MALDEN, MA – The Mystics came out firing for this important game against Middlesex, but couldn’t maintain any kind of momentum. While Middlesex put the Mystics under some pressure, the Mystics made so many mistakes and poor decisions that they kept on turning the ball over in crucial positions. Middlesex took full advantage of the Mystics mistakes, and managed to take the score to 20-3 at the half.

The Mystics started the second half with some better structure from the pack in particular, but continued to play poorly overall, especially defensively in the midfield. Two tries from Joe “Hollywood” Shurmaitis and one from Adnan Kawuma managed to push Middlesex a little bit, but the continued turnovers and missed opportunities meant that Middlesex only needed to play simple rugby to take home a 40-20 win.

The B-side match was a much better display from the Mystics. The boys in blue came out firing and played most of the rugby in the first half. In the second half, the boys started to tire and Middlesex started to build lots of phases, especially in the forwards. However, the boys held firm for a well-deserved 24-17 win.

The final week of league play sees the Mystics take on Hartford at Pine Banks. The Mystics will really need to find their feet this weekend to ensure they qualify for the playoffs two weeks later.