written by: Coach Matt Heavens

The Neumann University Men's Rugby Club (3-1) took to the pitch on homecoming Saturday (10/13) seeking their third league win. Playing before a large and enthusiastic home crowd, the Knights did not disappoint as they defeated Penn State Berks (0-4) 48-25.

Miles Howard opened the scoring six minutes in to give the blue shirts a 5-0 lead. Berks responded with a try at thirteen minutes to knot the score at 5-5; it was a close as Berks would get. Captain Santino D'Angelo and Nick Fallows added the first of their trys en route to a hat trick try day. Emerson Phillips slotted one his of three conversions giving the Knights a 19-5 lead at half.

Pat Foster made numerous carries from the prop position for the NU side as the forwards maintained steady phase play to keep PSU on the back foot much of the match. Fallows and D'Angelo each touched down trys in the first seven minutes of the second half as the Knights raced to a 31-5 lead. Liam Ruddy and David Andreozzi played a stout defense with numerous tackles for Neumann. PSU notched two trys a minute apart in the last ten minutes to close within 36-23, but D'Angelo added another followed by a score from Gaetano Quintiliani the final try of the day.  

Coach Larry McManus was pleased with the effort saying "we had a lot of guys moving around playing different positions, but we need to clean up our play in a few areas".

Next up Neumann hosts cross-county rival Widener University on Friday, October 19 with kickoff at 4:30pm