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The first game of the season against Colgate, four new players stepped onto the pitch: Wing Jackie Brown, Inside Center Kay Williams, Flanker Zoe Owaza,\u00a0and Lock Natalie Figueroa. The new reserves includ Madison Copertino, Elizabeth Lentini, Ryann Heimink, Charlotte Young, Niko Soma, and Mikaela Murphy. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRugby is a challenging sport but you\u2019re playing with a team that supports you and cares about you, it starts to become easier,\u201d said Williams. <\/p>\n\n\n
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The team values off the field bonding events including pasta parties the night before games and early morning Dunkin\u2019 runs when traveling to other schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith carried traditions of wearing hair ribbons on game days and new ones like painting our nails red and black, I\u2019m so excited for the rest of the season and what this team can accomplish,\u201d said Sparks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Peace Frogs, under the guidance of new head coach, Claire Brandon, are striving to defend their 4th<\/sup> place title for Division III National Collegiate Rugby. Brandon is a Cortland alum and 2021 All-American Small College Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Peace Frogs have been the team to beat for the past few seasons given their team chemistry and supportive nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think the biggest positive of being a Peace Frog is the family dynamic,\u201d said returner McKenzie Barber. \u201cI\u2019ve struggled to make friends in college and now I\u2019ll have a family for life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n With more new players becoming members of the Cortland Women\u2019s Rugby Club every day, the Peace Frogs are looking to continuously grow their family even more as the semester continues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe team was very welcoming and a positive environment from where I was coming from with trying to get onto other teams,\u201d said Brown. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be happier being on this one.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the past few weeks, the team has had to fight through adversity of injuries, with the loss of Brown, Sparks, and veteran player Nicole Perez, but it hasn\u2019t stopped their momentum. <\/p>\n\n\n At home on September 22, the Peace Frogs overcame a huge victory to the Black Widows (SUNY Oswego), defeating them 45-15, and invoking a mercy rule in the first half. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The team dominated on the pitch, seeing try’s from a variety of different players including many forwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “It was so exciting to feel the home game energy,” said Figueroa. “I could tell we were going to go in strong before we got started.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/09\/IMG_0274-1024x683.jpeg\")