Bona Rugby News
Outlaws Cap Spring With Strong Upstate Showing
April 22, 2009
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As newcomers to Division I, the Outlaws received the bottom seed and opened with defending NYS champs Syracuse. The Hammerheads' physical, mobile pack applied early pressure but both sides settled for points when available and three shots at goal resulted in a 6-3 halftime lead for SU. Darren Kmicinski added a second penalty but Syracuse wing Dave Bliss was too much to contain and SU won 24-6.
Scoring
Penalties - D. Kmicinski - 2-2
Roster
15 Sylor, 14 Kmicinski, 13 Specht (C), 12 W. Atkinson, 11 G. George, 10 Vos, 9 M. Hanrahan, 8 Owens, 7 Hoyos, 6 Conley, 5 Pawlowski, 4 Schott, 3 Sheehan, 2 Mulligan, 1 Maurer
The Outlaws next faced Binghamton, the only team to beat Syracuse last fall. SU topped Binghamton 31-7 in the pool's opening match. SBU played with a re-dedication to teamwork and linked up for several long strikes. Chris Schott and Nick Maurer put in strong days, rucking, tackling and running all over the pitch. Some tight interpretations at the breakdown hurt the Outlaws final scoreline but a Kmicinski penalty and a Bob Owens try were enough in the 10-3 win.
Scoring
Tries - B. Owens
Conversions - D. Kmicinski 1-1
Penalties - D. Kmicinski 1-1
Roster
15 M. Hanrahan, 14 Kmicinski, 13 Specht (C), 12 W. Atkinson, 11 G. George, 10 Vos, 9 Sylor, 8 Owens, 7 M. George, 6 Conley, 5 Pawlowski, 4 Schott, 3 Sheehan, 2 Mulligan, 1 Maurer
While Syracuse went on to roll Brockport 26-0 in the finals, St. Bonaventure looked to avenge their 22-0 loss to UB in the South Buffalo tournament finals. Buffalo came out strong and the threat of their forwards on the inside led to a pair of long runs by John Geoghan and eventual tries. Buffalo was up quickly 10-0 but SBU didn't cave in. J.T. Sheehan put the Outlaws on the board when he took a quick penalty and charged up field for the 30-meter try. Just before the end of the half, Kmicinski made a long break up the touch-line, then moved the ball to Nick Sylor before Zibi Pawlowski went weakside for the first try of his career. Down 14-10 at the break, UB came out with purpose and again pressured the Outlaws line. Both teams threw all they had into every phase and a string of penalties eventually led to a go-ahead try for UB, making the score 17-14 with just minutes to play. Determined to fight till the death, St. Bonaventure used a strong pick-and-drive game to challenge UB's mettle. A string of penalties allowed Sheehan to rip of two huge runs on quick taps and move inside Buffalo's 22. As time expired, Charlie Specht powered in under the posts, Kmicinski remained perfect on the day and the good guys won 21-17. After a grueling spring schedule, the dramatic win was exactly what the Outlaws needed before a long offseason of running and lifting.
Scoring
Tries - J. Sheehan, Z. Pawlowski, C. Specht
Conversions - Kmicinski 3-3
Roster
15 M. Hanrahan, 14 Kmicinski, 13 Specht (C), 12 W. Atkinson, 11 Walsh, 10 Vos, 9 Sylor, 8 Owens, 7 Maurer, 6 Conley, 5 Pawlowski, 4 Schott, 3 Sheehan, 2 Mulligan, 1 Folts
Outlaws Open Spring 2-2
April 2, 2009
 photo by Bob Owens, Sr. |
After a disappointing end to last Fall, the team got right to work preparing for this Spring. There was a real sense of urgency to make up some ground between us and the top teams in the Northeast. We were thrilled to see speed, strength and fitness numbers improve across the board. While there is still a lot of work to do, it was good to see so many players make the commitment to the team.
We opened the season on March 14th in Pennsylvania against Kutztown University. The Golden Bears were preparing for the Mid-Atlantic playoffs and their stature matched their reputation. The boys came out hard and were able to string together several phases but KU quickly woke up, forced a turnover and took a quick 5-0 lead. The Outlaws defense settled down and were able to hold the line for minutes at a time but Kutztown was able to exploit the smallest piece of space and took a 24-0 lead late in the half. Using a solid kicking game, we did pressure Kutztown's tryline twice late in the half but some quick cover defense relieved the pressure and led to another Golden Bear try, leaving the Outlaws down 31-0 at the half.
At the half, we were all very optimistic. While the scoreline was daunting, we weren't completely out-manned; just out-thunk. Led by All-American Marco Barnard at inside center and a classy half-back combination, Kutztown constantly made the right decision, never trying to do too much. But when they decided to attack, they did so with pace, power and precision.
The second half showed their true greatness as the hosts got stronger by the minute. When scrum half Tom Theurkauf, fly half Craig Chatfield and replacement center Mike Murray all went down in the first 15 minutes, Kutztown showed no mercy, pressuring us at the breakdown and in the inside running lanes. Redemption came in the final 10 minutes when several phases of pressure inside the KU 22-meter line led to a shot at goal for Jarred Vos. The South African slotted the kick and got the Outlaws on the board, even if it was only three points. Minutes later the Outlaws came within inches of the line but a lack of commitment at the breakdown led to a turnover and clearing kick. Finally, the pressure paid off when Will Atkinson, a transfer from Kutztown, zig-zagged into the try zone on a quick-tap penalty and touched down for five, ending the scoring at 86-8.
Scoring
Tries - W. Atkinson
Conversions - Vos 0-1
Penalties - 1-1
| New York State Rugby Conference | ||||
| 2009 Premier Division I Standings | ||||
| Pts. | W | L | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany SUNY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Binghamton SUNY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brockport SUNY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Buffalo SUNY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cornell University | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cortland SUNY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St Bonaventure University | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Syracuse University | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
