CUA Men’s Rugby vs American University
Image Courtesy of CUA Fitness and Recreation
By Jack Cherico
On April Fools day, at 8:00 on a crisp Friday night, The Cua Men’s rugby team took on crosstown rival American University. After CUA’s B team lost to American last semester, the Cardinals were looking for revenge. It’s safe to say they achieved that goal, with a stunning first half in which they scored 42 unanswered points.
Minutes after the opening kick Cua scored 2 tries in quick succession, capped off by 2 successful extra points by senior Owen Jahne. After a brief scoring hiatus, the Cards scored 2 more tries with a bullying run by Sophomore wing Sam Gutelius and freshman Auggie Orrego.
Two more tries and extra points halfway through the first half set the tone for CUA dominance, and American couldn’t get anything going offensively. While CUA spread the ball around with quick passes, the AU team seemed out of sync and elected for long side passes that never advanced the ball with any efficiency.
The second half was no better for AU, with a CUA try immediately after the opening kickoff. A half field sprint from Lucas Mayer and another upfield push from Cua made the score 61-0. AU finally got on the scoreboard halfway through the second half with a team effort and extra point. American knocked on the door a few minutes later, but CUA’s strong defensive line stood up the Eagles at the goal line. The defensive stop took the wind out of the Eagles’ wings, and it was basically over from there. Gutelius finished the game with another try to make the final score 68-7. With a strong start to the CUA season, the rugby team hopes to follow up their amazing win in coming games.
