PITTSBURGH CLASSIC 2008

Mens team wins Bowl
A big roar could be heard rolling round the hills of Pittsburgh this weekend, as the sound of a final whistle was drowned by loud cheers. Tired limbs nor shortage of breath could stop the victorious Black Rose rugby team from celebrating their first place finish in this years Pittsbrugh Classic. The ONU team was the dominant force in the Bowl leg of the tournament, outscoring their competition by 113 to 6 over the course of three games.

Two comprehensive wins in the pool-stages, against Slippery Rock's B-side and Pittsburgh State, set up a final against Cleveland State. Both teams took the field full of confidence, as they both had a perfect 2-0 record for the day. From the start of the game the Black Rose men pressured their counterparts from Cleveland. The pack bullied their opposition at the breakdown and the backs whipped out a flawless display of free flowing rugby. Reed Kalna and Cason White had a major part in the final score, as they scored the majority of the five tries in the final. Rookies Ray Kus and Joshua Cain both deserve a mention here, for they celebrated their first tries in the orange and black of ONU during the course of the tournament. After a well fought match the score board, or at least the little piece of paper in the ref's pocket, read 36 to 0. A perfect rugby weekend was capped of with a perfect effort in defense...and a big roar.

Ladies team struggles
Going into a tournament with a team that is short of players and experience is a daunting task, whatever the sport. The Black Rose woman however, did what true rugby players do in such adverse circumstances: they held their heads up high and played hard. With some hired help they faced Washington&Jefferson College and Juniata College. Both matches ended in a loss on the scoreboard, but they were a tremendous gain in experience for the team mostly made up of rookies.

The hard work in defense in the first two matches took its toll on the bodies of the ladies team. The consolation match for the 3rd place had to be forfeited, but only after three of the ONU women had to leave the game injured. The coming weekend the ladies will have a chance to redeem themselves on their home field, during the yearly Toilet Bowl tournament.