SRRFC Hall of Fame Class of 2022-2023 Inductee: Jon Holtzman

From the desk of the SRRFC Hall of Fame Committee:

Jon first stepped on to a rugby pitch in 1989 at the age of 18, beginning his rugby career with Severn River.  Quickly learning the game, Jon became a dominant force not only as an ever-present scoring threat, but also with his punishing defense. 

In 1993, Jon went on to Towson University to play football, and also played for the Towson RFC.  

Jon’s athleticism and powerful running quickly caught the attention of USA Rugby; Jon was recognized as a USA Rugby Collegiate Representative and as a USA Rugby Collegiate All American in 1993.

Jon returned to play for Severn River in 1994 and also represented Severn that same year playing for the PRU East 15’s Select Side vs. Northampton, UK.

As captain of Severn River in '94 and '95, Jon's contributions earned him a derby for Most Valuable Forward as well as the prestigious “Leather Balls Award” for his dedication on and off the field.  

By 1995, Jon had not only established himself as a dominant 15s player, but also as a force in 7s.  That year, he became a representative of USA Rugby East 7s team and was on the first US team to ever beat Canada.

It wasn’t surprising that Jon’s rugby skills were being recognized at every level.  By 1997, he was recruited to Life University.  In '97 and '98, Jon represented the USA as an Eagle.  Capped four times, Jon played all over the world, including in the World Cup qualifier against Argentina. 

In 2000, Jon was on Life’s National Championship team in the USA Super League and voted as the Most Valuable Forward and MVP of the season.

Lucky for the club, Jon returned to Severn River in 2021 as the coach of the men's D3 & D4 forwards.  Once Jon took the reins as the forwards coach for Severn, level of play went up immediately - there wasn't a scrum in the division that could hang with them.

SRRFC Hall of Fame Class of 2022-2023 Inductee: Jon Holtzman

Badgers Put Up a Huge Number on the Scoreboard vs NOVA D2

Hello honey badger fans!

Your team protected the home pitch with their first league game with a 85-0 score against NOVA. The badgers played as a unified front from the begging. The pods gathered and pushed and the backs continued to move the ball forward. Our co captain, Hope Wasserman, said “the team played seamlessly, and that our practices showed off our skills on the pitch”. NOVA came to play and their defensive line held strong as the Honey Badgers fought for each try. The defensive scrums and line outs won the battle and the amount of turnovers from poaches by players like Bri Leonard were unmatched. Bri notes “this game set the tone for the rest of the season”. She felt the players were connecting and the team momentum progressed with each minute. Bri Niewinski, AKA Breezy, felt the connection as well. She said, “everyone went out there and put their bodies on the line”. Even when we got tired, Breezy reminded everyone that they could do anything for 80 minutes! Your Honey Badgers are ready for another week of hard practice to prep for their first away game against James River!

Until next game,

XOXO

Belligerent Badger

Players of the match: Scrappy Whiteley & Victoria Zito

Tries: Bri Leonard (2), Maria ‘Abuela’ Beteta, Bri ‘ Breezey’ Niewinski (2), Erin Gallagher-Johnson, Lilly Soliday, Shelly Freeman, Katie Turner, Victoria Zito (2), Scrappy Whiteley (2), Tanya Gouws (2)

5 out of 15 conversions by Charlee Bryan

Honey Badgers Come Out Strong Against D1 Philly

Cheers to the start of the 2022-23 Honey Badger season. Your ladies came out to the pitch ready to defend their home turf against Philly D1.

The Badgers started off a bit bumpy, as noted by team co-captain, Masha Romanchak, but that is expected with new players and new lines overcoming a learning curve. We held Philly off for the first 20 minutes until they scored their first try. Kate “Todo” Todorovich brought us on the board with our first try, bringing the score to 14-5 at the end of the half.

