In a day of fast pace and exciting rugby, the men were able to come away with a 30-29 victory against Pennsylvania rivals Kutztown to open up their 2011 CPD season. The game was a tightly heated contest that saw 5 lead changes and was won in the last minute of the game with a Joe Baker drop goal.
The men started off slow, going down 14-0 at halftime. Although they enjoyed a large proportion of possession, little mistakes and defensive gaps plagued the nittany lions However, with the wind at their backs in the second half, the men started their comeback, first with a penalty from Joe Baker and then tries from flanker Ryan Goulding and fullback Dominic DeFalco. The men could not keep the lead too long as Kutztown scored on their next possession. The next 25 minutes was back and forth with Penn State taking the lead again with another try from Goulding as well as a great team try scored by hooker Chris Karas, a move which involved multiple great passes and offloads. However, with time winding down Kutztown was able to put in another try with just seven minutes left putting them up by two points. Without hesitation the men marched back down the field forcing a hurried kick which gave them a line out just ten meters out. After some good forward work close to the goal line the referee signaled a penalty advantage. Knowing the penalty was theirs, flyhalf Joe Baker dropped back in the pocket and hit the drop goal with one minute left. The men were able to secure the ensuing kickoff and clear to touch, giving them the victory.
Although I am sure the men would have liked to avoid all the stress of a last minute win, the boys are proud of the comeback and to pick up a W in their first league game. Next up for the men is a home game against a tough Dartmouth team who is also 1-0 in league play. The game will take place at West Campus fields. Below is a link to an article for more information on the game. Congrats again to the boys and good luck with the rest of the week and the game on Saturday
