By Zach Waltz
Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s rugby team is set to face the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) tomorrow at noon. However, the game may not take place due to the government shutdown.
The Bonnies are coming off a 62-10 win over the Syracuse Orange last Saturday on Family Weekend. Junior Evan Meister tied senior flyhalf Kevin McCorry with 15 points to lead the team. Freshman wing Johnathan Hines also scored 10 points.
Head Coach Clarence Picard said the USMMA hasn’t played at a high level the past couple of years, but it is pushing to become one of the top teams in the Empire Rugby Conference (ERC). The USMMA is second in the ERC behind Stony Brook, while the Bonnies are in third.
“They had down seasons the last few years, but they really seem to be rejuvenated,” Picard said. “They had a close loss to Brockport and then some good wins over UB and a few other teams. They’re definitely looking to be one of the top teams in the conference race.”
Picard said the USMMA will present a tough, physical matchup if they stay true to their form of past years.
“They have a real mobile group of forwards, and they’re just playing tight to their system and not trying to do too much,” Picard said. “They’re just moving around the field really well, tackling hard and rucking hard. That’s what they’ve always been known for is being a physical team.”
Junior flanker Evan Meister said the Bonnies have had a tough schedule so far, but the USMMA looks to be their greatest challenge yet.
“Obviously since it’s the Merchant Marines, they’re going to be in great shape, so we’ve been working on endurance and set pieces,” Meister said. “Pretty much everyone we’ve faced so far, they’ve all been hard hitters, but they’re supposed to be really good.”
Picard said the USMMA has been somewhat of a mystery for the Bonnies, but he knows they will be very strong and in great shape.
“They have a couple guys who are having good seasons, scoring some points and getting some accolades,” Picard said. “We don’t know much about their personnel, but from what I hear, they’re very fit and have some strong players.”
Picard said this game is a nice challenge for the middle of the season because it will let the Bonnies see how they stack up against one of the better teams in the conference.
“It’s kind of nice to have a midseason matchup because we had Brockport and Wheeling-Jesuit early on,” Picard said. “The last two games were physical, but we would have hoped that they could’ve been a little more competitive. It’ll be good to have this real nice test in the middle of the season to see where we are.”
Meister said the best part about the game is being home, because making the drive to Kings Point, N.Y. wears down the players.
“The long drives have always been very tough for us,” Meister said. “We’d be going seven hours and then immediately start playing. Being here with all the parents and fans yelling at the other team is very beneficial.”
