The Bowling Green rugby team rocked the Midwest rugby world Saturday when they shut out three senior men’s sides to win the Cleveland Can-Am Tournament. The Falcon ruggers beat Detroit 24-0, the Cleveland Rovers 82-0 and then dumped Dayton 26-0.
Skunking teams made up of veteran players with up to 15 years of experience, the ruggers served notice that they had not lost a step from last year’s national championship finals. Returning 13 of last spring’s 15 starters, this year’s squad appears to have all the tools necessary to challenge national champions University of California-Berkeley.
“I think we looked better than we ever have on the first week of the season,” head coach Roger Mazzarella said. “Fitness was very good, timing could use some improvement, but attitude was fantastic.
“We’ve historically had a problem this early in the season with impatience when we weren’t putting gobs of points on the board, but I didn’t see any of that last weekend.”
“With the strength of our schedule this fall, we’re going to have to be out of the blocks a lot faster,” senior captain Reed Luecke said.
In addition to hosting perennial challenger Michigan State this weekend, the Falcons also host first-ranked Ohio State and fourth-ranked Indiana in the next two weeks. Facing Detroit’s huge but less-mobile forwards in the first match last weekend, the Falcons had only to rely on their bread-and-butter offense of spinning the ball wide to secure a victory.
“The Cobras’ forwards are good at what they do, but that up-the-middle stuff is as exciting as watching paint dry,” Mazzarella said.
Wing Tim Rieger opened the scoring with a 75-yard run that exposed Detroit’s wide-open flanks. A national finalist in the senior men’s division last spring, Detroit’s only hope was to keep the ball in tight and at that they failed miserably.
Scrum half Vinnie Staropoli, fly half Kevin Mongold and flanker Alex Demma all successfully tested the Cobra backfield for tries.
Center Pete Cromly’s four conversions made the final 24-0.
The Cleveland Rovers never had a chance in the second match as the Falcons shifted into high gear. The floodgates were opened only 30 seconds into the match when Cunnigan scored the first of BG’s 12 tries. Staropoli punched a hat trick and senior center Scott Mullins added a pair. Scoring in solo efforts were Rieger, prop Brian Virost, lock Jeff Meeker, eight-man Mike Hotz, Mongold, and flanker John Black. Cromly led all scoreres with 27 points on a try and 11 conversion kicks.
This Saturday, the Falcons will host Michigan State in their first league match, Saturday at 1 p.m. at College Park Rugby Field. Students interested in joining the Falcon rugby team can attend a rookie organizational meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. in room 117 on the Business Administration building. No previous experience in the sport is necessary.
