WEST POINT, N.Y./UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Over the past two weeks, Notre Dame College men's rugby has jumped into conference play against D1A East opponents. On Sept. 30, NDC fought through tough field conditions in a 9-9 draw against Army. And on Oct. 7, the Falcons finished off a 24-19 victory over Penn State.
Against Army, weather conditions favored a kicking game, for the ball would be very slick and slippery due to all the rain that fell on West Point throughout the week. The field was muddy and wet which meant it would be a very tight game with big hits and hard carries coming from both teams.
As the whistle blew to indicate the start of the match, NDC looked to physically dominate the Black Knights. Seventeen minutes into the match, the Falcons took a 3-0 lead, courtesy of a penalty kick converted by
Clemente Aguirre. The 3-0 lead stood for a while in the first half, facing attack after attack from the Black Knights, The Falcons goal line defense was on another level, stopping the attacking efforts from Army. With five minutes left in the first half, the Black Knights covert a penalty kick, tying the score at three heading into the break.
The second half of the match saw the Black Knights gaining some progress with the aerial attack and working their way up the field into Falcon territory. This allowed Army to take the lead after converting another penalty kick, halfway through the second half, making the score 6-3. This did not diminish the Falcons' fight, however, discipline on the defensive end for NDC led to another quick converted penalty kick from the Black Knights, making it 9-3 heading into the last ten minutes of the game.
Grit and pure will from the Falcons saw them claw their way back to a 9-6 difference with less than five minutes on the clock. NDC received the kickoff and marched down the field. With two minutes left, the Falcons received a penalty and converted a kick to tie the score at nine apiece. After a nail-biting final two minutes, the referee blew his whistle for the final time.
NDC men's rugby then traveled out to Penn State to play their second conference game. The weather was favorable for open running game with the Pennsylvania sun shining.
Notre Dame kicked the ball off to Penn State going against the wind in the first half. NDC started strong, putting pressure in Penn State's 22, but unfortunately did not convert points. With a successful scrum from Penn State in the midfield, the Nittany Lions worked their phases up the field to score a try in the corner, but missed the conversion. Penn State took a 5-0 lead.
The NDC forwards were a key part of the game, dominating in scrums and mauls. NDC fought back, scoring a driving maul from 10 out with
Hamish Watson getting five points under his belt. Unfortunately, the conversion was missed leaving the game tied at five. Penn State broke the line, scoring another try and pushing the lead out to 12-5 until the end of the half.
The second half began with the Falcons' forward pack dominating a maul, driving Penn State back 25 meters to gain a penalty try. That tied the score at 12.
NDC produced an aggressive stand in their 22, defending against Penn State's attack then working their way back up for Quentin Von der Lieth to score a pick and go under the posts, leaving an easy conversion for
Clemente Aguirre. This put NDC in the lead for the first time, 19-12. NDC continued to dominate and scored, again, in the right corner with Aguirre dotting it down. NDC missed the kick, but led 24-12.
Penn State came roaring back, scoring a try and converting again to bring the game to a five-point difference, 24-19. But, NDC fought off Penn State's last-ditch attempt to score and secured the win.
NDC has now beaten Penn State two years in a row.
The Falcons come back home to play Kutztown University, on Oct. 14, beginning at 1 p.m.
