MIT suffer first defeat of the season

MIT were handed their first loss of the season in a hard fought contest that was closer than the score line suggests.
Providence started strongly getting the ball wide and managing to touch down in the corner in the opening minutes of play. Despite a failed conversion they kept the visitors on the back foot hitting the gain line with speed and forcing a couple of line breaks to touch down for a second in under 10 minutes.
MIT regrouped after the early assault and forced their way into the game with two drives into the home sides half, both times being held to three points through a strong Providence defense.
Providence struck back and managed to score twice more before half time, while the visitors were unlucky in several attempts, the closest of which following a five meter penalty, the ball was lost forward as Torro was making a charge that would almost certainly have resulted in a try had the ball been presented.

MIT's lack of depth for this game was sorely exposed in the second half. Reeling from the loss of their captain in the previous game along with a string of other injuries following a month of matches, MIT's woes were further compounded with the loss of Brad in the front row at the end of the first half followed by a couple more injury forced substitutions in the opening minutes of the second.
As a result of this thinning, Providence were able to consistently cross the gain line in attack and in time find holes in a defense that was being forced to regroup on the back foot.
And so MIT were given a taste of their own medicine after serving a similar dish to their four previous Division 2 competitors of the Spring season.
Despite Providence scoring the same number of tries in the second half, the contest was very hard fought at the breakdown, by both teams. Cody stealing the ball for MIT on multiple occasions while also gaining the hard yards with it in hand. And in attack, out half and skipper John G played flat and aggressive to try and open up space for his backs.

It’s on to Brooklyn New York next where the team will be looking to get back on the front foot and return to winning ways.