Previous Match Reports:
Middlesex Barbarians - 14
Bayonne Bombers - 28
11/22/09
Randall's Island, New York - In a hard fought match where only four points separated the teams 37 minutes into the second half, the Bayonne Bombers scored ten points in the space of two minutes to secure a 28-14 win over the Middlesex Barbarians and claim the 2009 Northeast RFU Division II Men’s Club Championship.
In a match that exhibited great defense from both teams, there was no scoring until the 21st minute when a yellow card was issued to Middlesex. Winning a lineout five meters from the Middlesex line, Bayonne mauled possession into the try zone where prop Kyle Mallory touched down. Flyhalf Chris Arnold, whose kicking had been so accurate the day before, missed the conversion, in addition to two earlier penalty attempts, 5-0.
There was no further scoring in the half until the 39th minute when Middlesex sub Dan Martin entered the game and hit a 40-meter penalty goal, 5-3.
Dan Martin’s insertion again proved useful, as two minutes into the second half the fullback kicked his second penalty to give Middlesex a 6-5 lead.
A penalty kick by flyhalf Chris Arnold put Bayonne back on top five minutes later (8-6) and then Bayonne wing Mike Vogt ran thirty meters for a try that gave the New Jersey side a 13-6 advantage.
Middlesex struck back minutes later when #8 Mike Mahoney scored from a scrum at the five (13-11) but Bayonne countered in the 18th minute with a try by Chris Arnold that covered 50 meters, 18-11.
Dan Martin hit his third penalty thirty minutes into the second half, cutting Bayonne’s lead to 18-14, but that was as close as Middlesex would get.
A 23 meter penalty by Chris Arnold in the 37th minute and Arnold’s conversion of a try by Bayonne #8 Tripp Bartlett would bring the final score to 28-14.
Bayonne (NJ): 28
Tries: Mallory, Vogt, Arnold, Bartlett
Convs: Arnold
Pens: Arnold 2
Middlesex (MA): 14
Tries: Mahoney
Pens: Martin 3
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/clubs/men-dii-clubs/bayonne-flies-by-barbarians-to-win-nru.aspx
Middlesex Barbarians - 47
Monmouth RFC - 15
11/21/09
Outscoring Monmouth (NJ) seven tries to two, Middlesex (MA) won its Northeast D2 Club semifinal 47-15.
Middlesex’s march to a 21-8 halftime lead began in the fifth minute with a penalty goal by flyhalf Jason Stefani, 3-0.
Wing Jared Landers went 40 meters for a try to up the Middlesex tally to 8-0 two minutes later. Prop Josh Skinner then scored the first of his two tries in the ninth minute, following a long break by Ryan Farries, 13-0
Wing Garret Mozolic got Monmouth on the board in the 23rd minute when he scored from the ten following a penalty against Middlesex, 13-5.
A long try by Landers in the 34th minute was answered three minutes later by a 30 meter penalty kick from Monmouth flyhalf and captain Joe Lucarelli, 18-8.
Jason Stefani’s second penalty kick in the 40th minute gave Middlesex a 21-8 halftime lead.
Second Half
Middlesex increased its lead three minutes after the restart when prop Josh Skinner scored his second try from in close following a penalty, 26-8.
Monmouth responded in the 14th minute with a try by scrumhalf Robert Morello, following a penalty at the five, that Joe Lucarelli converted, 26-15.
That, however, ended Monmouth’s scoring for the day.
Middlesex, on the other hand, was far from finished as they added tries by center John Meehan in the 22nd, No. 8 Mike Mahoney in the 26th and hooker Steve Rachal in the 35th minute. The first two tries were converted by Jason Stefani and the third by Dan Martin, bringing the final score to 47-15.
Middlesex 47:
Tries: Landers 2, Skinner 2, Meehan, Mahoney, Rachal
Convs: Stefani 2, Martin
Pens: Stefani 2
Monmouth 15:
Tries: Mozolic, Morello
Convs: Lucarelli
Pens: Lucarelli
Men of the Match for Middlesex Barbarians:
#7 Matt Gottbrecht (Wake Forest)
#9 Dan Mullane (UMass Lowell)
Middlesex Barbarians - 18
Portland RFC - 7
10/31/09
The Middlesex Barbarians ended their New England DII regular season with a perfect 8-0 record after beating Portland 18-7 Friday night.
The Barbarians had to overcome a dedicated Portland squad, though, and entered halftime down 7-6 and were being shoved around by the Maine team.
But Middlesex dominated the first 25 minutes of the second half, with No. 8 Mike Mahoney and scrumhalf Danny Mullane scoring as the Barbarians put on the pressure.
"We used a couple different combos tonight and we took home another win,” said Middlesex coach Josh Smith. “Our depth has been a strong point all year; tonight we really used it to put away Portland.”
