Crusaders Battle Hard in Cherry Blossom Tournament

On April 2nd The Crusaders took to the road again, hot from their sweep of the New York Four Leaf Rugby Tournament two weeks previous. This time they traveled into Maryland for the 2016 Cherry Blossom Rugby Tournament. Last year, after an unlucky defeat at the hands of King's Point, the tournament was called off due to frozen ground, so there was everything to play for with the tournament wide open.

First up against a well rested Crusader team was a much larger James Madison team. The Crusaders defended their try line ferociously in the opening 10 minutes of the game, eventually turning over the ball for Joe McMahon to storm down the line to get the ball within 2 meters of the opponent uprights. Captain Pat Audino, picking the ball from a fallen McMahon, managed to place it over for the first points of the game, following his try with a kick for the extra two points.

However, all was not secure, with the much larger JMU forwards driving over the home line to bring the difference to a mere 2 points. The game continued in much the same vein, with Pat kicking an extra 6 points before the half was up. Now warmed up, the Crusaders came out for the second half with rugged determination, but were given a run for their money as the JMU team scored again to bring the score to 13-10 in favour of the Crusaders. Our boys in blue quickly extended their lead to give them a 10 point advantage but were again chased down and the score was leveled by an ever-determined JMU squad.

With the score tied at 20-20, the game went in to over time and in a nail biting final minute, Audino with great thinking under pressure as he put the ball between the uprights just as the whistle sounded to clinch the game, 23-20.

The next to come under the wrath of the Crusaders was another much larger team, Salisbury. Previously at the Cherry Blossom, Salisbury had swept the floor with Christendom, putting 40 points on the board in the same year that they won the National Championship. This was the game that the Crusaders wanted to win; nothing else mattered.

The first third of the game was scoreless, as both teams wrestled to prove their dominance. In the 16th minute of the game, Audino showed what his new yellow cleats could do as he pushed the ball through the center of the posts and claimed three points for the Crusaders.However, the game was still anybody's as one try would pull the Sharks into the lead. 2 minutes before the whistle was called for half-time Junior Joey Kuplack rumbled over the try line to put an extra 5 points on the board, which was extended to 7 with the aid of the conversion.

Going into the second half, the boys knew that Salisbury would come out ready to take back what they thought was rightfully theirs, and the Crusaders were ready to defend their advantage with all they had. Every member of the team knew what had to be done, and every member of the team showed again and again that they had earned their place with huge tackles being made, Paul Maschue and Daniel Snyman leading the way on defense.

10 minutes before the final whistle, Audino's risky drop kick paid off as it put Christendom 13 points ahead. This move would prove to be the final nail in the coffin of a demoralized Salisbury team, who left the game being shut out 13-0.

The last game of the group stages was to be played against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. With Audino in the hospital receiving stitches for a head wound that he had received in the previous game, leaving him looking more orc than human, Senior Robert McKay stepped up as captain for their final game of the day.

This game, more than any other, showed the heart of the Christendom team. Exhausted from their previous two victories, they did not slow down but kept up a relentless onslaught on UMBC. Joe McMahon shook the opposition in the opening minutes with a beautiful try to bring the score to 5-0. Replacement kicker Joey Kuplack slotted the ball over for the extra 2 points.

Before the second half was over, Freshman and rookie Michael Duca would also prove that he had earned his place on the wing. Receiving the ball deep within the Crusader's half, Duca put on a burst of speed to fly into the opponent's try zone to bring the score up to 22-0.

The second half was characterized by the immense depth of the Christendom squad. With captain McKay having to leave the field with a broken nose and veteran Seamus Coyne also leaving with injuries, 2 rookies stepped up to fill the gaps.

This sudden change in dynamic did nothing but bring the team closer together. With the McMahon brothers both rolling over UMBC to give the Crusaders a 36-0 advantage, the boys went back to campus immensely proud of what they had done. Junior Thomas Hepler commented that “this was the best day of my life.”  Rising early on Sunday morning stiff and weary, the boys travelled back to the outskirts of DC for the semifinal.

Lacking Audino and Snyman for the semifinal game against Towson, another much larger team, the boys had a real sense of “team.” Warming up on the cold grass, it was hard not to feel every hit received the previous day, but the boys ignored their injuries for the greater glory.

Taking the field at 10:30am, the Crusaders again showed Towson that it didn't matter how much smaller they were, they were not going to go down without a fight. The boys held their goal line for the first 10 minutes of the match, eventually getting the ball out of their own half. However, the exertion of the previous day started to show, as the Crusaders left the field at the end of the first half down 12-3.

This was not the end though, and they came back on determined to show that Christendom men were made of stronger stuff. Paul Maschue fought his way over the line to put an extra 5 points on the board, but it was not enough to secure a victory. The Crusaders left with their heads held high, having lost, 17-8.

The Crusaders look forward to hosting the University of Richmond at home on April 9th.