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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Davenport Rugby team finished 0-3 of pool play of the USA Rugby Sevens National Tournament. The Panthers dropped their opening match 17-0 to Delaware then fell in a pair of close matches to Lindenwood and San Diego State by scores of 14-12 and 19-14 respectively. Davenport is eliminated from Cup contention but will still play a match Saturday to determine overall tournament standings.
 
The Panthers held possession for the opening minutes of their first match against Delaware but weren't able to touch down a try. Following a turnover deep in the Delaware end, the Blue Hens gained control of the ball and were able to keep the pressure on the Panthers for the remainder of the half.  Delaware finally broke through the Panther defense with seconds remaining in the half. Trailing 5-0 at the half, Davenport wasn't able to get anything going in the second half and Delaware was able to keep pressing scoring two more trys to hand the Panthers a 17-0 loss. Early in the first half, the Panthers lost a key player when Ryan Hargraves dislocated his shoulder trying to make a tackle. He would miss the rest of the tournament.
 
Davenport got off to a better start in their second pool play match against Lindenwood. Nick Glocke picked up a loose ball near midfield and returned it all the way to the try-zone for the score. After Glocke converted the try, the Panthers led 7-0. Lindenwood closed out the first half by scoring two trys in the last minute of play to take a 14-7 lead over the Panthers at the half. In the second half, Michael Houston scored a try but a missed conversion put the Panthers behind by two. Davenport wasn't able to find the try-zone again falling to Lindenwood 14-12.
 
Davenport fell behind early to San Diego State when the Aztecs scored about a minute into the match to put the Panthers behind 7-0. Midway through the first half, Jean Pierre Eloff picked up a loose ball and took it coast to coast for a try and made the conversion to tie the match at 7. And then with about 30 seconds left in the half, Eloff was able to get another steal and take it in for a try. He successfully made the conversion to give the Panthers a 14-7 halftime lead. Just over a minute into the second half, Dominic Bailey received a yellow to prevent a easy SDSU try. But with the Panthers a man-down for two minutes SDSU scored two quick trys to take a 19-14 lead. The Panthers had a chance late in the half to tie the game but weren't able to convert.
 
Davenport finished fourth in the pool at 0-3 while Delaware, San Diego State, and Lindenwood each finished at 2-1. Delaware won the tie breaker and will advance to the Cup Quarterfinals out of Pool F. Davenport will play North Carolina State in the Shield Quarterfinals Saturday at 10:00 AM EST.
 

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