Middlesex Barbarians Men of the Match:
#4 Matt Gottbrecht (Wake Forest)
#9 Jim Agostino (Bentley)
Middlesex Vipers Men of the Match:
#8 Andrew Packin (Bentley)
#13 Connor Landers (Endicott)
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/clubs/men-dii-clubs/middlesex-caps-8-0-new-england-season.aspx
Middlesex Barbarians - 35
Providence RFC - 13
10/24/09
On a rainy, yet warm Saturday night at Amesbury Sports Park, two sides that reached the National round of 16 last year faced off -- Providence (D-2) and Middlesex (D-3 semi's). The more experienced Providence side jumped ahead early to an 8-7 lead with strong forward play by Matt Medina 8-man, and snappy kicking by Flyhalf Greg Matthew.
Providence tackled well early on, but Middlesex's relentless attack began to break down the Providence backs. Middlesex then went on to score 3 tries in 10 minutes to take a 28-8 lead with 33 minutes remaining. Middlesex was lead during these 10 minutes by fierce running from Winger Jarrod Landers.
Providence refused to roll over, scoring ona nice kick and chase to cut the lead to 28-13. The Barbarians continued to keep Providence on the back foot with quick ball. Outside CenterJohn Meehan added the exclamation points with another converted try to seal the NERFU title for the club from Malden, Massachusetts.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#2 Steve Rachal – UConn
#12 Matt Johnsen – UMass Lowell
The Middlesex Vipers, who are Div 2 B- Side Champions, continued their winning ways with a 17-5 win over the Providence B side. Tries were scored by Ryan Faries, Mike Rawdon and Jake Cowdrey.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#2 Mark Green – UMass Lowell
#13 Ryan Faries – Cal Poly
Burlington RFC - 3
Middlesex Barbarians - 10
10/17/09
A chill in the air marked the beginning of the Middlesex v. Burlington DII club game in New England. But Middlesex heated up eventually, scoring try with eight minutes to go to win 10-3 and go 6-0.
Burlington took an early lead, kicking a penalty two minutes in. From then Middlesex controlled a lot of ball, but saw no payoff for the possession. Excellent tackling from Burlington's backline kept them in the game.
After a half of back-and-forth play and the score still 3-0 Burlington, Middlesex No. 8 Mike Mahoney chased down a long kick, gathered in the ball and fed fellow Bentley College grad and flyhalf JAson Stefani for the try at 72 minutes. Off the restart reserve front rower Adam Kerwin rambled 30 meters upfield to set an attacking platform that resulted in a Burlington penalty. Middlesex kicker Dan "Red " Martin put the ball over for the win.
Brian Bognanno and Jay Stefani got game MVP awards.
"We were excited to play on the road in a tough setting like Burlington," said Middlesex coach Josh Smith. "Our club is very young and challenges like this are a true test to see how far we have come as a club. Anytime you leave leave Burlington with two wins [B-side won as well] it is a great trip."
Middlesex is 6-0 with two games left on their schedule. Burlington drops to 3-2-2. A win over Providence next week for Middlesex should be enough to secure 1st place in New England. Although Hartford, 3-1-1, could catch the Barbarians if they win out.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#6 Brian "Bugsy" Bognanno (Sacred Heart)
#10 Jason Stefani (Bentley)
The second match of the day saw the Middlesex Vipers go on to defeat Burlington's B-Side by a score of 18-17. A close game that was decided by a missed conversion with no time left, gave the Vipers the victory. With the win, the Vipers took home the Division 2 B-Side Championship.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#4 Sean Cullen (Oregon)
#1 Adam Kerwin (Bentley)
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/clubs/men-dii-clubs/middlesex-leaves-it-late.aspx
Middlesex Barbarians - 38
Charles River RFC - 7
10/10/09
The Middlesex Barbarians are now 5-0 in their first DII club season, after dispatching Charles River 38-7 on Saturday.
Led by the play of Fullback Red Martin and Prop forward Josh Skinner, both products of UMass-Lowell, the Barbarians jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first nine minutes and then cruised. Wings Roger Lamarche and Jarrod Landers, and Loosehead James Bremis scored tries to get Middlesex going.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#3 Josh Skinner (UMass Lowell)
#15 Red Martin (UMass Lowell)
The Middlesex Vipers followed with a win of their own defeating the Charles River Orange Whips 36-7. The Vipers got a little help from Middlesex Alumni Pat Smulligan and Terry Frechette.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#15 Mark Kivimaki (Union College)
#3 Matt Shwom (UMass Lowell)
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/clubs/men-dii-clubs/middlesex-keeps-winning.aspx
Middlesex Barbarians - 27
Newport - 12
9/26/09
Summer in New England didn’t really show up, as it was cold and rainy virtually the entire time.
But the sun has arrived in time for fall rugby and that has teams smiling. And certainly it made for excellent conditions at Fort Adams in Newport, RI, where the upstart Middlesex Barbarians defeated their previously undefeated hosts 27-12 to stay on top of New England’s DII club league at 4-0.
Middlesex scored an unconverted at 14 minutes with No. 8 Mike Mahoney making a nice play to set it up. Down 5-0 Newport answered six minutes later when scrumhalf Marc Daniel-Simpson scored a nifty try off a quick tap. And then Chris St Germain extended the lead when he zipped around the weak side. 12-5 Newport at halftime.
