Reigning conference champion Colgate started the Excelsior season with a 15-0 win over SUNY Oneonta last weekend, but the day was tinged with misfortune.

“We were happy for the win, but the game was a bit of a downer,” Colgate coach Anne-Marie Lemal wrote. “It was brutally hot and humid, which really took a toll on all of the players. There were multiple players on both sides leaving the pitch with symptoms of heat exhaustion that ranged from headaches, to confusion, vision problems, and vomiting.”

The game didn’t actually reach regulation. With 17 minutes left in play, Oneonta’s scrumhalf suffered a neck injury, left the pitch by ambulance, and the captains decided to call the game there.

Colgate was missing its starting scrumhalf and outside center, while new players filled out most of the backline. Senior center Alex Maulden served as a steadying force, and her boot put Colgate up 3-0 after six minutes.

The lone try of the first half was scored by junior flanker Erica Hiddink, who looked good in her return to 15s after a torn ACL omitted her from the 2014-15 league season.

Colgate pushed its lead to 15-0 when Natalie Smith, who made her A-side debut at wing, tore down the blind side for 50 meters for the try, which Maulden converted.

The forfeit decision soon followed. Despite the hardships, Lemal did find the positives in the day.

“I am, however, excited by the large number of new recruits that have come out this fall and our strong team of seasoned players,” the coach indicated. “We will play hard and hope for the best going forward.”

A good mindset considering some of the unknowns lying ahead. Colgate and four other Excelsior teams have left division II and joined NSCRO’s Central Region. Lemal explained the move was best for all teams involved, and other DII conferences have embraced hybrid leagues this year. Rugby Northeast is one of the most notable additions, naming five of its teams as playoff-eligible, while Allegheny joins with four, and Ohio Valley 10 – among others.