|
2007
ARU Bowl
Nov. 10, 2007
An impressive crowd came to Founders Field
in Pittsburgh Saturday night to watch the second annual post
season ARU Bowl; pitting the 2007 Division II champions,
Slippery Rock University, against the best remaining
collegiate players in the union invited to play for the All
Star Barbarian side. The crowd was rewarded with some exciting
running rugby.
In
the first half, SRU took advantage of opposition players out
of their normal playing positions as well as never having
worked together as a unit, and scored three nice trys. Two trys were scored
with wide strikes off the quick feet of winger Tim Kennedy,
and the other off an impressive long line out rumble by lock
Ryan Cote. The
Barbarian side answered with a single try and conversion kick
by IUP scrumhalf, Richard “Squirrel Hunter” Recordon, leaving
the first half score SRU 17, ARU
7.
The
second half saw multiple replacements by both sides, and the
ARU Barbarians became more familiar with each other as they
demonstrated inspiring support and continuity in the process
of scoring 5 unanswered trys. 5 pointers were scored
by Bob Moore (2), Tyler Brown (IUP), Ben Kowatch (Pitt), and
Mike “Pumpkin” Wilk (Pitt). It was a remarkably
well played match by both sides, and the select side coaching
staff was quite encouraged by the improvement in quality of
play in just one year.
The final score was SRU 17, ARU Barbarians
36.
There was a post match celebration, generously provided
for by the union in support of the All Star team’s
accomplishments and hard work over the past year, and in
celebration of SRU’s third consecutive collegiate
championship.
After the dinner, President Des O’Connor on behalf of
the ARU’s official sponsor, Tight Five Rugby, awarded 3
international jerseys for the bowl’s superior player
awards: best
back, Squirrel Recordon (IUP), best forward, Ryan Cote (SRU),
and Man of the Match, Bob Moore (Chippendales).
Lineup ARU Barbarians
Lineup
1.
Crane (IUP) /
Burkeybile (IUP) @ 40
min
2.
Golden
(IUP)
3.
Martin
(IUP)
4.
Mlynarski (Pitt) /
Eggleston (IUP) @ 40
min
5.
Brown (IUP) /
Mlynarski @ 60 min
6.
Kowatch
(Pitt)
7.
Mahon
(Pitt)
8.
Steinhaus
(IUP)
9.
Recordon
(IUP)
10.
Schmilewske (IUP)
/ McArthy (IUP) @ 40
min
11.
Moore
(Chippendales)
12.
McHenry
(Pitt)
13.
Wilk
(Pitt)
14.
Bagatti
(Pitt)
15.
Marker
(IUP)
| 