After a motivating halftime speech by coach Dolla Harmse, the Badgers came out ready to strike. The ladies turned up the heat and the score. Erin Gallagher-Johnson, Izzy Izquierdo, Sophie Clendenin, Sara Mercado, and Lily Soliday each touched down a try in the 2nd half. Izzy and Sara’s tries were their firsts’ with Severn earning them Zulu Warrior status. Izzy is one of our new players and this was her last game with Severn before she departs to Okinawa to serve in the Marine Corps. She is thankful for the experience and lasting memories she has created with the Badgers in just the three months she’s been with us. Shanna Davidson, a five year Severn vet, said it felt good to dust off her boots and shake off the first game jitters. Severn closed the match with a 36-14 victory over Philly.

Your ladies are feeling strong and ready for another fantastic season. We only plan to keep going up from here!

XOXO,

Belligerent Badger

Tries-Kate Todorovich-1, Erin Gallagher-Johnson-1, Izzy Izquierdo-1, Sophie Clendenin-1, Sara Mercado-1, Lily Soliday-1

Kicks- Charlee Bryan- 3 out of 6

Women of the Match- Lily Soliday and Izzy Izquierdo (Pictured below)

Beer Olympics: 2022

By: Lenni Ferreira

The sky was clear, the sun was high, and at 11AM (ish) on Saturday August 13th, the Severn River Rugby Beer Olympics began. The competing teams gathered for the opening ceremony which consisted of a lighting of the torch (candle) by a player of Greek decent (yours truly), followed by a group shotgun. Some Olympians were new to shotgunning, some were veterans to the speedy can chug, but in that moment all players were unified by the cold drinks and heavily carbonated belches that followed. The events included beer ping, flip cup, boat races, corn hole, fricket, can jam, and later toss. The teams were made up of five players each.

Competitors came from near and far to demonstrate their drinking and lawn game skills. There were some close contests and some upsets; Team Leisure Drinking and Team Cram Ranch took early leads in the day, while other teams dominated in other ways. Olympian Andie Coutoulakis recounts, “Team JaBooty might not have won their games, but their booties won over the hearts of all of the fans.”

During an intermission of events there was a massive round of musical chairs that came with a prize of two bonus points. Picture this: six plastic chairs, 40+ ruggers... only one winner. It went exactly how you would imagine... multiple people piled on top of each other, hip checks, elbows dropped, broken chairs, and bruised participants. Team Super Smash Bros took the W in musical chairs. Olympian Sammi Bottorf spoke on that turning point for her team, recalling that they “started off a little shaky, but once Luigi won musical chairs, the motivation was clearly there.” The bonus points allowed them to punch their ticket to the flip cup round of playoffs along with five other teams.

From the six teams that entered the flip cup round of playoffs, only three moved on. The top three teams, Leisure Drinking, Cram Ranch, and Azerbaijan, went head to head in a boat race. Team Leisure Drinking was the last team left of women’s players. However, what the women are able to bring to the club in terms of rugby playoff success, they were not able to bring in terms of beer chugging playoff success. As the top seed in the competition, this loss was a huge upset. “It was a shame this round of the playoffs was pure chugging, as we would have dominated in any skill-based game,” remarked Olympian Lenni Ferreira.

Cram Ranch and Azerbaijan continued on to face-off in the finals in elimination flip cup. The match was intense and the crowd was half watching, half running around distracted and tipsy. Some theorize that it was the assless chaps giving Cram Ranch extra movement and an edge over their competitors. Whatever it was, they came out on top, and brought gold medals home to their questionable Ranch. Gold medalist and crammed rancher Parker Hackett reflected upon their win and said, “We came, we saw, we crammed.” Fellow gold medalist John “Gio” Giovanni captured the essence of the moment noting that, “Sometimes, the bad guys win.”

All in all, the Olympics were a huge success. Victoria Zito, women’s social chair and member of the Olympic committee, was simply “glad no one was carried out on a stretcher. That’s a successful beer Olympics to me.” We could not agree more. Fun was had, beer was drank, and all of the Olympians made it home in one piece.

We are grateful that 15s season is around the corner so these ruggers have a place to channel all of this
competitive energy.

