RUGBY ENDS SEASON WITH NATIONALS BERTH IN SPRING 2008
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:17 pm
In a season of superlatives, the BGSU rugby team saved the best for last - 1st XV completed a successful undefeated season, going 13 – 0. The Falcons defeated Northern Iowa 41 - 12 in the semifinals and Minnesota 30 - 17 in the Midwest regionals of the National Collegiate championship. It was the club’s fourth MW championship in the event’s 27 year history but first since 1988 (there have been eight second place finishes in that span).
It was a season that not only saw an undefeated season for the 1st XV, but also one where the 2nd XV won its 100th straight game – a streak going back to April of 2003. The Falcons also won their 27th straight Mid American Conference title as well as tenth Michigan Collegiate title in the past eleven years. Overall the club finished 34 – 1 with the only blemish coming from a “C” side loss to Findlay.
The seeds to this season’s success were actually planted with the club’s second trip to South Africa this past August. The club played the very top echelon of South African collegiate rugby. Our game against Stellenbosch put BG against one of the top clubs in the entire world (a 72-3 loss) and showed our South African friends that BG may not have the rugby skills they possess, but we sure know how to knock down opposing ball carriers.
It was that same defense that helped the club climb to the top of the Midwest and national elite. Just using the Minnesota game as an example – the larger Big Ten team continually attempted to pound it out in a “three yards & a cloud of rucks” offense only to find the BG ready to put down the ball carrier while refusing to yield very little ground.
The club will now move on to its eighth trip to the National Collegiate Rugby Championship in April. BG is currently ranked 5th in the nation.
I very distinctly remember the first time we won back in 1986, and it was really very heart warming for me to see an almost moment to moment recreation of the unbridled joy the boys displayed as those off the field rushed those on the field to embrace at the final whistle.
I talk to the boys sometimes how many times in the past this or that squad had misfired because I could not convince all of them to "walk the same path". This time they did, and after we got back to town at 3am Monday morning, I remembered something else I had often preached to them - glory is the only thing you can take with you when its your time to go. I'm glad each one of them got to have a taste.
Lastly, and certainly not least, I need to thank the parents and supporters that made the mind numbing drive to Iowa and who, quite literally, saved us from disaster. While Tony Brown's dad, Donald, changed out the batteries on our disabled bus, Mitch Albers' dad Scott, Zach Williams' dad Matt, Bryce Pitney's dad Dale, and Nick & Mark Viviani's dad Randy put 240 miles each on their cars shuttling the team from the hotel to the field 60 miles away. Zach's mom Cordelia, sister Olivia, Mitch's grandfather, Tony's mom Sharon, our trainer Janelle Zindroski and my daughter-in-law Marny helped out shout a Minnesota contingent that had a vast edge in numbers but no where near the enthusiasm.
FINAL FALL 2007 MEN DI TOP 25
Tuesday Dec 4, 2007 in Rankings DI Men's College
1 Kutztown 7-0 (1)?Idle.?
2 BYU 4-0 (2)?Idle
3 Utah 5-1 (3)?Idle?
4 Texas A&M 11-2 (4)?4-0 at Bix XII?
5 Bowling Green 9-0 (5)?Idle.
6 Navy 7-2-1 (6)?34-32 over Army (11).?
7 Air Force 5-1-1 (7)?Idle.?
8 Wyoming 5-1 (8)?Idle?
9 St. Mary's 3-0 (24)?55-12 over Sacramento State?
10 Cal Poly 2-2 (25)?Beat UC Davis (17) 40-27, beat UCSB 38-12??11 Delaware 5-2 (9)?Idle.??12 Penn State 5-2 (10)?Idle??13 Army 9-3 (11)?Lost 34-32 to Navy (6).??14 Colorado 5-2 (12)?84-5 over Santa Clara, Lost 39-26 to St. Mary's (24)??15 UC Davis 3-1 (17)?Lost 40-27 to Cal Poly (25), 27-19 over UN-Reno??16 Minnesota 9-1 (13) ?Idle.??17 Ohio State 5-3 (14)?Idle.??18 LSU 4-0 (15)?Idle??