The game was a contrast of styles. Newport playing very direct rugby - bashing it up with forwards and their backs also running hard, straight lines. The young Middlesex side liked to move the ball more and offloaded in the tackle. Sometimes it was like watching a 7s team play.
In the second half the Barbarians began to take control. Flyhalf Jason Stefani hit a penalty kick and then Albert Chow did well in his support running to score and give Middlesex the 15-12 lead.
The third quarter of the match was very tight. The teams traded territory and then Newport seemed to be in position to retake the lead. They mauled the ball over the line, but were held up. From the ensuing scrum the over-eager Newport pack drive early, free kick to Middlesex.
Soon after John Meehan scored for Middlesex and Matt Virzi iced it when both teams were hoping to come out with at least a bonus point.
Newport ended up losing by 15, but were much, much closer for most of the game. They drop to 2-1, but are still in a solid position in New England.
"This was a match we had to have going into the bye week,” said Middlesex coach Josh Smith. “One thing is clear in NERFU DII, we are going to battle each week, no easy ones.”
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#8 Mike Mahoney (Bentley)
#9 Dan Mullane (UMass Lowell)
The Middlesex Vipers followed with a 27-0 win over Newport B side. Tries were scored by Jim Agostino, Dan Martin, Mark Green, Jarrod Landers, and Matt Virzi.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#9 Jim Agostino (Bentley)
#2 Adam Kerwin (Bentley)
http://erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=125&a=5539
Middlesex Barbarians - 20
Hartford Wanderers - 12
9/19/09
In perfect Fall condition Middlesex and Hartford met for a Saturday night clash for two unbeaten DII clubs in New England. Middlesex started at a high tempo but could not convert that pressure into any scoring until flyhalf Jason Stefani slotted a penalty 34 minutes in. The first half ended with Middlesex knocking on the door but the Wanderers turned the ball over on their tryline to halt the attack.
The defenses continued to play well but began to show some chinks late in the second half. Good ball handling saw Hartford take the lead with a try to make it 3-5. But right off the restart Middlesex scored. No. 8 Mike Mahoney made the big move and Stefani’s boot put the Barbarians in the lead once more 6-5.
Tough defense and some slopped ball-handling provided a turnover for Middlesex, and Stefani went over and converted his own try for the 13-5 lead. Then captain John Meehan sealed the deal at the 78-minute mark with try up the gut. Hartford scored late but it wasn’t quite enough to earn a close-loss bonus point. 20-12 Middlesex. Stefani, a graduate of Bentley College, accounted for 15 of those points.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#14 Roger Lamarche (UMass Lowell)
#15 Nick Vettese (UMass Lowell)
In the 2nd match of the night the Vipers came out on top beating Hartford B 29-3. Tries were scrored by Dan Martin, Albert Chow (2), Andrew Packin and Connor Landers. Dan Martin was 2/5 on conversions.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#6 Albert Chow (Bentley)
#10 Dan Martin (UMass Lowell)
http://erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=125&a=5493
Worcester RFC - 0
Middlesex Barbarians - 19
9/12/09
The Barbarians traveled to Worcester where rain was present for most of the game. The match was played on a muddy surface, and the field was lined for football which lead to a physical, low scoring battle between two new comers to NERFU D2.
Middlesex got on the board first (18minutes) with quick ball off a penalty, going through several hands before Outside Center John Meehan (Providence College) dotted it in the corner. The next twenty minutes of the match saw each team move up and down the pitch but neither could cash in. This changed when great ball movement was displayed by the Barbarian forwards, and it allowed Middlesex Fullback Nick Vettese (UMass Lowell) to finish in the corner just as the half expired. Pivot Jason Stefani made the conversion from the sideline as the club went to half 12-0.
The second half was filled with lots territorial kicking until the former D3 club put it away with a try from Loose-head Prop James Bremis (Boston U). 19-0 final.
Men of the Match for Middlesex Barbarians:
#12 Matt Johnsen (UMass Lowell)
#7 Matt Gottbrecht (Wake Forest)
In the 2nd match of the day, the Middlesex Vipers took on Worcesters B side and prevailed with a 7-0 win. The lone try was scored by Albert Chow off a maul. Dan Martin converted the kick.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#12 Jake Cowdrey (UMass Lowell)
#8 Andrew Packin (Bentley)
Old Gold Rugby Club - 7
Middlesex Barbarians - 31
9/3/09
In their first official Division 2 match, the Middlesex Barbarians beat Old Gold by a score of 31-7. A solid game was played by the Barbarians, as they were able swing the ball wide most of the night, and had good support by their forwards.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Barbarians:
#3 Josh Skinner (UMass Lowell)
#10 Jay Stefani (Bentley)
The Middlesex Vipers then beat Old Gold's B-side by a score of 59-0.
Men of the Match for the Middlesex Vipers:
#14 Connor Landers (Endicott College)
#2 Albert Chow (Bentley)
Winger/Flyhalf Dan Martin was 7/9 on conversions.