Summer 7's Season: Sun’s Out, Guns Out

Contributions By: Lenni Ferreira, Milton Greenstreet and Jenn Fenzel

Severn River’s men’s and women's 7s seasons looked to be a successful heading into June. Numbers out to practice were fantastic, with attendance on Tuesday and Thursday nights regularly exceeding 50 people out on the pitch. You could find players rolling up to the pitch and jumping into a line of men’s and women’s players all mixed together, waiting for one 7s scrimmage to end so they can get in next. The club's men’s and women’s sides work so closely together; a lot of the behind the scenes administration is a cooperative effort, and social events are shared as well, but the 7s season gives them a unique opportunity to play rugby together. Everyone mixing in for touch 7s is an incredible way to break up some monotony, meet some new friends, and become better rugby players. Supporting each other from the sidelines at the home pitch during 15s is great, but the game schedules rarely align for shared men’s and women’s tournaments. Club Vice President; Lindsay Morris agrees that, “the best thing about 7s is that our men’s and women’s team go together and we have built in cheering squads.” The tides of a game can turn quickly with only 14 minutes to play.  Lindsay adds that “through wins and losses you can feel the support from your Severn Family.”

With such strong attendance at practices, the Severn men were able to field two competitive sides for the first time in several years.  Unfortunately, with many of those numbers being inexperienced 7s players, the strong turnouts did not result in many wins during the first tournament of the season; NOVA’s Battlefield 7s. The first side went winless on the day, entering the open division and facing off against eventual National Champions NAV’s second side, as well as host NOVA’s 2 nd side. SR kept it tight against NOVA II but ended up finishing 7th out of 8 in the open division. SR’s second side had similar growing pains, with many on the squad playing in their first ever 7s tournament. The second side had a tight one score loss to Washington RFC’s second side and a win against Prince William County in the final game of the day. Some bright spots during the tough afternoon were 7s rookies Adrian Rivera and Pat Fenn, both scoring tries and playing well all day long in the face of the tough matchups.

Next on the schedule was a trip up to Harrisburg, PA for Harrisburg RFC’s annual tournament. Only able to field the first side for this outing, SR’s record didn’t improve much. The fellas only managed one win in four, with two tough losses to Reading RFC and Old Gaelic. Several injuries on the day didn’t help, with longtime SR 7s players Rich Maldonado and Mike “Butters” Gibson going down with knee injuries early in the day; Gibson’s being so severe it required surgery. Club captain Steve Long and former captain Erik Dronberger kept up the fight all day and both turned in great performances. Rookie Lucas Kuriawa was also a bright spot, showing he belonged with the first side with some tough tackling and positional versatility.

After two dismal performances, Severn’s fortune turned around in their third tournament of the season, Baltimore-Chesapeake’s Rites of Summer 7s. The first side went undefeated 3-0 in pool play, notching wins over West Potomac, NOVA III, and host Baltimore-Chesapeake. This won them a place in the Cup Final, facing off against a tough invitational team, the Thunder Crocs. The Crocs boasted strong players from several different D1 teams in the region and would prove too tough a match for the SR boys, with the Crocs sneaking by for the win 19-12. The pivotal point in the game was a yellow card for the Crocs that Severn couldn’t capitalize on, and the Crocs eventually scored during the card, short-handed. The second place finish was the best result so far in the season for SR Men. Center Jake Davis and Navy Rugby’s Ted Chapman had particularly fantastic days on the field for the green and blue.

