The Oberlin Rugby Club showed their Rhino strength last Saturday as they tromped Ashland University with a score of 38-0 for their first win of the season.

After a nervous kickoff, a determined and dream-like Oberlin squad initiated its relentless attack with guts and ferocity in their immediate recovery of the ball by the scrum, although nervous hands and overly tactical play-calling prevented the Rhinos from turning early pressure into points.

From the start the Oberlin scrum demonstrated hard scrumming as well as textbook rucking. It was hence fitting that veteran hooker Leila Macbeth should open up the scoring. With invigorating pace, Macbeth rounded multiple defenders before being tackled just short of the tryline. Two plays later, Macbeth recovered the ball before a ruck could form over the tackle and dove it past the line for the Rhinos’ first five points of the season. A clean strike by senior fly-half Magdalen Dale completed the conversion and put the Rhinos up 7-0.

Shortly before halftime, Oberlin captain and senior scrum-half April Gentile-Miserandino popped a “Cheetos” to perfection—a chip kick ahead followed with a chase by the blindside winger. In only her second game playing in this position Gentile-Miserandino chased her own kick like a seasoned scrumhalf to pounce on the fielding defender. A controversial call by the referee, who at times seemed unable to keep up with the Rhino pace of play, prevented the Rhinos from turning Gentile-Miserandino’s smart play into a try.

Although Oberlin possessed the ball for most of the first half, a seven-point lead was not nearly enough to secure the game and the Rhinos came out in the second half determined to put more points on the board.

Within a minute of the restart Dale slipped through a hole in Ashland’s defensive line, brushing off three more defenders and sprinting into the try unscathed to set the tone for the half. Taking little time to catch her breath Dale slotted the conversion kick to bring the score to 14-0.

Multiple “Crash Bandicoot” marches up-field devastated the Ashland scrummie defense. Drive after drive by the likes of strong-running sophomore scrummies Gina Farinaccio and Phoebe Hasley taxed the limits of Ashland’s endurance. With her first opportunity for a “Bandicoot” drive, junior flanker Jodi Ahlm drove and spun up the field before handing the ball off to Gentile-Miserandino, who ran the ball in for the try. With Neil Jenkins-like accuracy Dale converted her third kick from a tough side-line angle, making it 21-0 with lots of time left to play.

Solid scoring by the veterans gave the Rhinos a comfortable lead, but the rookies on the team were eager to shine. Super-sub-rookie-sensation Christina “Bullet” Laverentz was the first in on the action as she collected her first clean pass of the game and shot through a hole in Ashland’s defense. A smart and fast 60 yard run by Laverentz put her past the tryline untouched. The next score of the game came after a strong scrummie attack and a quick blindside feed to junior winger Amanda Franz. With only seconds remaining in the game, rookie fullback Jasmine Roberts had a perfectly timed run onto a pass from Dale. Roberts’ momentum drove her through two defenders and past the tryline. The first-time scoring of Laverentz, Franz and Roberts thrilled the Rhinos and pumped up the final score to an impressive 38-0.

Naming a “Hustler of the Game” was a more than difficult choice as the entire team played with heart and with a will to bring out the best in themselves as well as in each other. Three veteran players shared the hustler jersey honor: Macbeth for her intensity in rucking, driving and showing pace-a-plenty with the ball in hand, Gentile-Miserandino for her first-class scrum-half performance, adapting to her new role with ease and Dale for her impressive tactical as well as goal-kicking performance and for her personal tally of 13 points as the game’s leading scorer.

Other game hustlers included first-year rookie, Cat Wolnar, who orchestrated veteran-like rucking, almost always being first over the loose ball and forever in the thick of things like a true work-horse flanker; lineout jumper and sophomore eight-man Morgan Evans who was a defying force in the lineout winning over ninety-percent of the Oberlin throw-ins and most of Ashland’s as well, and sophomore rookie center and lock, Alia Kate who showed a rare versatility as she switched with ease from the quick hands play of the line in the first half to the hard hitting defense and drives of the scrum where she was needed in the second half.

Hit of the Game (HOG) is credited to junior lock, Sarah Humphreys, who brought down a towering Ashland scrummie with a crowd silencing thud.

“And this is only the beginning,” Gentile-Miserandino said.

The Rhinos host a double-header this coming Saturday against the University of Miami Ohio and Kent State University. Games and whoop-ass commence at noon on north fields.

Laurie Meiring is the coach of the OC rugby club.