Like a Halloween spectre, the Bowling Green rugby team has risen from the grave to earn a spot in the semi-finals of the Midwest Regional of the National Collegiate Rugby Championship. Given up for dead as little as just 10 days ago, the Falcon ruggers dug into some of the grit and determination that has always kept BG near the top in the collegiate rugby world. BG bested a sloppy field and sustained 35 mile an hour winds to beat Ohio University 27 — 10 and the University of Pittsburgh 12 — 7.
The victories helped the Falcons assume their usual place in the semi-finals of the Midwest Finals to be held at Purdue University this weekend. Bowling Green will face off against the University of Northern Iowa while the University of Michigan takes on the University of Wisconsin.
“I’m sure close matches are a hit with the fans but I prefer the 80-point blowouts,” BG head coach Roger Mazzarella said. “They’re much easier on my blood pressure.”
Mazzarella was quick to point out that the true hero of the games was the Falcon defense.
“We may not have had the offense chugging along like normal, but we didn’t need it the way the first line of defense snuffed out everything in the opponents’ centers. In the beginning of the season, our defense consisted of our offense never giving up ball possession,” he said. “We had to re-learn the art of defense after the Michigan ‘ Indiana losses.”
“On play after play, those guys (flankers Brian Farrell, Bryan Kupper, J.D. Ackermann and Mike Marquis and centers Jake Puhl and Ian Gagnon) sold out their bodies to stop a pair of pretty good teams,” BG assistant Chris Hopps said. “It was like one of those old-time games you watch on 16 millimeter movies – OU and Pitt kept trying to ram the ball up the middle and we just kept jamming up the holes.”
Against MAC rival Ohio, the Falcons confounded all of the Bobcats’ scouting reports with the return of scrum half Vince Staropoli. BG’s captain had been plagued all season with hand and rib injuries and was initially feared to be out for the season. Thanks to a football flak jacket, it was Staropoli around left end, Staropoli around right end and Staropoli up the middle against the Bobcats.
“OU came into the match looking to play the team that lost to Michigan and that team doesn’t exist anymore,” BG backs coach Tony Mazzarella said.
“Having played against him (Staropoli) in high school, I know all too well how he can dominate a game,” Ohio captain Brett Regan said.
The Falcons started the match strong when J.D. Ackermann stole the ball on the initial kickoff and then fed Dave Demings streaking down the sideline at wing to give BG a try only 25 seconds after the opening whistle. BG continued to hammer out an ever-widening lead with Staropoli’s three tries. Fly half Derek Imes converted on two attempts as well as landing a rare drop kick field goal as the Falcons won going away 27 — 10.
In the next match, playing for the second straight day on a sloppy field and against gusty winds, the Falcons put up just enough points to edge the Pittsburgh Panthers 12 — 7. Playing inspired defense, the Falcons hemmed in Panther star center Steve Meyer and left Pitt without options to change the point of attack.
“We heard he’s nicknamed ‘Teflon,'” Falcons’ flanker Brian Farrell said. “Well, we stuck all over him today.”
Flanker Mike Marquis, having previously bounced all over the Falcons’ depth chart, earned his second start by taking the ball 40 yards around end to open the scoring with a try. Imes conversion made the score 7–0. The Falcons put up some sorely needed insurance points on a kick-and-chase play by fullback Matt Johnston that bounced into the arms of wing Dave Demings who went in for the try.
The match ended in a mass of confusion as referee Brad Feeman awarded Pitt a penalty try for a never signaled or explained penalty. The conversion made the score 12 — 7 but also signaled the end of the match.
The Falcons, now 27 — 5, will take on once-beaten Northern Iowa. The 16 — 1 Panthers, defeated Wisconsin LaCrosse 27 — 5 and Illinois State 67 — 12 to advance to the Midwest semifinals. This will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