The last tournament of the season was in Malvern, PA. Hosted by Schuykill River out of Philadelphia, this tournament looked to be tricky for SR, given all the injuries racked up over the 7s season. The boys only took ten players to Pennsylvania, which led to some interesting situations during the day. But SR fought valiantly, going 2-1 in pool play with wins over NOVA III and Lehigh Valley to make the knockout stage. But during the sweltering pool matches, SR lost three players due to injury and were down to seven total players. The brain trust in charge of the team decided to retire for the day, forfeiting the semifinal, rather than risk more injuries in 100+ F degree heat. Highlights on the day included big Lock John Giovingo scoring multiple 40+ yard tries, longtime 7s stalwart Milton Greenstreet, running the show at #10 all day and James Park, UMBC alum, filling in at hooker with some big hits.
The men's team decided to make the 7s awards an annual event, after they were received well by the team last year. The biggest prizes of the night went to Adrian Rivera for Most Valuable Player, Lucas Kuriawa for Rookie of the Year and Pat Fenn for Most Likely to be Capped by the USA in 2023 (rewarding Pat’s call up to Chula Vista for training during the summer). A full list of the awards given out is below. All in all, it was a middling season for the green and blue, but if some of the young talent on display this summer returns next year, 2023 will be a banner 7s season for Severn River.

2022 Most Valuable Player – Adrian Rivera

Best Try Zone Dance/General Vibing – Mike Divver

Best 90 second shift – Erik Dronberger

Best F*cking Hit of the season – John Giovingo

2022 Iron Man Award – James Nutland

Most likely to be capped by the USA in 2023 – Pat Fenn

2022 Rookie of the Year – Lucas Kuriawa

After a very intense spring 15s season for the women, many Honey Badgers took a few weeks to rest and relax before heading back over to the home pitch for 7s practices. Unlike the separate and structured 15s practices in the fall and spring, the 7s season has a more casual feel.

The Severn Family was happy to add new women members this season. Whether they were coming out of retirement, a college player looking for a place to land over the summer or an athlete totally new to the sport, all were welcomed with open arms. Andie Coutoulakis joined the squad this summer with no rugby knowledge at all and ended the summer earning the Hardest Hitter award. She was glad to join during the summer, explaining that “having never played rugby before, starting the game with 7s was just what I needed.” Andie got right into the mix at practice and learned the rules from her teammates along the way. She was “able to learn from her teammates while doing ‘on the job training’.”

The Honey Badgers played at Harrisburg 7s, Rites of Summer, and Schuylkill 7s. Captain Hope Wasserman recounts that, “Harrisburg was a great starter tournament. We didn’t get the results we wanted but we played amazing and had a great time.” A new player to the squad, Angela Moore, scored her first try at Harrisburg and of course, everyone loves to see a Zulu warrior.

The Rites of Summer, a tournament in Baltimore, was up next. For a team based out of Annapolis, Severn River has a huge contingent of Baltimore residents who felt right at home in the big city. Both the men's and women's 7s squads played some good rugby in a little bit of summer rain. The women’s team finished the day in fourth place by default because they forgot to stick around for the third place match (oops).

For the last tournament of the summer, a small squad of Honey Badgers traveled up to Pennsylvania. Captain Hope noted that the “tournament was awesome. With low numbers we still showed up and showed out.”  Another Zulu try was scored by Lindsay Morris, and any day with a first try on the team is a good day.

The fun in the sun has now come to a close, but 15s season is looking bright. The Honey Badgers have new players with new skills, returning players with more experience under their belts, and some players that took a much-needed full summer hiatus... many of the tight five players and the over-30 crowd went this route. Unfortunately, the women's team had to say goodbye to its college summer players as they headed back to their school pitches for the fall, but Severn will absolutely keep up with their rugby seasons from afar. As for the players that get to stick around for 15s, they undoubtedly agree with Andie when she noted that, “all of the summer practices and the games got me ready and hyped for 15s!” The scrums will be back to eight players, the lineouts will be longer, and everyone will be all too conscious of passing the 14-minute mark during the first 80-minute game back.

Team Mom – Zoi Wachtel

Top Scorer – Taylor McLean

Cum Back Queen – Caroline Heimerl (accepted by her Husband)

Most Improved – Angela Moore

Biggest Shit Talker – Lindsay Morris

John Deer Award – Bri Leonard

Speed Demon – Riz Burrell

Sly Dog – Maddie Steele

Hocus Pocus Will Cut A Throatcus- Victoria Zito

Hardest Hitter – Andie Coutoulakis

Hotter Than Kendal Jenner – Lena Hanrahan

Celebrity Guest – Lenni Ferreira

Bad Bitch Award – Maria Russo

Ankle Breaker – Masha Romanchak (C)

Slam A Bitch and Sit Down – Hope Wasserman (C)

Miss Steal Yo Girl – Hope Wasserman (C)

Election Results Are In!

