At the beginning of the term, 30 members of the Dartmouth rugby football club returned to Hanover to prepare for the fall season as a part of the new eight-team New England super league.
After playing three preseason games, the Big Green ruggers defeated Amherst at Sachem in the home opener.
But their initial success was short lived. The next two weeks were marked by losses to Boston University and the University of Massachusetts and the wearers of the green began to question their ability to succeed in this newly established league.
Coach Wayne Young and Captain Mike Cicerone '94 had confidence in the team's potential, citing an abundance of talent, yet attributing the team's two defeats to a lack of experience.
On Saturday, the Big Green 15 took to the field in Providence, R.I. to decisively defeat Brown, 25-17. After Brown scored a converted try for seven points, Craig Creelman '94, kicked a 3-point penalty goal and James Adelizzi '94, scored a try shortly thereafter.
Dartmouth rugby's resident eccentric Sam Winslow '94 scored another try to close the half, 15-7.
Although Brown scored a penalty goal and another try to retake the lead, Dartmouth rallied once more to overtake the Bears as Guy Dixon '95 scored a brilliant try and Warren Valdmanis '95 scored Dartmouth's final try.
" I just saw the ball and picked it up," Valdmanis said. "My first impulse was to kick it."
This Saturday the men's rugby team will face Yale in New Haven, Conn.
