Oxy Rugby Blackshirts Win Doherty Cup, Beat Rival Loyola-Marymount
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 13, 2009) - On a brisk Friday night and with the sidelines packed with fans the Occidental Rugby Blackshirts defeated rival Loyola-Marymount 35 -11 to win the Doherty Cup for the first time in a decade.
The result of the match was never in question, as Oxy scored two early tries to go up 12-0 in the first ten minutes. The Oxy pack was dominant all night, overpowering LMU in the scrums and securing ball in the rucks. With fifteen minutes gone in the first half, LMU took advantage of an Oxy penalty close to their try line to slot in a penalty kick - an early sign of respect from an experienced LMU side. Towards the end of the first half, Oxy seemed to tire as LMU mounted a fierce attack in Oxy territory. But Oxy proved resilient, keeping LMU out of the try zone except for a last minute break that was taken out the back by the LMU wing. Halftime score: Oxy 12 - LMU 3.
The second half would go all Occidental's way, as the pack continued to provide fantastic support which set up some big runs by the backs. Oxy was steady in defence, allowing only a few line breaks and, aside from one defensive lapse, kept LMU out of the try zone the entire second half. Tries by seniors Rosny Daniel, Brett Henderson, and Alex Ochoa sealed the victory for the Blackshirts, who ended the match with Henderson bowling over two LMU forwards for a try.
After the match, the Doherty Cup was presented to the Blackshirts, along with its $250 prize. Man of the match awards went to Rosny Daniel. The Doherty Cup was established with the passing of an LMU rugger whose family set up the fund in his memory. The Occidental College v. Loyola Marymount match is the longest consecutively played collegiate rugby match west of the Mississippi and has been played for over 40 years. With the win, Occidental improves to 3-0 on the season.
The Blackshirts' next match is Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1pm on Patterson Field against UC Riverside.
Tries - Ochoa, Alex (2); Bighorse, Keeya (1); Daniel, Rosny (1); Henderson, Brett (1).
Conversions - Daniel, Rosny (3)
Starting Lineup:
1. Johnny Ni (Brandwein) 2. Rosny Daniel 3. Brett Henderson 4. Ian Boehme 5. Drew Hanson 6. Jonathan Fox 7. Nick Harrell 8. Alex Ochoa 9. Samuel Buckley (Gunn) 10. Ryan Serrano 11. Mitchell Grummon (Woodside) 12. Leon Siegel (Ahlo) 13. Keeya Bighorse 14. Javier Avalos (Landman) 15. Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz
Oxy Rugby welcomes new players year round and practices Tuesday and Thursday 7:00-8:30pm and Sunday 1:00-3:00pm on Patterson Field. For additional information contact Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz at 415-420-0793 or pcosulich@oxy.edu.
Alumni and supporters who wish to donate to the club may do so at https://www.applyweb.com/public/contribute?s=oxygift. Please make sure to specify that your gift should go directly to Oxy Men's Rugby. Thanks!
