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Davenport University Athletics

DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY PANTHERS
MRugby Final
Brandon Petryszyn

Men's Rugby Savanna Disbrow, Assistant Manager of Athletic Communications

Panthers Fall to No. 9 Mount St. Mary’s

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Davenport opened the match under heavy pressure, giving away an early offside penalty that No. 9 Mount St. Mary's slotted for the first points of the day. Still struggling to find rhythm, DU was penalized again after a short ball from Joe Bennie and slow support at the breakdown, offering the Mount another chance to build momentum. Choosing the corner over the posts, Mount St. Mary's drove a maul that was stopped initially, but continued discipline issues allowed the hosts to stay on the front foot.

DU's first breakthrough came from a dominant scrum that won a key penalty and cleared their lines. The spark was short-lived, though, as a knock-on from the following lineout gave possession right back. The Mount quickly capitalized, using a precise 50/22 to set the platform for a powerful maul try, which they converted. Set-piece struggles piled up for Davenport with an overthrown lineout and more handling errors, while Mount St. Mary's stayed clinical and added another converted try. Another 50/22 pinned the Panthers deep, and although a long-range penalty attempt went wide, the Mount regrouped immediately, breaking through from a tapped penalty for a third converted score.

Both sides saw yellow cards in a physical first half, but Mount St. Mary's continued to dominate through their rolling maul. They crossed again in the corner to close the period, missing the conversion but carrying a commanding 29-0 lead into the break.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Davenport looked to shift momentum. A penalty earned by Bennie gave the Panthers territory, but another miscue at the lineout shut the door on the chance. Short spells of possession showed promise, yet too often ended in handling errors or held-up carries. Mount's discipline wavered as they went down to 14 men, but DU was soon reduced to 14 as well. Still, a sharp snipe from Xijon at the ruck finally put Davenport on the board, with the conversion good.

The Panthers built confidence late, and their persistence was rewarded when Caleb Bott pounced on a loose ball to add another converted try. Despite their improved second-half showing, the early damage proved too much to recover. No. 9 Mount St. Mary's closed out the contest 29-14, using precision and physicality to stay in control, while Davenport left with positives to build on from their late push.
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Players Mentioned

Joe Bennie

Joe Bennie

Back
6' 3"
Sophomore
Caleb Bott

Caleb Bott

Flanker
5' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Joe Bennie

Joe Bennie

6' 3"
Sophomore
Back
Caleb Bott

Caleb Bott

5' 11"
Freshman
Flanker