Your 2022-2023 season officers are listed below. Congratulations to everyone!

E-board:

Club President: Mike Blimmel

Club VP: Lindsay Morris

Club Treasurer: Steve Long

Club Secretary: Colin Gotimer

Mens Team P-Board:

President: Nick Stratchko

Governor: Jake Davis

Vice Governor: John Giovingo

Treasurer: Mark Farmer

Match Secretary: Joe Milluzzo

Field and Equipment: Mike Nichols

Social Chair: Mike Gibson

Social Media Manager: Parker Hackett

Captain: Steve Long

Womens Team V-Board:

President: Shanna Davidson

VP: Maria Russo

Treasurer: Lindsay Morris

Field and Equipment: Nicole McIntyre

Match Secretary: Sammi Bottorf

Social Chair: Victoria Zito

Social Media Manager: Lenni Ferreira

Alumni Relations: Katie Turner

DEI Chair: Lexi Decker

Captains: Hope Wasserman & Masha Romanchak

Mike Blimmel (Club President)

Lindsay Morris (Club VP)

Steve Long (Club Treasurer)

Colin Gotimer (Club Secretary)

Men’s Team P-Board

(Left to Right) Mark Famer (Treasurer), Jake Davis (Governor), Mike Gibson (Social Chair), Mike Nichols (Field & Equipment), Steve Long (Captain), John Giovingo (Vice Governor), Parker Hackett (Social Media Manager), Nick Stratchko (President)

Joe Milluzzo (Match Secretary)

Women’s Team V-Board

(Left to Right, Top) Sammi Bottorf (Match Secretary), Shanna Davidson (President), Lenni Ferreira (Social Media), Lexi Decker (DEI Chair), Maria Russo (VP), Masha Romanchak (Captain), Lindsay Morris (Treasurer).

(Left to Right, Bottom) Hope Wasserman (Captain), Nicole McIntyre (Field & Equipment) , Victoria Zito (Social Chair).

Katie Turner (Alumni Relations)

Aldo Karamoy's Journey with the DC Cavalry

By: Rachel Priddy

Severn River’s own Aldo Karamoy has recently earned the opportunity to play with Pro Rugby League Club, the DC Cavalry. The Cavalry’s home field is the Revolution Sportsplex in Leesburg, VA. The league is called NARL (North American Rugby League). For its inaugural season, the league includes four US-based teams (DC Cavalry, Atlanta Rhinos , Cleveland Rugby League, NY Rugby League) and one Canada-based team (Toronto Wolfpack).

For those of us not familiar with Rugby League, it is a 80 min full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players, not fifteen like Rugby Union. Rugby League limits possession to six tackles per set. After that, the possession has to switch to the opposing team. Another difference is the defending team must retreat 10 meters after every tackle. In Rugby League, when the ball goes out of play, it typically requires a scrum to restart the game, not a line-out. Scrums are also 6 players per team, not 8. Rugby League scoring is also a bit different: four points (not five) are awarded for a try, two for a conversion, two (not three) for a penalty kick, and one (not three) for a drop goal.

I sat down with Aldo to talk a bit about his journey.

1. How did you get involved with the Professional Rugby League Team, DC Cavalry?

“I got discovered when the DC Cavalry's owner, coach and captains watched the USA Rugby League championship game on Youtube Livestream. I played with the Delaware Blackfoxes, we lost vs Tampa, but they said I "have a great motor and played an amazing defense". They were really interested in watching me in person, so they attended the Capital Selects game. I played really well vs the Philly All-Star team, on both defense and offense. I managed to score two tries in 1 half. They offered me a spot on the roster after that game.”

