The Quadrangle

Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: Sports

The Jasper rugby team has worked hard to be nationallly recognized as they finished second in Division III.

Manhattan College's rugby team ended their fall season in second place on October 29 and established themselves as a well-respected, talented organization. The players are a self-run club, and with the help of two new coaches, they developed their skills and gained campus recognition this semester.
Last Sunday, Manhattan defeated Drew University 24-0 and closed their season in second place within Division III. Changes in league rules, however, prevented them from entering post-season tournaments. Last year eight teams were chosen from all three divisions to compete in the championship games. However, this year only the top two Division I schools and the first place teams from Divisions II and III qualified for post-season play.
SUNY Maritime, Division III's top school and a contender in this year's championship, remained undefeated throughout the season, while Manhattan suffered only one loss to Montclair State University early in September. Manhattan would have qualified for post-season competition had the rules remained unchanged.
Yet the team's fall season was, as senior Antoine Samuda put it, "an amazing turnaround that bodes well for the future."
Manhattan beat Dominican 25-5 in their home opener at Van Cortlandt Park on September 24 and later crushed Molloy, 40-5. On October 12, they tied Maritime and won at Bard College, 39-12.
Junior John Fitzgerald, inside center #12, suggested that the Maritime game was one of Manhattan's best this season. Fitzgerald said, "We have a large team, and so does Maritime. Since they are in first place, we thought they would be in much better shape than we are. But they were our toughest competition, and we managed to tie with them."
Manhattan improved substantially since last season, and the players' work ethic, enthusiasm, and passion for the game contributed to their success.
Samuda said, "Last year everyone said our team had a lot of heart, but we lacked the technical skills we needed to win. Once we got ourselves together, we became a force to reckon with."
According to Samuda, Manhattan played their first game as a team "in white T-shirts and gym shorts at the beginning of December in the blistering cold. We did not have numbers, and it was almost like underground rugby."

Continued...

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