NOV 7, 2024 | SPORTS | By Madeleine Johnson and Brody Herrick
Disclaimer: Brody Herrick and Madeleine Johnson are both members of rugby programs at Colorado College. To minimize conflicts of interest, Herrick covered Cutthroat non-men’s Rugby while Johnson reported on the men’s team.
During the 150th Anniversary festivities over Nov. 1-3, Colorado College’s rugby programs hosted their annual homecoming game.
The Cutthroats (Cutties), CC’s non-men’s rugby team, played the Air Force Academy Falcons B-team, drawing a final loss 14-34 on Nov. 1. The men’s team welcomed the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Mountain Lions, who couldn’t field a full team of 15, leading to a unique 10-v-10 game. The final score was 34-12, a decisive victory for the Tigers.
Attendance was sparse with the Cutties game at 6 p.m. and the men’s game following at 8 p.m. due to the conflicting CC hockey game against Air Force. However, many fans and alumni at Washburn Field brought their energy to cheer.
The Cutties started the game strong. Senya Urbom ‘27 placed the Tigers on the board first, breaking through the Falcons’ defensive line in the first five minutes of play. However, Air Force regained possession of the ball, and their athleticism and strength led them to more tries than the Cutties managed.
Captain Kira Smith ‘25 made her first two season conversions, and the Cutties stabilized their scrums, showing improvement between their last matchups.
Air Force pulled ahead at the end of the first half, and the score remained stable for the remainder of the game. The Falcons and Tigers had tries overturned in the second half due to technical errors, leading to a low-scoring game.
Due to the Mountain Lions’ limited roster, the men’s team played three 10-minute periods. After allowing two scoreless periods for the Mountain Lions, the Tigers fielded all rookies for the final 10 minutes of the game. UCCS took advantage of the Tigers’s rookies, scoring their two tries of the night against the new players. However, one rookie, Nolan Diffley ‘27, scored his first try for the Tigers with a breakaway run.
In a heartfelt return to Washburn Field, Chase Ressler ‘23 scored twice for the Tigers in his alumni appearance.
Like Ressler, other alumni, including last year’s Cutthroat captain, Amalia Lopez ‘24, and former president Ethan Gould ‘24, came back to support the game and engage in annual Rugby traditions. On Saturday, following the game, both teams enjoyed a co-ed matchup against alumni of all ages on Yampa field. As per tradition, the alumni pledged to donate $100 per try scored in the friendly match, collecting $2500 donation programs.
Ad Memoriam
Maximillian May ‘27 injured his ankle on a rough tackle and can now be seen walking around in crutches.