The game on Saturday was played under sunny skies at the Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse just north of campus, and the squad knew they had a tough opponent before the game began.
When the two sides played just over a month ago, Dartmouth managed just five points, losing 15-5. However, the latest contest was played without ruggers from the Class of 2007, four of whom were All-Ivy selections at the 2007 Ivy League tournament.
The first half was marked by defensive mishaps by the Big Green, as Mystic took advantage of holes in Dartmouth's defensive walls to score early. Some of this was the result of poor tackling and the well-timed runs by the Mystic support running off the primary ball carrier.
In the second half, Dartmouth came out strong, with Michael Sloan-Rossiter '08 punching in a try from a few meters out after a tough run from David Chattman '08 set the ball up on the try line.
Mystic River answered right back, kicking a drop goal from about 20 meters out for three points. Soon afterward, Mystic's wing scored a try as the squad used quick passing in the backline to create enough space to squeeze through the Big Green defense.
Another tough Dartmouth try, this time from Chattman, and a try from the Mystic scrumhalf finished out the scoring as Mystic proved to be the stronger side in the end.
In the 30-minute second XV match, the size and physicality of the Mystic River players -- some of whom played in the first XV match -- proved too much for the second Dartmouth side, as the Big Green fell 24-7.
However, the Big Green try was one of the most impressive scores of the day, as Alex Spinoso '08 made a 60-meter run down field, breaking tackles and pulling away from Mystic defenders with quick moves and blazing speed.
Head coach Alexander Magleby '00 thought his squad made progress in a game despite coming out on the losing end.
"Mystic River is one of the better first division men's teams and they play very physical rugby," Magleby said. "We made fixable mistakes and the game was a great learning experience for the squad."
Magleby had lots of positive things to say about the spring season since the Ivy tournament three weeks ago.
"[Since Ivies,] we have developed some good leadership," he said. "This essentially is the start of our preseason, and success here isn't really measured in wins and losses. It's very tough for the guys because after playing for nine months, we aim to peak at Ivies. I am proud of how the squad has improved in each of the games."
Roster size has been a problem for the club this spring, as injuries and thin numbers have made it difficult to put together the same lineups on a consistent basis.
"With only three classes on campus and guys off campus this term, the squad didn't have a lot of depth," Magleby said. "Hopefully, we will develop some more players through the summer sevens season while bringing in more with a good crop of first-year ruggers in the fall."
He added, "The guys really need to work on developing more to maximize their ability, and the summer sevens program will give players a chance to play through the summer."
The improvement of the team will start with leadership, and Magleby hopes that certain players will step up and lead the team by example.
These include team-elected captain and All-Ivy pick Kemper Pierce '08, and co-captains Drew Jennings '08 and Conlan O'Leary '09, a starter at flyhalf since his freshman year. Jennings was one of the players affected by injuries this spring, sitting out several games with a bad ankle.
Beyond the captains, Magleby sees a number of juniors and sophomores stepping up and helping the DRFC continue its winning tradition.
"A lot of guys have looked good this year, some coming out of nowhere like Zack Scott '08. Matt Alkaitis '09 has looked good at eight-man and David Chattman has been strong as well. [Also,] it seems as though we have two solid scrumhalves in Gordon Silviera '08 and Jake Pawlowski '08."
The squad awaits the end of the summer, when it will return for preseason camp on Saturday, August 25, in preparation for the fall season, which begins on Saturday, Sept. 1.
After Winter term training, the DRFC will look to take its third Ivy crown in four years in the 2008 Ivy League tournament and avenge an overtime loss to Harvard in the 2007 finals.
