Christendom Rugby is back. The Crusaders returned to the pitch on Saturday to take on Franciscan University of Steubenville in the annual Shield Match, defeating the Barons in a 37-34 thriller. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team picked up their first three wins of the season, including in a rousing home opener on Tuesday, the women’s soccer team remained undefeated with a crushing defeat of Penn State Beaver, and the women’s volleyball team went 1-2 in the USCAA Penn State Beaver Tournament.
Coming off a successful 2022-23 season, including an undefeated rugby 15s regular season and a trip to the Collegiate Rugby Championship in the spring, the men’s rugby team entered Saturday ranked #8 in the nation by National Collegiate Rugby. The Shield Match served as the team’s preseason game, but nothing about the game felt like an exhibition match. From the start, both teams went on the attack, with Franciscan taking an early 5-0 lead before Christendom tied it minutes later on a try from Andrew Mead. Both teams traded blows the rest of the first half, with John Kennedy scoring twice and Chris Santschi scoring as well. At the end of the first half, Christendom held the slightest of leads, 22-20.
At the start of the second half, Christendom began to pull away, with Hugh Wingate, Frank Woltering, and Mead scoring again to bring the score to 37-20. With ten minutes left in the game, Franciscan began to push back, however, scoring a try to bring the score to 37-27. With five minutes left, they scored again to bring the score to 37-34. Holding onto the razor-thin lead, Christendom’s defense fought back Franciscan’s surging offense, ultimately hanging on for a 37-34 Shield Match victory.
The team will next play Emory and Henry on the road on Saturday, September 9, in their official season opener.
Isaias Odiatu helped lead Christendom to three straight victories in the past week, scoring 4 goals in the three games.
Meanwhile, on the road, the men’s soccer team looked to bounce back from back-to-back losses to start their season, traveling up to Penn State Mont Alto for the Labor Day Classic. Taking on Penn State York in the first game, Christendom started strong, scoring the first goal of the game on a kick from Michael Townsend, before Penn State York tied the game 1-1 late in the second half. With only ten minutes remaining, Isaias Odiatu scored again for Christendom, giving them a 2-1 lead and, ultimately, their first win of the season.
Riding on the momentum from the first game, Christendom entered their second game against Penn State Mont Alto eager for a second victory. The Nittany Lions came out strong, however, grabbing a 2-0 lead to close out the first half. At the start of the second half, Christendom immediately came on the attack, with Odiatu scoring to cut the lead in half. Undeterred, the Nittany Lions scored again to raise their lead to 3-1 and held that until late in the second half. With only ten minutes remaining once again, Christendom’s offense came alive, with Aidan Oakley and Sean Corcoran both scoring to tie the game. With only a few minutes left, Townsend scored again to secure the lead — and another Christendom win.
On Tuesday, the team returned home for their season opener against Patrick Henry College, with the offensive onslaught beginning early. The team ultimately won 8-0, with Townsend, Odiatu, and Corcoran all scoring twice, and Ryan Welch and John Hand both picking up goals as well.
The team now stands at 3-2 on the season, with their next game coming at home against Berkeley-NJ on Friday, September 8.
Collette O’Reilly charges down the field in Christendom’s 10-0 win over Penn State Beaver.
Also at home, the women’s soccer team continued their early season domination, taking on — and defeating — Penn State Beaver 10-0. Catherine Thomas scored a hat trick, while Megan Lovar and Theresa Luckey also picked up two goals of their own each. Virginia Stahl, Gracie Russo, and Maria Blank also scored in the Christendom victory. The team now stands at 3-0 on the season, with their next game coming on Saturday, September 9, on the road against Penn State Mont Alto.
Finally, the women’s volleyball team picked up their first win of the season during the Penn State Beaver Tournament, defeating Penn State Du Bois 3-1 in their second game of the tournament. Elizabeth Heisler and Nora Ross led the team in points, scoring 17 and 16 respectively. The team fell in the other two games, dropping their season record to 1-4 thus far. They will next play in their home opener against Regent University on Saturday, September 9.
For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.