索科罗,N.M. – 威尼斯人app下载’s Men’s Rugby Team won the 2017-2018 Rio Grande Rugby Football Union Collegiate Championship before a home crowd on Saturday, April 21, beating rival 新墨西哥大学，20-17. 

“The boys were focused from the kickoff,” said NMT Captain and senior inside center 坦纳·格雷厄姆赛后报道.  “We were disciplined in defense – everyone doing his job and supporting his teammates in attack.” 

While both teams are members of the Rio Grande R.F.U.在美国，新墨西哥大学也参加了洛基比赛 Mountain Division of USA Rugby’s D1A National College competition. NMT仍然存在 independent, largely due to its small student population. 然而，NMT将加入 the National Small College Rugby Organization next fall, which provides a pathway for national competition for small colleges.

NMT was hungry for the win after UNM had handed NMT its first and only conference 失去了二月份的季节. 

“The boys had enjoyed an unbeaten streak since August the previous year.  但是在我们 first meeting with the Lobos back in February, we lost our discipline for about 15 minutes, and the Lobos made us pay,” coach Brent Nourse said.  “在冠军赛上 tournament, we knew what we had to do, we had a very specific plan for the 匹配, 男孩们被处决了.”

Earlier in the day, both NMT and UNM enjoyed victories over the third and fourth seeded schools; University of Texas El Paso and New Mexico State University, respectively, with 匹配es on the day shortened to 25 minute halves. 新密西根州立大学赢得了季军比赛 在艾尔伯索对.

Heading into the finals, NMT was missing its starting winger, Essiel “E.Z.“卡拉斯科, a potent attacking and defensive force on Tech’s right wing. 

“失去E.Z. 有问题，”诺斯说. “We like to set up in the middle and attack the wings, and he is a big part of that attack.”

NMT was forced to make adjustments to its backline, placing Sean Reed on the wing 奈杰尔·鲁克豪斯排在第1位. 10. 

“I was confident, however, that the boys would fill the gaps nicely and trust the 诺斯说.  他们做到了.

(Pictured at right: NMT Winger Sean Reed tackles a UNM player.  NMT的强硬防御 是科技公司胜利的关键.)

Although a ball handling error by NMT from the kickoff led to a UNM scrum on NMT’s 22 in the first minute of the 匹配, NMT were otherwise the aggressor and playing 从一开始就用前脚.  Notwithstanding the loss of Carrasco, NMT went about its business, setting in the middle with pods and attacking the wings. 

And their efforts were rewarded mid-way through the first half with two well-worked tries; the first by No. 9 Logan Blake picking from the back of a ruck just outside the UNM try-zone, and the second by Reed finishing off a movement to the left wing. 两个尝试都没有转换.

Momentum in the 匹配 turned just before half time, though, following a dangerous tackle by NMT winger Zach Lepper, which resulted in a yellow card.  UNM按下了 advantage, scoring a nicely crafted try in the left corner just before halftime.  After UNM converted the try, NMT held a 10-7 lead.

The second half started just as the first half ended, with UNM continuing to take 14人NMT队的优势.  Shortly into the second half, UNM took the lead, again stretching the NMT defensive line, allowing UNM’s fullback to cut through a gap on the right wing for UNM’s second try.   

NMT regained momentum five minutes later. Following the end of NMT’s yellow card suspension, NMT重新控制了比赛.  NMT was able to maintain possession and attack within UNM’s 22 for several minutes before Graham committed two UNM defenders and made a nifty offload to lock Everson Cruz for NMT’s third try of the 匹配.  Flyhalf Nigel Ruckhaus converted the try placing NMT back in the lead 17-12.

然而，新墨西哥州还没有结束. Once again, UNM exposed NMT on the right wing, bringing the score level at 17 with about 10 minutes left in the 匹配. 

“After the try, we knew Nigel could convert a penalty if provided the opportunity.  We made the decision to keep the ball near the middle of the pitch to give him one,” 布莱克说.

With only a few minutes left, NMT was awarded a penalty, and Ruckhaus converted, placing NMT以20比17领先. 

Although UNM fought hard in the last minutes of 匹配 following NMT’s penalty conversion, Lobos的时间不多了. 

“What a game,” UNM head coach Tom Goslau said.  “We definitely entertained the spectators 用这个!” 

After the 匹配, Graham lauded UNM as well as his team.  “我们忍受了一波又一波的攻击 来自经验丰富的新墨西哥大学团队，”他说.  “But even when UNM took the lead, we were able 镇定下来，保持头脑清醒. Many guys stepped up their level of play for this one, including Man-of-the-Match [NMT No. [8]塔迪奥·埃雷拉，他意志坚定 跑动和防守是关键.”

NMT rugby alumnus and current professor Taylor Dotson saw the win as a sign of things to come, stating, “Tech’s win was gritty and physical, earned through aggressive line 刹车和智能卸载.  The result is a hopeful sign of future success as Tech joins national-level competition next year.”

- NMT -