Men's Rugby strikes in stoppage time to stun Fordham

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - It was a defensive struggle right down to the last moments, but the American International College men's rugby team scored the winning try in stoppage time to shock Fordham University 13-11 on Saturday, September 16.

AIC is now 2-0 on the season.

Kicking was the name of the game in the first half, as both teams only scored on penalty kicks. German Rossi notched the opening score, and Fordham took three cracks at the uprights but only struck true once, leaving the contest tied at the half just 3-3. This was despite both teams ending up inside of five yards of the try line for significant portions of the first 40 minutes; AIC weathered a strong push early on from the Rams, and the Yellow Jackets themselves drove down to the very cusp only to lose the ball to a knock-on.

In the second half, both teams finally broke through early. Tyler Cathers put a try down in the fourth minute of the half, only to have the Rams retort nearly immediately on a great run to the left side. The expectation that the offenses would take over never happened, however, as the defenses once again settled in.

Down the stretch, the Rams drew another penalty and kicked, scoring three go-ahead points with barely four minutes to play. The Yellow Jackets were in desperation mode, and as the clock hit 40:00, they still trailed. The referee indicated a few minutes of stoppage time, and on the last push of the game out of a scrum, AIC found magic. Liam Collins was able to break over the line and put the ball down, scoring the winning try on what proved to be the final play of the game, giving the Yellow Jackets an incredible victory.

The team next hits the road on Saturday, September 30 to face Dartmouth College, with a noon kickoff.