Men's Rugby blows past Syracuse

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – On a muggy Friday evening at Ronald J. Abdow Field, the American International College men's rugby team got back into the win column with a dominant showing in a 55-5 Liberty Rugby Conference victory over Syracuse University on Friday, October 6.

AIC improves to 3-2 with the win. 

The first half was all Yellow Jackets, and the team scored its first try just 40 seconds in. Filimone Manu completed an excellent run up the left wing to put in the try. Ten minutes later, Afa Sanft made it 10-0 as the Yellow Jackets stole a scrum from Syracuse right near the goal line.

Jayden Renehan then touched down to finish a great sequence in the 20th minute, and German Rossi's conversion put the Yellow Jackets head 17-0. Manu scored the final try of the half late; it was a penalty try as he was tackled high from behind just shy of the try line.

AIC also got on the scoreboard first in the second half of play with K.K. Kaminanga notching the first try after 15 minutes of back-and-forth action and Rossi converting; the try was scored while AIC was shorthanded from a yellow card.

Two minutes later, Syracuse marched down the field and scored, with Brady Thompson putting home the try and conversion. However, that was it for the Orange offense on the day.

AIC scored four more times in the final 20 minutes, with Manu completing the hat trick by running a kick brilliantly up the left sideline, Rossi scoring a try on an interception, and Tomas McDonough and Augusto Arguello each putting the ball down in the try zone; Rossi converted two of the three kicks he took as well for the 55-5 final.

The Yellow Jackets will next honor their seniors prior to kicking off their match with Harvard University on Friday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m.