Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: AIDAN SHINNERS; SPORTS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The St. Bonaventure men’s rugby team finished the regular season with a record of 5-2 and competed in the Atlantic Rugby Conference Championship on Saturday, Nov. 2, following back-to-back wins.
Junior Troy Heroldt mentioned the team has figured out how to keep their intensity and pressure up the entire game over their last two wins, regardless of the team’s energy levels.
“We tend to let our pressure drop in games and allow teams to come back into the game,” Heroldt said. “Playing all 80 minutes and keeping intensity throughout the whole game will be key for us to ensure we are successful this postseason.”
Graduate student Matthew Joss mentioned the coaching staff has preached the slogan “logo before ego” all season, which has kept the team focused on winning games as opposed to individual success.
“We got where we are by putting the team before personal success,” Joss said. “The performances we’re seeing now are caused by all the preparations throughout the season and players working harder every training session.”
Joss also mentioned the advantage the Bonnies have by playing in the Atlantic Rugby Conference, which he considers the hardest conference in college rugby.
“We heavily benefit from being in the toughest conference in the NCR setup,” Joss said. “The Atlantic Rugby Conference places us against top 10 opponents week in and week out.”
Heroldt spoke on the importance of taking on strong opponents in the regular season in taking on opponents like Walsh University and the United States Naval Academy.
“Navy plays nonstop for 80 minutes. When you can’t go anymore, they will still be playing with the same intensity as when the game started,” Heroldt said. “Walsh on the other hand, will punish every mistake, we have to be precise and take the opportunities that are in front of us. These are both lessons we can carry into the playoffs.”
Joss said that despite injuries forcing new players to step in the lineup and take on new roles with the team, they’ve still been able to get the job done because of the work they put in between matches.
“The team has been through a lot of adversity and injuries this year, and our success is a testament to the program that has been built here,” Joss said. “No matter who goes down, they will be replaced with someone who is not only a quality rugby player, but someone who is willing to work their socks off to prove they belong on the field.”
***stats as of Nov. 2***
