Flanker Jack McLean going for the lineout against Delaware Photo by: Alexis Arra
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Penn State hosted the University of Delaware Saturday for a conference match in what proved to be a one sided affair. The hosts scored early and scored often. A total of 15 tries were scored by nine players.
The Nittany Lions (4-0, 2-0 Rugby East) were paced by senior captain Mike Eife who scored four tries and by senior number 8 Chris Burian who dotted down three times. The pace was just too much for the visiting Delaware (0-3, 0-2 Rugby East), who just recently rejoined the conference. Blue Hen Coach Struan Murray was complimentary of Penn State saying, “From minute one they outplayed us and no doubt they were ready and very well prepared. They crushed it and taught us a lesson…with class.”
Penn State stuck to what they have done the last few weeks and that was playing fast. Junior lock Ryan McNulty got into the action with a brace of tries in the contest. The rangy forward summed up the team’s performance by saying, “we are working on getting better each week. Today we got better, but we aren’t satisfied. We have to come back next week determined that our best game is yet to come and work our tails off.”
The scoring was rounded out by tries from junior center Tyler May, freshman prop Jordan Crofts, junior scrumhalf Jim Ronan, senior center Selby Niu, and sophomore flanker Jack McLean. Ronan added eight conversions and reserve flyhalf on the day Mike Dabulas was 3-3 on his conversions.
Next up Penn State will host St. Bonaventure on Friday September 30th, at 7 pm on the West Campus Fields. They will then turn around and travel to the University of Buffalo on Saturday October 1st for a 1 PM kickoff.
Penn State Lineup v Delaware: 1. Jordan Crofts (James Anderson @40), 2. Tom Capriotti (Cory Klems @40), 3. Kevin Ndou (Zach Barnes @40), 4. Ryan Cornell, 5. Ryan McNulty (Leo Van Buskirk @60), 6. Jack McLean, 7. Rob Irimescu, 8. Chris Burian (Dan Featherston @60), 9. Jim Ronan (Kyle Crawford @50), 10. Thomas Del Pino, 11. Mike Eife, 12. Selby Niu, 13. Tyler May (Michael Dabulas @60), 14. Brad Pechin, 15. Jimmy Haley (Kevin Trotter @48)
Penn State 97
Tries: Eife 4, Burian 3, May, Crofts, McNulty 2, Ronan, Cornell, Niu, McLean
Conversions: Ronan 8, Dabulas 3
Penalties: None
Delaware 5
Tries: 1
Conversions: None
Penalties: None
Halftime: Penn State 57 Delaware 5
