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 [ Tuesday, March 29, 2005 ] Playoff run opens with big victory against Virginia
The Ruggers opened their playoff run by dominating Virginia, 29-0, in Charlottesville on Saturday.
By Jamie Romm
Collegian Staff Writer
The Easter Bunny wasn't the only one dropping off eggs to people this past weekend. The Penn State rugby team's defense dropped an egg of its own in its shutout against the University of Virginia on Saturday. The Ruggers defeated Virginia 29-0 in the first round of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union's (MARFU) playoffs, held in the Mad Bowl at the University of Virginia. |
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Before the game, the talk around the team was that the defense needed to tighten up and be more aggressive going into the playoffs. And it did. "The defense really stepped up its game this weekend," captain Timmy Ryland said. "They really set the tone for the entire game." Junior Justin "Pip" Hundley started off the game blocking a kick and running 30 yards for a try. Junior Mike Petri, coming off of injuries to both shoulders, scored twice for the team in the win. But still the talk of the day was the defense and how well it played in the mud and rain of the Mad Bowl. "Things were just a mess the entire game on the field," Ryland said. "They made all of their tackles and wouldn't even let them cross midfield most of the time." Ryland pointed to senior Matt Price, and juniors Dennis Reilly, Matt Miller and Andrew Kerwin as the leaders of that defensive effort. "Those guys were animals," Ryland said. Price even took the ball in for a try along with his presence on defense. Penn State coach Don Ferrell was said to be very pleased with the team's effort as a whole in the weather. "All the coaches said we need to work on for next week is just to tighten up the little mistakes," Ryland said. "We just need to do a little spring cleaning going into our next match," he added. In the next round of the MARFU playoffs, Penn State will travel Saturday to Princeton, N.J., to face the University of Pennsylvania. The two teams have not faced each other in three years. The 29-0 win is the Ruggers' second shutout this spring season, with a 45-0 win against Trent University of Ontario being the other. As Penn State looked to prove itself against Army, so are teams now trying to prove themselves against Penn State. The Ruggers headed into the game ranked seventh in the country. But Penn State said that, with the defense stepping up against Virginia, it is ready for the upcoming rounds of the playoffs and eventually the nationals tournament. "We have all elements that we need to succeed," Ryland said. And Ryland feels his team can overwhelm the opposition. "The pressure we showed was too much for any team to handle." 
PHOTO: Kevin Clancey
Players battle for the ball during a Ruggers match earlier this season.
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