A pre-pandemic vibe at the Rent for NCAA semis
EAST HARTFORD — Under steady rain and into relentless gusts of wind, New Canaan’s Kim Appelt made her way from Rentschler Field’s lower bowl to the stadium concourse Saturday afternoon, arms wrapped around the shoulders of friends Patty Quinn and Trish Pride.
“We won!” she yelled. “We won!”
“We” meant the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team and its tailgating, weather-braving, vocal supporters. The Cavaliers had just outlasted North Carolina in the first of two NCAA Division I lacrosse semifinals, 12-11.
Now, at the midway point of the day’s doubleheader, these three women, each of them the proud mother of a Virginia senior player, let it sink in that the Memorial Day weekend party was just beginning.
“Monday!” Appelt yelled. “Monday!”
And there it was, the energy created by sports and by gathering, rooting, even planning. Appelt and husband Garth are hosting several UVA families this weekend, and, given the outcome, there we sure to be additional guests at their New Canaan home Saturday night — while their son, Jackson Appelt, a Cavaliers midfielder remained, in a bubble like all players on hand.
The national championship game is Monday at 1 p.m. Virginia will face Maryland, which defeated Duke, 14-5. Announced attendance for Saturday was 13,707, the largest sports gathering in Connecticut since the pandemic began in March 2020.
“This is great because it feels normal,” said John Laviano, the father of another Virginia senior, Ian Laviano of Laurel Hollow, N.Y. “With what (players) have been through, these tough times, it’s great for (fans) to come back. What a great time.”
COVID-19 stripped the communities of lacrosse and every other sport of what they’re used to, what they depend on, what they’re rewarded with — initially the ability to compete, and throughout the pandemic the
ability to gather, college sports coming back but all the pageantry slow to follow.
But if ever there was a sign of a pivot back to a life we knew, a life we covet, a life we can again see emerging over the horizon, it was this — a stadium, mostly dark and empty for over a year, once again functioning for the purposes it was built. Rentschler has served as a COVID-19 vaccination site the past few months.
“It was loud,” Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said. “This is what lacrosse fans are — very passionate people — aren’t they? Forget this is probably the coldest day on record for Memorial Day Weekend. They came out, and it got loud. It’s a great venue. It’s a great small venue for our championships. … You commit to coming to University of Virginia because you want to play in big time moments like this. You want that pressure. You want that crowd. Thanks to our lacrosse fans and Hartford for creating that energy despite the conditions.”
There have been a lot of people on site and nearby recently, of course. The property on which The Rent lies featured long lines of cars snaking down runways adjacent to Silver Lane. Sleeves rolled up, jabs of a needle accepted, people took part in a solution that brought us to Saturday, the latest comeback moment in a world becoming more recognizable.
As Virginia and North Carolina supporters made their way out at the day’s interchange, Duke and Maryland fans were making their way in. On the opposite side of the stadium, Eric Geppert stood overlooking the seating area, wrapped tightly in red Maryland rain gear. The father of Terrapins junior defenseman John Geppert, he came to East Hartford from Washington D.C.
“We’re not happy about the weather you provided us,” Geppert said, laughing. “But a lot of the parents are from the Northeast, so we’re hearty folk. Nothing stops us. Maryland has a tradition. (Reaching championship weekend) is something that we plan to do every year. The parent group, it’s not just parents of current players. It’s parents of alumni, it’s alumni, and you can just see the large numbers at our tailgate. It’s a culture thing. If you played at Maryland or if your child played there, you’re all in forever.”
The day began with a face-off at 12:05 p.m. — North Carolina, Tar Heel blue trim over white, against Virginia, orange over Navy blue. The Cavaliers out-scored the Tar Heels 7-1 in the second quarter and survived a late charge led by UNC senior midfielder William Perry, of Greenwich.
Perry led all scorers on the day with five goals.
“It means a lot,” Perry said. “I wish the outcome was different, but kind of full circle being able to finish my year in Connecticut. Regardless of where this game was played, just so fortunate to have a group of 60 guys who battled all throughout this year and really gave it their all, and throughout adversity, throughout COVID, with everything else that’s going on with our team.”
It was a brutal-for-May 49 degrees when the gates opened, the wind whipping. Still, the concourse was vibrant. Beer, fried food, pizza, overlapping cheers. Lacrosse gear everywhere. Clubs represented from nearby and faraway places.
The first game was wild, coming down to North Carolina’s final fruitless possession. A fan in UNC gear walked away with tears on his cheeks — perhaps from emotion, perhaps from the conditions. Virginia fans partied. Duke and Maryland supporters settled in for the same experience.
“You wait your whole life for your kid to get into this situation,” said Paul Basile, the father of Duke senior attacker J.P. Basile, of Garden City, N.Y. “They get up into college, the higher echelon of lacrosse, and you can’t even get to watch them play. The past few weeks we’ve been able to get involved and it’s special. I’m thankful for this opportunity, for all the parents and players to be able to get together.
“The weather is actually terrible. But when you wait your whole life for those moments, you really appreciate them. Weather doesn’t matter. These kids worked so hard to get to this point. So, we love it. We’re really fortunate to have this opportunity.”
Lacrosse balls flew all across the tailgate areas before the game. Tents were pitched. Inside the stadium, a father pulled his son onto his lap and turned for a selfie with the field as a backdrop. Music blared. A game host got fans going. Long lines formed for concessions and merchandise. Most fans did not wear masks, which weren’t required for those vaccinated.
On Sunday, Rentschler will host national championship games for Division II (Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Le Moyne, 1 p.m.) and Division III (RIT vs. Salisbury, 4 p.m.).
Kim Appelt and her crew will be back Monday, looking to feel what they felt two years ago, in Philadelphia, before sports went virtually dark for so long. Virginia is the sport’s most recent national champion, having defeated Yale in 2019.
“This means a lot,” said Pride, the mother of Ryan Pride, a senior midfielder from McLean, Va.. “It means everything.”