Ruggers' run begins Sunday

The season began last fall and ended with the cold weather. Now, as the earth once again comes to life, so does the Penn State men's rugby team as it prepares for a national championship run.

While the Ruggers compete in the Pitt tournament Sunday, their season is far from over and far from where it started.

The first half of the season went pretty smoothly, with outstanding performances from Kurt Shuman and Jayson Gooch. There are always a few games each season that define how the rest of it will go, and some of these contests were at the Indiana tournament. The Ruggers won the tournament convincingly and beat several Big Ten teams.

Another of these games was against Army. The rain was pouring and a tough- fought game came down a winning drop goal kicked by Matt Duncombe. That win boosted the team's confidence, and the season continued.

Just as a win propels a team, a loss can set it back. This came in a game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While the A side was beating Army, the B side lost a close contest against IUP. The Ruggers got the biggest win of them all in the Midwest championship game, beating IUP and ending the first half on a high note.

The second half of the season started two weeks ago, when the Ruggers tackled Navy and lost.

"We struggled because of a lack of intensity and a low fitness level," Jesse Erway said.

Last weekend they hosted the Hamilton Hornets and scored early and often, posting a 47-7 win.

Now, Penn State will put a lot more emphasis on conditioning, commitment and team unity to prepare for its upcoming games. The Ruggers have many challenging games ahead, starting with the Pitt tournament tomorrow.

The teams playing in this tournament will be older club squads that are in good physical shape, according to Erway. After these tough games, the Ruggers head to Washington, D.C., and then return home to play in the national quarterfinals.

The team feels it has a pretty good chance of advancing past the quarterfinals, where it hosts West Chester, a team of high school All Americans that is the third seed in the Mid-Atlantic conference. West Chester should provide a formidable challenge because of the Ruggers' inexperience and injuries.

If the Ruggers defeat West Chester, they would have two weeks to prepare for the national championships in Berkley, Cal.

"Kurt and the back row has really stepped up," said Rugger Scott Heckman. "We have been able to fill a lot of holes, and I think that we have a really good chance of winning it."