Brown Earns Playoff Spot by Defeating Yale 26-14

Brown scored 3 tries in the first 20 minutes of the match for a 19-0 lead. Yale scored a first half try for a 19-7 halftime score. Yale scored @ 55 minutes and pressed the match but a Brown try at 77 minutes sealed the win.

In a must win match, Brown played a terrific first 20 minutes and a dominant last 20 minutes in defeating Yale 26-14 to qualify for the Ivy League playoffs. The Ivy League’s top team, Dartmouth, has been selected to play in a spring “super league” which will include the country’s best teams. This new competition leaves the Ivy League with one playoff spot for the National Collegiate Division I Championships. In order the put through the best Ivy team, the League’s Competitions Committee has arranged for the Ivy teams ranked 2-5 (Brown ended 5th) to play off on the weekend of November 6 and 7. The top team will go through to the playoffs next spring. With the close matches Brown played against the other playoff teams (Harvard, Columbia and Yale) the playoffs should be an exciting season finale. Details will be forthcoming.

Brown dominated Yale in the first twenty minutes.

A 40 meter break by left wing Dow Travers’12 put Brown close to the Yale line, where scrum half Matt Leonard’14 went for the corner. A Yale penalty resulted in a penalty try for Leonard which was converted by center Manny Koelliker’14 for a 7-0 lead.

At the subsequent kick-off which Brown secured and rucked, the ball popped out and number 8 Greg Karwaski’11 broke with the ball and ran 60 meters for a second Brown try also converted by Koelliker. At 19 minutes, Brown again was deep in Yale territory and drove a lineout ball to the line where Karwaski scored again.

Yale showed tremendous determination and neutralized Brown for the rest of the half with their center scoring from a penalty to bring the halftime score to 19-7. Brown ended the half at the Yale goal line but the Yale defense prevented any further damage.

Yale’s dangerous backline and Brown’s tactical kicking miscues and high penalty count kept the game tight and another Yale try at 55 minutes brought the score to 19-14. Momentum seemed to slipping from Brown, especially after Yale, again, kept Brown from a score for several minutes with Brown camped on the Yale line.

But Brown’s forwards began to wear down the Yale pack and Yale handling mistakes neutralized the Yale backline. Brown worked their way onto Yale territory and at the 77 minute mark was not denied as Brown’s Karwaski  scored his “hat trick” off a ruck from a yard out. Koelliker’s conversion put the game out of reach.

The match referee was Mark Colebrook.

Yale Tweets

45 mins till game time with Brown and our playoff destiny's in our hands.
With a bonus point win we're in position for a first seed spot.
Quick Brown penalty try followed by another try off the kickoff to start down 14-0 to Brown.
Brown scores again off a maul off a 5m line out but misses the conversion. 19-0 to Brown
Vandersloot breaks the line at the 40 and scores between the posts--he converts to make it 19-7
Tough battle continues--Back and forth but no points.
With just a few minutes to go Brown scores again after a long fight on the Yale goal line. 26-14

Final Brown 26 - Yale 14

Scoring

Brown 1st half
Tries: Leonard T, Koelliker C
Karwaski T, Koelliker C
Karwaski T
Brown 2nd half
Karwaski T, Koelliker C

Yale 1st half
Shippsey, Mat (try)
Vandersloot, Ryan (con)
Yale 2nd half
Vandersloot, Ryan (try and con)