The BG rugby team found itself on the losing end after a snowy, 31-18 loss to the Detroit Tradesmen Saturday.

There was some minor talk about postponing the game due to cold temperatures and three inches of snow, but the two sides decided to battle it out.

The game was a stalemate for most of the first half, due to the weather conditions on the playing field. Detroit scored first with a try and conversion, but BG quickly tied it up with a try by eight man Bryan Kean and a conversion kick by prop Dane Szente.

Hooker Mike Brown put BG ahead 12-7 when he broke three tackles before scoring a try in the corner of the endzone. Szente added a penalty kick in the last second of the first half to give BG a 15-7 lead.

The Falcons were satisfied to go into the half with a two score lead. The harsh conditions would prevent most teams from making a comeback.

On a normal day, BG would have finished out the game against an opponent like the Tradesmen, but the backfield has had injuries and in the end, a victory in match against Ohio State next weekend had to take precedent, so BG started to subsitute players.

The Falcons were happy to see freshman Justin Farrell, Derec Blogett and Terrance Kidd get some playing time with the starting lineup, but expectations were not too high, as they came against a big, experienced side of senior players.

The Director of Rugby, Roger Mazzarella, believes the mistakes made by the young players against Detroit will pay off later in the season when the games are crucial, amidst the hopes of another national title.

The second half belonged to the Tradesmen, as they scored four tries and two conversions to erase BG’s lead and win the game.

“With the weather conditions and their size, we started to wear down a bit,” said lock Corey Ruth. “It was a good game, just a few tackling errors is what led to our defeat.”

BG will look to rebound at home next Saturday against Ohio State. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at College Park Rugby Field.