Club Division II Collegiate Squad
Northwestern kicked off early against the visiting DePaul University at Long Field on Saturday. The Wildcats quickly took advantage of their speedy backs when fullback James Walsh opened up the scoring in the 8th minute. Northwestern's offense attempted to continue the momentum, but some sloppy ball handling prevented further tries until inside center Brendan Flannery capped off a 30m run with a try below the posts in at the 22 minute mark. Play continued in the Wildcat's favor as the half progressed with some stellar defensive plays, stopping DePaul on a series of 5m scrums put into position with the boot of their #14. Scoring finished with a try by flyhalf Matt Boucher 26 minutes and a Walsh's second try in the 35 minute. Score at halftime: NU 22, DePaul 0.
The second half saw a quick penalty kick by Walsh (2 from 8 conversions, 1 from 2 penalties, 17 points total) in the 50th minute. The 'Cats took advantage of outstanding forward play, wheeling several DePaul scrums, stealing rucks and winning nearly every lineout thrown by either team and converted those turnovers into a slew of points from replacement winger Paul Chiarappa, 62nd minute, flanker John Siegfried, 66th minute, and prop replacement Elliott Wallace in the 73rd minute. A balanced Wildcat attack saw scoring from the backs and forwards alike and prepares the way for NU's "Northside Cup" rivalry match at Loyola University on October 17th. Final score: NU 44, DePaul 0.
B-side action brought a 40 minute half of play from NU's reserves coming off of a 36-0 win over U Chicago on October 3rd. Again, through balanced attacks and phase play NU was able to run the ball in for 2 tries from wings Cyrus Turner and Kevin Wang before the whistle blew. An unfortunate breakdown lead to a series of penalties to DePaul allowing them a try of their own. Freshmen Jamie Hooker, Matt Trainor and Luke Lopatka should also be recognized for their contributions and flawless play on the field against a DePaul team that was consisted of mostly A-side players. The future of Wildcat Rugby is bright certainly bright and the B-side hopes to maintain its undefeated streak in coming weekends. Final score: NU 12, DePaul 5.
Game MVP: Dale Flint