Saturday, February 28th, 2004
By Michael Gall

Spring Break started with a bang for the Northeastern University Maddogs as they showed fans and rival Dartmouth College that they had not lost any ground in the off-season. With the memory of last fall’s hard-fought win against Dartmouth, the Dogs came out wanting more, pummeling the opposition with a final score of 43-19.

It was a perfect (still winter) day as the Dogs swallowed up the Big Green on the beautiful “big green,” Mystic River Rugby Club’s new pitch at Pine Banks in Malden. The playing surface made for a fast and furious match.

With host club Mystic River rugby observing, the Maddogs came out in the first quarter of this preseason match-up to set the tone for the remainder of the game, chalking up two tries and an excellent conversion kick. In the second quarter it was more of the same from a mixed side of veteran and younger players as the Maddogs ran up the score with three more tries and two conversion kicks. Dartmouth responded to the Dogs by switching jerseys and squeezing out a try before leaving the second quarter down 31-5.

The next two quarters saw excellent rucking and support from the men in red and black with the addition of two more tries and one conversion kick, bringing the final Maddog tally to 43 points. The Maddog defense also proved its mettle in fine fashion, leaving it all on the field and walking off at the end having only let up 19 points. It appears that this is only the beginning of what looks be a successful spring campaign for this anniversary year squad.

The team would like to thank host Mystic River Rugby Club for loaning us their new pitch, and for their hospitality and support during and after the game.

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