The penultimate week of Friday Night Rugby brings a top-10 Division II clash between No. 3 Coast Guard and ninth-ranked Norwich. The interconference meeting of military academies features the North Atlantic frontrunner, Coast Guard, and one of the top teams in the Rugby Northeast in Norwich.
“It means a lot whenever there’s any sort of military tradition or rivalries, so that was the idea with this one,” said Norwich coach Baylee Annis. “We’re really looking forward to setting the stage for doing this every year.”
“Having rugby players at a service academy is definitely a different experience,” said Coast Guard head coach Sarah Price. “There are a lot of restrictions kids at a service academy have to adhere to that I didn’t have to adhere to in college. To have another team that kind of gets that from the outset, I think, adds camaraderie.”
Norwich enters the contest 2-1-1 with wins over Maine and New Hampshire, a tie with Roger Williams, and a loss to Brown’s second side. Coast Guard is 2-0, banking wins over New Hampshire and Roger Williams. Both the Cadets and Bears defeated UNH by a single score. While the Cadets tied RWU, Coast Guard was dominant against the Hawks, winning 52-0.
The Bears should have more matches on its resume this deep in the fall, but they were forfeited on for the season opener and asked to convert another match to a b-side contest.
“We’ve been successful this season, but my ability to really get a great sense of where we’re at is a little stymied by the fact that we’ve only played two games,” said Price. “Friday night is going to be a great way to figure out what’s working and what’s not working. I’m excited because it will give us a lot of great data.”
Coast Guard graduated a large, experienced senior class from their national semifinal run last fall, but some new leaders and playmakers have emerged. Avis Akers moved to hooker from prop, and she captains the Bears alongside fellow senior Anna Green, fullback. Freshman Jasmine Mendez has been a revelation at wing since picking up rugby this fall.
“She's like a heat-seeking missile for gaps in the defense,” said Price of Mendez. “She manages to find them and squeeze her way into those gaps. She’s been really fun to watch pick up the game.”
Another rugby rookie turning heads is flanker Mirabella Rouane, who comes to Coast Guard with a rodeo background. Turns out, wrangling calves isn’t that different from wrangling ball carriers. And outside center Emma Briggs is starting to figure out the game and become dynamic after a couple of strong 7s campaigns.
Norwich is led up front by senior prop Elinah Liaina, who’s spent just a year with the program. “Elinah is something special on the field. I think any program would be lucky to have her in her post college career plans,” said Annis. “She is such a hard runner, and I have not seen anyone match her yet.”
Shannon Hobbs captains the Cadets from outside center and is a strategic attacker. “She’s one of our brainiac computers I'm excited to see against a fun, fit team,” added Annis.
Regardless of Friday’s result, Coast Guard is marching toward a rematch with New Hampshire in the North Atlantic conference final, with the winner earning an automatic berth to playoffs. Friday’s outcome could hold a lot more weight for Norwich, who as a newcomer to the competition, is gunning for one of three at large bids. A win over No. 3 Coast Guard could go a long way toward bolstering the Bears’ postseason resume.
Watch this match live for free on The Rugby Network.
