FUS Loses Season Opener 50-3

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Franciscan University of Steubenville Baron Rugby team opened up their fall season against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday afternoon. The University of Pittsburgh outplayed the Barons, eventually coming away with a 50-3 win.  With the loss, the Barons fell to 0-1 on the season.

The Barons, who entered this season missing ten of last season's starters, looked shaky and inexperienced in the opening minutes.  However, veteran flanker Tony Gayed remarked that the young team has been making a great deal of progress since the start of practice this season:  "With the amount of inexperience we have on the team, we're looking good for only being in our second week of rugby."

The opening minutes held two tries for the Pitt Panthers, but the Barons found their resolve, holding the Panthers to only 3 more tries in the half, and even kicking for points to end the half with a score of 18-3.

The second half saw several scoring attempts in the Pitt try zone. Effective rucking and ball movement confused the Baron backline as try after try resulted in a score for Pitt. However, the Barons had several high points. The scrums were dominated by the Barons and they wheeled and drove the Panthers all over the field. There were glimpses of greatness as rookies Thomas Kleinshnitz and Matt Strickland weaved and drove from the backline. With the speed and potential of all of the new players, the Barons can only improve.

While the final score of 50-3 may seem disheartening, the Barons left the field with their heads held high. For now, a long week of practice lies ahead of the Barons. Next week, they will go to face the California University of Pennsylvania on September 12 at 1:00 p.m.