2. How has your experience been so far?

“The experience has been great and challenging in a good way. I get to play with teammates that have prior professional experiences in MLR, pro competition overseas, and represent the USA Rugby League National team. So, every practice we push each other and compete to be on the travel/starting roster. We had our first home preseason game in May, where I earned the start at #13. We won 74-6. I scored a try and played solid defense. I am very excited to be on this journey. I am getting to play at the pro level with the DC Cavalry, and am also able to represent Severn River Rugby along the way!”

3. How did you get started playing rugby for Severn River?

“When I was at Frostburg State University, all 4 of my roommates/teammates played during summer and grew up playing with Severn River. I heard a lot of great things about the club, so when I moved to Baltimore, I wanted to check it out. Been here ever since, and never looked back!”

4. What do you like most about Severn River as a club?

“I love the family and community feel at the club, both on and off the field. From going on a mountain biking trip with the old boys and rugby trips to Savannah, to just hanging out and talking about each other's feelings with the boys.”

5. How has playing with Severn River helped develop your rugby skills?

“River had a great coaching staff with decades of experience. The love for the club that I and everyone else shares, motivates me to put in extra work outside of practice. That has definitely helped me become a better rugby player.”

The Triebel Cup Remains with Severn River

Contributions from: Milton Greenstreet, Tina Schafer, and Rachel Priddy

For over a decade, the Severn River and Frederick Rugby clubs have come together once a year to battle it out in memory of fallen Frederick rugger, Tobin “Trooper” Triebel. Triebel passed away on Friday Nov. 7, 2008 after being struck by a motor vehicle while jogging.  The Triebel Cup was born the following spring: a three-game match-up, usually consisting of a women’s match, men’s match and old boys/B-side match.  This year, the cup remained with Severn, who went 3 for 3 on the day. 

     On Saturday, June 11th, the Severn River men and women headed to Wild Geese Farm in Dickerson, Maryland to claim their right to keep the cup for another year.  Per usual, the women’s match was first on the docket.

     The Severn River women’s team came with a strong lineup and a good mix of new and veteran players.  The Severn offense was quick and made smart decisions with offloads.  The defense kept the match to a 49-0 shutout.  Standouts for the Honey Badgers included Lolita Galdones and rookie Bri Leonard. A special shout out goes to visiting rookie Riz Burrell, with two tries in their first match with Severn River.

     The Severn Men kicked off after the women's team sealed their victory, but not before the Maryland State Police presented their arms and colors in honor of Frederick's fallen Tobin “Trooper” Triebel. The solemn moment is normally accompanied by a singer performing the national anthem after the officers present the colors, but there was no performer on Saturday. Instead, in a rather touching moment, all players on the field and fans in attendance spontaneously decided to honor Triebel by singing the national anthem together. It was a wonderful way to begin the men's action on the day.

     The men in green and blue wasted no time getting on the score sheet with early tries by number 8, Mike Blimmel, newcomer center Adrian Rivera, and club Captain Erik Dronberger. Rivera began his rugby career in Annapolis at a blistering pace, scoring a hat trick before halftime, he added a 4th in the second half. Dronberger, in his final game as Captain, had an almost perfect day from Out-half. Accurate from the tee, as well as scoring a brace of tries, one of which was a fantastic chip and re-gather, had a great signoff to his year at the helm.

     Frederick fought back at times, with familiar faces Scott Wade at 10 and Jon Haney at 12 doing some damage. But Severn proved to be too much to be reckoned with, running up the score late in the second half. With some lung-busting runs from lock Parker Hackett and rookie winger Pat Fenn, Severn put the game comfortably out of reach well before the final whistle.

     The Frederick Old Boys had a little better luck against Severn's second side, going up early 12-0 on the Killer Bs. Frederick's alumni were breaking the line regularly with some violent running. Severn fought back, starting with flanker Jake Stahl turning a crash ball inside Severn's own 5 meter line into a 65 meter gallop, and started to turn the tide for Annapolis' second side. This match was back and forth throughout, and Severn had enlisted the help of some UMBC alumni to help fill the ranks of the squad to get the job done. The Bs were able to hold off a last surge from Frederick in the dying minutes of the match to come away with the win.

