Bowdoin and Babson Make Tough Season Enders

In a disappointing end to the season, the Men’s Rugby team lost their final two games of the regular season. The ruggers traveled to Bowdoin and Babson, coming home both times with losses. After starting the season with a 2-1 record, the team was competing for the lone playoff spot in their league. “It was a tough way to end the season,” Bates Captain Aron Bell commented. “We had a great shot to make it to the playoffs this year. We just made a few costly errors in both games that hurt us,”

In the Bowdoin game, Bates started strong and punished their smaller, quicker opponent. Play was centered around the forwards, which were dominated by Bates. Senior winger John Butos got Bates started in the 10th minute, bowling over a Bowdoin player with brute force to get the first try of the game. Bowdoin quickly answered, however, tying the game at 5. Bates controlled the tempo of the game in the first half, and entered halftime in the lead.

Bowdoin came out in the second half energized, and capitalized on a few Bates missed tackles to score three quick tries. Bowdoin took the lead and held it the remainder of the game. “Those early second half tries took the momentum right out of us,” said Bell. After battling back and forth, the final score was Bowdoin 38 Bates 22.

Bates then traveled to Babson College in hopes of ending the season with an above-.500 record. With Babson just moving up to Division II this year, it was the first ever match-up between the two schools. Babson relied heavily on their kicking game, which Bates had a difficult time adjusting to. The final score was 29-13, in favor of Babson.

“All in all, we really had a great season,” Bell concluded. “We were a really young team, which bodes well for the future. If these guys can stay together and stay dedicated, they have the potential to become one of the best teams in the league.”

-Andrew Simon, '04