Pittsburgh-Johnstown Ruggers Forfeit at Last Minute

STEUBENVILLE — Franciscan University's head rugby coach, Mark Hanrahan, received a phone call early Saturday morning from the coach of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown rugby team. The team was forfeiting the match scheduled for that afternoon due to not enough participants. For the second time this season, the Barons played a friendly intrasquad scrimmage at Memorial Field instead.

Playing in front of a large crowd of parents, students and alumni on campus for the Homecoming Weekend festivities, the Barons split into two teams for the scrimmage. Hanrahan noted that the matchup was probably tighter competition than the scheduled game would have been.

"It was a five-point match today," he said, "and it came down to the last try. This kind of healthy competition is good."

Senior back Mike Storelli stood out to Hanrahan on the pitch today. "He has breakaway speed, he's a threat, and when he's in the open field he's difficult to contain."

The evenly matched contest was especially beneficial for Franciscan as the team gears up to face a difficult and important match next week against Duquesne University.

"We've got a really hard game next week," said Hanrahan. "That game [at Duquesne] will be for the division." If Duquesne wins their match this weekend, both teams will head into the match undefeated and looking for the division title.

The forfeited game brings the Barons record to a perfect 3-0 record, outscoring their opponents 114-10 on the season. The Baron Rugby team faces its final match of the season on Saturday, October 9, at Duquesne University. Scheduled start time is 1 p.m.