The Bowdoin Men's Rugby Team hopes to make up for a disappointing season and beat hated rival Colby for the second time this year on Saturday. The team will travel to Waterville for a New England Rugby Footbal Union (NERFU) plate match against the Mules.
"It's rare that we get a chance to beat Colby twice," said senior co-captain Mark Fuller, "but we're excited about it. They'll be hungry for a win, so we've got to play with intensity right from the start."
Bowdoin fell to 1-4 on the season after suffering a loss to a tough UNH side, 50-24. The Wildcats scored four tries in the first 10 minutes, leaving the Polar Bear squad stunned in front of their Homecoming fans.
The men in black quickly regrouped and played strong rugby for the next 40 minutes, outscoring UNH 24-10. UNH added two tries in the waning minutes to put the Polar Bears away for good.
"I'm extremely proud of our pack," said Head Coach Rick Scala. "The forwards played as strong a match as any Black pack I've seen. They rucked extremely well."
Scala cited the play of junior prop Jordan Samiljan, who scored his first career try, as particularly strong.
Junior inside center Matt Schweich and first-year center Ben Messerly both played well in the back line for the Polar Bears, said Scala.
The B-side won another close match, this time against UNH. The Bowdoin B-side is 4-1 on the year and has steadily improved.
"The B-side has been a joy to watch," Scala said. "They've improved tremendously, and we're very excited for the future of Bowdoin Rugby."
While a 1-4 regular season for Bowdoin is certainly a disappointment, the team hopes to take some measure of satisfaction in finishing above Colby in the standings by grabbing a road win on Saturday.
"We've had some tough losses," said senior co-captain Ryan Devenyi. "We're a much better team than people think we are, and we're out to prove that against Colby on Saturday."