Men’s Rugby Earns First Win at Home vs. Hamilton
Gabriels, NY ~ A new era of rugby has started at Paul Smith's College as the men's rugby team have won their first 15s game since the fall of 2019.
Junior Michael Lachance (Attleboro, MA) bookended the scoring for the Bobcats with the first and last try for the hosts as they defeated the visitors 39-20.
"The team played great on Saturday, the progress we've made as a team has been exponential and I look forward to the rest of the season," said Lachance.
From there, senior captain Griffen Johnson (Rome, NY), junior Jack Bricca-Hall (Midland Park, NJ), sophomore Ryan Gosling (Voorheesville, NY), freshman Jaquan Wright, and junior Tyrus Friscoe (Bloomingdale, NJ) all contributed to the stat sheet with one try each. Johnson would go on to make two conversions as the senior captain has shown off his leg all season as the Bobcats' primary kicker.
"The team played well, we had great timing, coordination and determination," said Johnson. "We played as a unit and through lots of hard work in practices we were able to implement all we've learned into a game to secure a win," he added.
Johnson has been a dedicated member of the men's rugby team through his four years at PSC and is a big reason why the team has enjoyed its recent resurgence into rugby 15s, acting as not only captain but coordinator for media day and one of the main points of contact. And as head coach Pat Romeo puts it - "Griffen is the voice of the team." The team has enjoyed an increase in both competition and players this season as they currently have a healthy squad of 27 on the roster.
The team was able to get up the field with their forwards as the backs stepped up with structured ball movement to stay ahead of the visiting Continentals. On the defensive side, the Bobcats excelled in the ruck and played strong in the scrum and line outs. Senior Luke Geiger (Batavia, NY) had an exceptional game at fullback, keeping Hamilton from scoring with strong tackling around the try zone as he personally saved two tries against. He also kept the kicking game in check with strategic movements.
Head coach Pat Romeo was extremely pleased with not only his team's performance but their dedication to each other on and off the pitch.
"We have been physical in all three of the games we have played so far," said Romoe. "Saturday, we finally got our rugby IQ along with it. Big win for us for sure. The young players are learning every game and are committed as well," he added.
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