STEUBENVILLE, OHIO- Franciscan University faced Robert Morris University for the Three Rivers Rugby conference title, winning 20-17 on a last minute kick to break a 17-17 tie.
The Barons stepped out to play Robert Morris for the second time, having won against them during the regular season 46-12. Despite the previously uneven result, RMU was prepared to take on the undefeated number one seed. Inclement weather changed the game's pace for both teams, but Franciscan committed to the fundamental rugby skills they could rely on in order to pull through.
The match started with a try from Franciscan and no conversion. RMU followed up with a try and conversion, bringing the score to 5-7 and taking the lead from the Barons for the first time this season. The match remained neck and neck throughout, with RMU answering every Franciscan score.
With one minute left in the match and the score at 17-17, FUS drew a penalty directly outside RMU's try zone. Senior Tom Allen was subbed in for a penalty kick, and put it through the uprights, bringing in 3 more points for Franciscan. The Barons held onto the lead to finish out the game with a score of 20-17.
"It was such a nail biter," head coach Ken DeLucia said. "Everyone in the stands kept on saying that it was one of the best games they had ever seen - just so tight and so close. It had everything you want in a match."
Even with the score being tighter than any other conference game this season, and the rainy and cold weather leading to a lot of ball handling errors, Franciscan remained focused. The were dominant in the scrums, broke long runs, and were strong on lineouts.
"They stayed the course with the pattern of play," DeLucia said. "They focused back to fundamentals and put all the fancy stuff back on the shelf. That pulled us through."
Stand out players from the championship match included senior captain Adam Smyth and sophomore Clayton Lang. Senior captain Bob McClelland earned Man of the Match for his steadiness and leadership throughout the challenging game.
"I think this game was the best thing for us," McLelland said. "Having a close match where we had to throw out everything was exactly what we needed. RMU wanted it almost as much as we wanted it. Every time they scored we gathered ourselves, took a deep breath, picked ourselves up and got ready to hit them back even harder."
McLelland said experiencing this sort of intense game and getting a solid win against a tough team will act as a springboard for the Barons in the face of stiffer competition at Regionals. In two weeks, Franciscan will face three other conference winners in the region tournament that will provide on team with a spot in the National Championship Tournament in the spring.
"Everybody feels really positive moving forward," DeLucia said. "This is exactly what we worked for. Our goal was to win the conference and go onto Nationals. All the hard work that started in August is paying off and now we have to win the first game of regionals."
