undergraduates. Everyone retired to the sideline, grateful to be out of the blistering heat, and celebrated the conclusion of another championship year for the DRFC.