  Men of the match for the day were Prop James Nutland, who managed to play every single minute for Severn in both matches, making outstanding contributions in both games, and the aforementioned Rivera, whose name was all over the score sheet.

The Cup is now on display at Stan and Joe’s Saloon in Annapolis til next year.

The Honey Badgers Take on Buffalo

By: Scrappy Whiteley

Tape. Check. Mouthguard. Check. Fresh cleats, or cleats barely hanging on by a thread. Check. It was an unusual Friday: vans were being loaded, the rucking pads, rugby balls, and personal luggage stacked in an exhausting game of Tetris. Anticipation crackled through the air; the excitement was palpable. The Severn River Honey Badgers had been working hard all season outscoring their opponents 255-14 with head coaches Dolla Harmse and William Delsing at the helm. They pushed through some adversity, facing cancelled matches, a disappointing performance against Philly, and misplaced jerseys. Yet the feeling that this was going to be the year to get it done was always at the forefront. The Honey Badgers’ road to National-level competition began at the Regional round in Buffalo, New York on April 30th and 31st.

In the weeks leading up to Regionals the Badgers received an outpouring of support for their fundraising efforts from Stan and Joe’s Saloon, the SRRFC Alumni Association, Black Eagle Defense, as well as a number of individual donors, totaling over $4,000.

The first team standing in Severn’s way was the New Haven Old Black Rugby Football Club out of Connecticut. New Haven was a team Severn had never faced, and they had just been bumped from Division 3 to Division 2, playing a more competitive schedule that saw them earning victories over strong teams. That Saturday morning, right out of the gate, New Haven proved themselves to be feisty and quick, hitting hard and pushing back. “We saw a really fast New Haven team. Our offensive game play really started to click, and our defense was strong,” said co-captain Tina Schafer. After a start that required a few adjustments against New Haven’s aggressive defense, Severn started playing their game and piled on the points. Katie Marshall took full advantage of her opportunities to kick while Erin Gallagher and Shelly Freeman made it difficult for New Haven to keep up with Severn’s speed. The Honey Badgers closed the day with a 54-7 victory over New Haven.

“Day one we had a mission; there were so many factors that got us to that day and were motivating us to pull through. Once the game started, we played all 80 minutes as one and showed everyone what Severn River was all about,” said co-captain Kate Todorovich.

After earning the win and a chance to play in the regional championship match, the team spent the night soaking in store bought kiddie pool ice baths, stretching their muscles, and preparing for what the next day would bring.

Rain. Wind. Muddy fields. Day two brought less than desirable conditions that limited speed and the ability to use the full width of the field. Providence was a strong team, and they came out hard. Lolita Galdones and Masha Romanchak lead a solid defense that shut down one of Providence’s leading try scorers. The Severn pack was able to utilize their strength in the maul and break through to score one of the two tries of the whole match. Erin Gallagher-Johnson touched it down for the Honey Badgers.

“It was a tough, brutal, muddy contest. We were executing our game plan well on both sides of the ball, but we fell short due to the impressive poaching by Providence… we played incredibly well, but the score went to them in a very close game,” said Schafer.

Unfortunately, the magic faded too soon, and Providence defeated Severn River 8-5 in a grueling, defensive battle relying on kicks for points to finish it out. “We fought every minute of that game,” said Todorovich, “In the end, it just wasn’t our time… now we have all the motivation to work and push for that win next year!”

