Hartford Wanderers Rally for Stunning Comeback Win Over Danbury Mad Hatters, 33-25
The Hartford Wanderers battled back from a 22-point deficit to earn a thrilling 33-25 victory over the Danbury Mad Hatters in a high-intensity, fast-paced contest under clear skies this weekend.
Danbury struck first, capitalizing on a pick-and-go just meters from the try line. Despite strong attack phases from Hartford, handling errors gave Danbury opportunities to exploit space deep in Hartford’s 22. Repeated pick-and-go pressure led to a second try, and a third followed at the 24-minute mark after Danbury turned over possession at a ruck and quickly swung the ball wide to finish along the sideline. Just before halftime, Hartford again failed to clear their lines, and Danbury punished the mistake with a fourth try. Only one of four conversions was successful, but the visitors went into halftime leading 22-0.
Hartford emerged from the break with renewed purpose. Tactical kicking pinned Danbury in their own 22, while the Wanderers began to assert dominance at the scrum, with prop Logan Trafford forcing a key penalty on Danbury’s put-in. Building pressure from successive phases, Antoine Crews powered over the line for Hartford’s opening try.
Moments later, Ed Wilson launched a well-placed kick behind Danbury’s back three. Frank Colaninno’s aggressive chase forced a turnover, and Hartford quickly moved the ball wide to Connor Madsen, who broke a tackle and scored. Within minutes, the gap had narrowed to 22-14.
Danbury temporarily regained momentum and threatened near the try line, but Hartford’s defense held strong. A later incursion into Hartford’s territory resulted in a penalty, with Danbury opting for points to extend their lead to 25-14.
Hartford responded immediately. Applying pressure from the restart, they forced a knock-on deep in Danbury territory and capitalized, with Frank Colaninno scooping up the loose ball to score and reduce the deficit to 25-19.
In the closing 10 minutes, Hartford pushed for the win. A well-placed territorial kick forced Danbury deep into their own half and conceding a penalty. After nine patient phases near the line, the ball was spun wide to create a 3-on-1 overlap. Madsen finished the move for his second try, and Wilson’s conversion gave Hartford a 26-25 lead — their first of the match.
Following a penalty on the ensuing kickoff, Hartford earned a scrum at midfield. Clean ball from the set piece found winger Elijah Trumpet, who sped past three defenders en route to a spectacular try. Wilson converted again, finishing the day 5-for-6 and sealing a dramatic 33-25 comeback victory.
Hartford closes the spring season 1-3, with several new players gaining valuable game experience and showing marked improvement. The team now looks ahead to the NERFU Cup in Newport, RI to conclude their 15s campaign before turning focus to the summer 7s circuit — a format where the Wanderers have historically thrived and aim to build on past success.
