CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Davenport men's rugby team went on the road this past weekend making the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to face the St. Thomas University Bobcats. A neutral site for both teams, the two teams faced off for the first time since the Challenger's Cup this last spring. A rematch of the semifinal game that knocked out the Bobcats.
 

The game opened up with a St. Thomas try. After an unsuccessful kick for touch from Davenport, St.Thomas found themselves within 10 meters of the try line, and within the next three minutes they would cross the line. After a failed kick for points the score would go to 5-0 in favor of the Bobcats.
 

Within minutes, Davenport would strike back sending flanker Max Goethals over the line, off the back of a successful maul 10 meters out. The score moved to 5-5 after an unsuccessful conversion. Minutes later, center Joe Bennie would put up another try for Davenport. He received the assist from his counterpart Graham Wynne after a huge line break and an offload. The score would turn to 10-5 in favor of the Panthers.
 

The back-and-forth battle would continue with St. Thomas answering back immediately. Scoring in the corner and making the kick at posts they would pull ahead again bringing the score to 13-10. Dawson Hovingh answered back, creating a huge line-break from the middle of the field he would connect with scrumhalf James Pearson, who would pass it back inside and put Hovingh across the line. After a successful kick from fullback Mateo Rolon, Davenport regained the lead at 17-13.
 

After a 15-meter maul from the forwards the backline would put together another scoring phase, getting the ball back into Wynne's hands he would find wing Thango Mgidlana at the end of his pass who would beat two defenders and take the Panthers the final 20 meters to the try line. Rolon would slot another conversion and Davenport would widen the gap at 24-13.
 

Before ending the half, Rolon slotted another conversion right after a scrum penalty in favor of the Panthers. They would go into the half with a 27-13 lead over the Bobcats. Immediately after the first kickoff of the half, Rolon found another opportunity to kick for points. The results of Wynne's work once again with a successful turnover in the opponents side of the field. The lead continued making the score 30-13.

The Bobcats answered back moments later with a try and kick themselves, moving the score to 30-20. Rolon would slot another kick from 40 meters out to extend the lead to 10 for the Panthers. St. Thomas would go on to score one last try before the end of the game making the final score of the game 33-25. The Panthers stay undefeated as they start conference games this coming week, playing McKendree University on Friday, October 9 at 10 AM from Pappas Stadium.