Men’s rugby shut out Weber State in season opener
A UVU Rugby player is lifted up by teammates during their game against Weber State. Courtesy of Loke Yuzon
The men’s rugby team started their season Sept. 18 with a strong win over Weber State, shutting out the Wildcats by a score of 38-0.
Both teams were dominant on defense during the first half, keeping the ball out of either goal.
“The team seemed to have butterflies,” said Coach Josh Cooper regarding the first half. “There was too much individual play.”
They settled down at halftime and quickly made their way into the goal early in the second half.
Tyler Jones capped a determined drive with a short try to put the Wolverines up 5-0, aided by two offside calls on the Wildcats near their goal.
After the first Wolverine score, the Wildcats defense began to break down as the Wolverines tightened up their play.
A few minutes later, Joe Carnation attempted a kick through the goal posts, intentionally kicking the ball short and wide of the post. Dan Otteson caught the Wildcats flat-footed, running into the goal to score UVU’s second try.
The Wolverines went on to score four more tries before the game ended, with Johnny Schumacher, Robert Jenny, Miles Sage and Mo Mitani scoring one apiece.
Mitani made an impressive 15-yard run, forcing his way through four Wildcats before putting the team up 17-0.
Carnation completed 4 of 6 conversion kicks, scoring eight of the club’s 38 points.
Men’s rugby will be playing BYU-Idaho this Saturday, Oct. 2. The game is at home on the education building field, kicking off at 1:00 p.m.