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OSU's rugby team lost majority of their team from last year but still climbed their way to the Regional title game this season, losing 29-5 to Utah on Saturday at Peavy Field

Rugby falls to Utah in Regional final

OSU beats Chico State in dramatic fashion Friday but falls one win short of nationals

By: Thomas De Vicq

Posted: 4/9/07

The Utah Utes claimed a spot in the NCAA Rugby Sweet 16 over the weekend, emerging victorious out of a field of four teams, which included Oregon State, Chico State and Washington State.

The teams played each other in four matches, with two each on Friday and Saturday at Peavy Field on OSU's campus.

Utah, ranked fifth in the nation, humbled Washington State in the afternoon game on Friday, 50-8. Preceding their contest, the Beavers pulled out a phenomenal comeback triumph over the Wildcats of Chico State, 34-33.

The Beavers came out fired up and aggressive against the Wildcats, opening up a quick 10-0 lead in the first 16 minutes of play. Chico State stormed back though, taking a 12-10 lead off a couple of flashy runs that cut through the Beaver defense. The teams traded scores before the half with Chico State in the lead at 19-17 during the break.

During the brief intermission, coach Duffin McShane implored the Beavers to start tackling better.

His players took the advice to heart, and in the second half, OSU's defense responded with freshman Ryan Hansen and senior Chase McQuillen making several game-saving open field tackles. The Beavers battled hard and traded the lead back and forth with the Wildcats until Chico State scored its final points with under four minutes to play to take a 33-27 lead.

However, OSU maintained its poise and marched down the field, finally crossing over the line to score on the game's final play, with time already expired. The kick by McQuillen sealed the win, but not before a Wildcat player came within a hair's breadth of blocking it.

Chico State was unable to recover from the loss and fell to a resurgent Washington State team, 62-5, in the tournament's consolation game early Saturday morning.

The tournament's championship match later in the afternoon was a highly physical affair that saw two Beaver players injured and hospital-bound. Senior Nate Rogers left with a pinched nerve in his neck and Hansen with a possible broken ankle.

After a strong defensive showing by both clubs to start the match, Utah took control with a flurry, scoring 15 points in a five-minute span to knock the Beavers on their heels. The Utes added one more score to go into halftime up 24-0.

During the second half, both defenses knuckled down, with Utah coming up with several defensive stands while backed deep into their own territory.

Throughout the match, however, the Beavers' effort never waned. As the team did in its previous match the day before, OSU made it over the goal line on the final play of the game, with the clock already expired. McQuillen's kick was wide right, but this time the game and season were no longer on the line, and the final score stood at 29-5 in favor of Utah.

McShane was proud of his players' efforts.

"We showed a lot of character by not giving up, especially against Chico," McShane said.

McQuillen, a graduate student in the MBA program, agrees and has seen that character build up over the year.

"Earlier in the season, and even last year, we sometimes didn't have the will to win," McQuillen. "We did better than I ever imagined."

As one of only five seniors - who have now used up their eligibility - along with 18 freshmen on the team, McQuillen initially thought this might be a rebuilding year.

"We lost 80 percent of our guys from last year and pretty much had a whole new team," McQuillen said. "I'm extremely proud of our guys."

One area McShane would like to see improvement in is the strength and stamina of his players, which is why conditioning and strength training for next season begin in three weeks.

Noting that his team acquired a number of freshmen this year and has been receiving calls from interested high school seniors, McShane is already looking toward next season. "The youth of the program is the future, and it looks bright for us," McShane said.