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Rugby East - Army, WJU Win

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Rugby East - Army, WJU Win

Lachina was a try-scorer for Army. Photo courtesy West Point Athletics.

In Rugby East action Friday night, West Point defeated St. Bonaventure 67-12 to     move to 3-0 in the conference and 4-0 overall.

Junior flyhalf Jon Kim notched 18 points while 

Jake Lachina, Ryan Moshak, Chris L’Amoureux, Ben Lemon all score tries in a pretty unrelenting first half that saw the Black Knights take a 32-0 lead, and enter the break up 32-7.

SBU held that score unchanged for 15 minutes into the second half but it was too much, and the final 25 minutes saw Army score five tries - one each from Sean Berry, Hayden Cross, and Jason Blackwood, and two from Ben Vasta. Kim added two early penalties and six conversions, while Blackwood converted his own at 70 minutes and Vasta’s second, right before the end of the game.

Ted Gorman and Charles Schwenk scored tries for the Bonnies, who drop to 1-2.

Meanwhile, also on Friday night, Iona met Wheeling Jesuit at Penn State's home field. The game was close in the first half and the Iona Gaels led 19-17 at the break. Peter Malcolm scored a try in the 49th minute to put Wheeling Jesuit up 24-19, but it wasn't until midway through the second half that the Cardinals took control. Cullen Buckley scored an unconverted try, and Allan Hanson slotted a penalty goal to make it 32-19. 

Iona Coach Bruce McLane said his team was overwhelmed in the final 20 minutes, and maybe that was true, but the Gaels did manage to keept it at 32-19 until the final six minutes, when Hanson and then Killian Gause scored to put the game away 44-19.

John D'Allara scored two for Iona and Lavar James got one, with Santi Mascolo converting two. For WJU, Malcolm scored two - the first in each half, in fact - and so did Gause - the final score and the second of the first half. Hanson added a try late in the first half to bring WJU close, and the flyhalf totaled 14 points on three conversions, a penalty goal, and a try.

"We played good, consistent ball," said WJU Head Coach Tom Duffy. "Bruce McLane had Iona very prepared. Both teams were strong in the scrums and there was some very hard rucking on both sides. The difference was that WJU was consistent in our game plan and executed it well into the second half."

Malcolm was outstanding at hooker, and led the players well, also.

"I told the guys to just be consistent and clean and execute more efficiently," said Duffy.

Hanson was also excellent for Wheeling Jesuit, not only scoring, but pinning Iona back with his kicking from hand, while Gause, Hugh McAllister, and Auggie Murphy had strong games for the Cardinals. 

"It was truly a 15-man effort," said Duffy.

WJU improves to 2-0 in the Rugby East and Iona drops to 1-2.