STATS:

Saturday, April 30th vs New Haven: 54-7 win

Tries: Kate Todorovich-1, Lenni Ferreira-1, Masha Romanchak-1, Katie Marshall-1, Shelly Freeman-1, Erin Gallagher-Johnson-3

Kicks: Masha Romanchak- 7 for 8

Sunday, April 31st vs Providence: 5-8 Loss

Tries: Erin Gallagher-Johnson- 1

Kicks: Masha Romanchak- 0 for 2

Severn River Men at the Cherry Blossom Tournament in DC

By: Erik Dronberger

The morning dew was still dripping off the overgrown grass at the Polo Grounds in Poolesville, MD.   A pleasant April morning as Severn River Men rolled up for their 9:00 kick off against a makeshift team of UMBC and Baltimore D1 players; the Thunder Crocs.  The pitches weren’t much of a pitch at all, but more of a meadow, with foot tall grass being painted as the hosts rushed to set up the makeshift pitch.   With questionable playing conditions, Severn River decided they didn’t drive to the middle of nowhere for nothing, and with that the goal posts went up at the turn of 9:00, the tournament was underway. 

Severn River came out jittery, and let up the first try to the Thunder Crocs. The lads fought back, striving down the pitch, with strong runs from rookie Ryan Simpkins and John Ureste.  After stints of great phases and five minutes inside the Thunder Crocs 22, the lads couldn’t break into the try zone and ultimately lost the match 12-0.  The score didn’t reflect the match, River was unlucky not to get on the scoreboard.

As the sun rose, the lads had a few hours to kill, so John “Gio” Giovanni had the opportunity to show everyone his Marlon Brando impersonation. But after 5 minutes of telling everyone he had an offer we couldn’t refuse, Gio was made to sleep with the fishes. 

The second match was against Norfolk, who Severn River last played roughly 9 years ago, losing 70ish -7.  Norfolk came with a strong mix of their D1 & D3 side, but Severn River’s blend of D3 & D4 sides proved to be too sexy for the Virginia based side. Severn River’s high octane offense ignited from the kick off, as Erik “Punchy” Dronberger created space for the likes of Rich Maldonado, Gio, and Milton Greenstreet to do work.  With two quick tries from Sam “Hot Pants” Leone, the lads were on their way to a comfortable win. As the match continued, we saw powerful runs from the likes of Taylor Gavigan, Jake Davis, Steve Long and Mike Blimmel. Severn finished the match with a 42-15 victory.

The win rejuvenated the spirits of Severn River and gave them a chance to take 3rd place in the tournament.  All that stood in their way was a Baltimore Chesapeake side that had another strong mix of D1 & D3 players.   As Severn River made their way over to the pitch, BC stopped them, and suggested a boat race to determine the winner.  Unfortunately for BC, Severn River came to play and declined their offer.  At least it seemed unfortunate for BC, until they came out hot and scored two quick tries, but with a cheeky pass from Milton, Pat Fenn scored at the brink of halftime, to give the boys hope.  

Severn River came out of the half, grinding out crash balls, with Mike “Nips” Nichols, Tommy Sitar, Jackson Holtzman getting BC on the back foot.  However, a quick turnover and the BC wing slipped through the Severn defense.  With only 5 minutes remaining, the match looked all but over with BC in the lead at 14-5. The BC winger sprinting towards a certain try, if not for the determination of Pat Fenn he would have made it. Pat “Never Give Up” Fenn chased the winger from one touch line to the the other, and forced a knock on at the try line.  Severn River wasn’t dead yet. 

The next set of plays saw Jackson Holtzman pierce through a hole created by some side stepping by Punchy, and quick ball movement from Cullen Bilger. And bing, bang, boom, Pat with another try. Severn River 10, BC 14. Two minutes remaining, Severn River believing, but BC wasn’t about to let up, as they won the ball after kicking off and drove down the pitch. A great tackle from Steve Long, and an infringement from BC gave Severn River a penalty in their own 22. Without a beat, Milton new who to get the ball to, and with a quick tap and quicker pass, got the ball into the hands of Pat. With 80 meters to go, Pat hit the line running and bursts through a big hole. Only the over growth of the grass was sure to take him down, but no, the BC full back was on the chase, and tripped up Pat two meters short, but without a wrap, Pat kept up the momentum and trotted in for a try. SEVERN RIVER WIN 17 - 14. A dramatic come back, and a tournament that put Severn River’s heart full on display.