19 Dartmouth 8-4-1 (16)?Idle??
20 Oregon State 5-1 (18)?12-8 over Central Washington, 41-0 over Oregon??
21 Washington State University 3-1 (19)?37-27 over University of Washington??
22 Colorado State 3-2-1 (20)?Idle??
23 Tennessee 7-1 (21)?Idle??
24 Buffalo 9-1 (22)?Idle??
25 Arkansas State 5-0 (23)?Idle
It was a season that not only saw an undefeated season for the 1st XV, but also one where the 2nd XV won its 100th straight game – a streak going back to April of 2003. The Falcons also won their 27th straight Mid American Conference title as well as tenth Michigan Collegiate title in the past eleven years. Overall the club finished 34 – 1 with the only blemish coming from a “C” side loss to Findlay.
The seeds to this season’s success were actually planted with the club’s second trip to South Africa this past August. The club played the very top echelon of South African collegiate rugby. Our game against Stellenbosch put BG against one of the top clubs in the entire world (a 72-3 loss) and showed our South African friends that BG may not have the rugby skills they possess, but we sure know how to knock down opposing ball carriers.
It was that same defense that helped the club climb to the top of the Midwest and national elite. Just using the Minnesota game as an example – the larger Big Ten team continually attempted to pound it out in a “three yards & a cloud of rucks” offense only to find the BG ready to put down the ball carrier while refusing to yield very little ground.
The club will now move on to its eighth trip to the National Collegiate Rugby Championship in April. BG is currently ranked 5th in the nation.
I very distinctly remember the first time we won back in 1986, and it was really very heart warming for me to see an almost moment to moment recreation of the unbridled joy the boys displayed as those off the field rushed those on the field to embrace at the final whistle.
I talk to the boys sometimes how many times in the past this or that squad had misfired because I could not convince all of them to "walk the same path". This time they did, and after we got back to town at 3am Monday morning, I remembered something else I had often preached to them - glory is the only thing you can take with you when its your time to go. I'm glad each one of them got to have a taste.
Lastly, and certainly not least, I need to thank the parents and supporters that made the mind numbing drive to Iowa and who, quite literally, saved us from disaster. While Tony Brown's dad, Donald, changed out the batteries on our disabled bus, Mitch Albers' dad Scott, Zach Williams' dad Matt, Bryce Pitney's dad Dale, and Nick & Mark Viviani's dad Randy put 240 miles each on their cars shuttling the team from the hotel to the field 60 miles away. Zach's mom Cordelia, sister Olivia, Mitch's grandfather, Tony's mom Sharon, our trainer Janelle Zindroski and my daughter-in-law Marny helped out shout a Minnesota contingent that had a vast edge in numbers but no where near the enthusiasm.
FINAL FALL 2007 MEN DI TOP 25
Tuesday Dec 4, 2007 in Rankings DI Men's College
1 Kutztown 7-0 (1)?Idle.?
2 BYU 4-0 (2)?Idle
3 Utah 5-1 (3)?Idle?
4 Texas A&M 11-2 (4)?4-0 at Bix XII?
5 Bowling Green 9-0 (5)?Idle.
6 Navy 7-2-1 (6)?34-32 over Army (11).?
7 Air Force 5-1-1 (7)?Idle.?
8 Wyoming 5-1 (8)?Idle?
9 St. Mary's 3-0 (24)?55-12 over Sacramento State?
10 Cal Poly 2-2 (25)?Beat UC Davis (17) 40-27, beat UCSB 38-12??11 Delaware 5-2 (9)?Idle.??12 Penn State 5-2 (10)?Idle??13 Army 9-3 (11)?Lost 34-32 to Navy (6).??14 Colorado 5-2 (12)?84-5 over Santa Clara, Lost 39-26 to St. Mary's (24)??15 UC Davis 3-1 (17)?Lost 40-27 to Cal Poly (25), 27-19 over UN-Reno??16 Minnesota 9-1 (13) ?Idle.??17 Ohio State 5-3 (14)?Idle.??18 LSU 4-0 (15)?Idle??
19 Dartmouth 8-4-1 (16)?Idle??
20 Oregon State 5-1 (18)?12-8 over Central Washington, 41-0 over Oregon??
21 Washington State University 3-1 (19)?37-27 over University of Washington??
22 Colorado State 3-2-1 (20)?Idle??
23 Tennessee 7-1 (21)?Idle??
24 Buffalo 9-1 (22)?Idle??
25 Arkansas State 5-0 (23)?Idle
