The Bowdoin Men's Rugby Team will look for a big win against one of the top teams in New England on Saturday. The team will host a University of New Hampshire team that is 3-1 on the season and currently sits at the fourth spot in the table.
"There is no question: We want a win this weekend," said senior co-captain Mark Fuller. "We want to beat a very good team to show the rest of the league what we're really capable of."
The team is optimistic about its chances against UNH. "When we play as a team, we can beat just about anyone in our league," said co-captain Ryan Devenyi '08. "If we focus and concentrate on our fundamentals I think we can surprise some people and win on Saturday."
A win on Saturday would go a long way toward erasing any bad memories from a somewhat disappointing season. A win for Bowdoin (1-3) would certainly be an upset as UNH was recently relegated to Division II from Division I and will play in Brunswick for the first time in Bowdoin rugby history.
Last weekend the Polar Bears suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of rival Bates, with a score of 22-17. Bowdoin started sluggishly but came close to tying the match in the waning seconds after a furious charge, but came up just short.
Head Coach Rick Scala cited strong play from the Polar Bear pack as encouraging. "The forwards all played very well and deserve a lot of credit. Junior prop Jeremy Bernfeld played his best game as a Bowdoin rugger and I really think the entire scrum has improved since our first game."
Paul Dwyer '08, Devenyi, and Charlie Ash '09 scored for Bowdoin in the loss.
The Polar Bears will play at home against UNH on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.