Make that another trophy for Christendom’s men’s rugby team. The Crusaders held off a tough VMI team to win the Cardinals Conference Championship over the weekend, setting them up for a shot at the National Collegiate Rugby 15s regional playoffs in the coming weeks.
Christendom showed resiliency over the course of their 15s season, overcoming an 0-3 start to finish the season with a 3-4 record. With classic underdog energy, the Crusaders found their rhythm near the end of the season and hit the Cardinals Conference Championship as the team to watch. First up: a showdown with Washington & Lee.
From the get-go, it was clear Christendom came to dominate. The Crusaders racked up a hefty 24 points in the first half, shutting down Washington & Lee in the process. With tries from Chris Santschi, Jimmy Coffey, Luke Ethridge, and Jude Burkett, they looked unstoppable. And while Washington & Lee managed to break through in the second half, Ethridge and Santschi piled on a few more points before Geoff Scrivener and William Kolesar sealed the game with a 48-14 victory.
Then came game two against Hampden-Sydney, a team Christendom had already trounced a few weeks prior. Hampden-Sydney jumped out with an early try, but Christendom was not having it. Tries from Frank Woltering, Fionn Bauer, and Ben O’Brien quickly flipped the script, putting them up 17-7 by halftime. The second half saw more of the same, with Christendom outmuscling Hampden-Sydney’s defense. Foeckler, Burkett, and Coffey all crossed the try line, closing out a solid 48-19 win and punching Christendom’s ticket to the Championship Game.
On Sunday, the team arrived at the field to take on rival VMI for the championship. Christendom narrowly lost to them by one point earlier in the season and was eager to bounce back. VMI struck first, but Christendom was not backing down, responding minutes later with a try by Burkett. Mark Patryn and Foeckler managed to score two more tries soon after, giving Christendom a 19-7 lead. VMI fought back with two tries before Santschi added a penalty kick, making it a tight 22-17 game at the half.
The second half is where both teams dug in, battling between the 22’s for most of the final 30 minutes before swapping penalty kicks near the end of the match. Christendom held on, however, for a 25-20 victory, delivering them the Cardinals Conference Championship.
Christendom rugby will next compete in a play-in game next weekend against Susquehanna, which will determine if they advance to the National Collegiate Rugby 15s regional playoffs the following weekend.
For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.