Following their 44-37 playoff clinching victory over Kutztown last weekend, the stage is set for the battle of the unbeatens to close out the spring league season.
The # 7 Nittany Lion Ruggers will face off against # 6 Army in Happy Valley this coming Saturday with much more than Rugby East conference supremacy at stake. The winner will earn the #1 conference seed heading into the National Championship quarterfinals, and as such will get to HOST that match at HOME!
Penn State versus Army has continued to grow into a fantastic rivalry over the past several years, as both fight for the claim to best in the East year after year. But it doesn’t stop there, with PSU Rugby Alumni Rich Pohlidal as their head coach, and Justin “Pip” Hundley as his assistant, I’m sure you can see why this match means so much, and the date ends up circled on both team’s calendars at the beginning of the season.
“Qualifying for the National Tournament last weekend meant a lot to the team, but defeating Army, and earning the right to host their first round playoff matchup would be important to the program as well” stated assistant coach Chris Amoratis. “Our first team goal for this spring season was to go undefeated in Rugby East, to earn a bonus point for trys scored every week, and to earn a home playoff match” added head coach Don Ferrell. “The team is one big step away from reaching that goal, and they are very focused right now”.
The match will be played this Saturday on West Pitch at 5:00pm. The match time has been moved back to accommodate (and hopefully catch some additional fans from) the Blue / White game fans. So come on out this weekend, check out the football game, then come and see two of the best collegiate rugby programs in the country go to battle. With the stakes as high as they are, it is sure to be one of the best matches of the year!!
