MOUNT VERNON, NY – The Siena University men's rugby team traveled to Mount Vernon this past weekend to compete in the highly anticipated NCR National Qualifier, hosted by Old Blue Rugby. Facing off against top-tier regional programs, the Saints finished the day with a 2-1 record in pool play, proving they are a formidable force on the 7s circuit.
Match 1: Siena 14, Columbia 12
The Saints opened the morning by shaking off the early-tournament jitters in a tightly contested battle against the Columbia University Lions.
Harry Ryder opened the scoring five minutes in, taking a feed from
Jack Burns and outracing the defense for a converted try. Columbia answered back as time expired in the half, knotting the score at 7-7.
In the second half, Ryder struck again, breaking the defensive line for a massive 50-meter sprint to the end zone. A successful conversion by
Luca Holloway put the Saints up 14-7. Despite a late corner try by Columbia, the missed conversion allowed Siena to escape with a 14-12 victory.
Match 2: Siena 47, Nazareth 0
In a rematch from the Monumental 7s, Siena left no doubt about their dominance. The Saints' offense exploded early, with
Anthony Guarino offloading to a charging
Luca Holloway for a try just 90 seconds into the match.
The first-half onslaught continued with tries from
Jack Burns, Holloway, and
Ian Dobbins, giving Siena a commanding 26-0 lead at the break. The intensity didn't fade in the second half;
Harry Ryder contributed a stunning 95-meter score, while Holloway added two more long-distance tries (40m and 90m) to finalize a 47-0 shutout.
Match 3: Southern Virginia 22, Siena 12
The final pool match served as a de facto elimination round for the semifinals. Southern Virginia University (SVU), coming off two massive shutouts, jumped to an early 17-0 lead by halftime.
However, the Saints refused to go quietly. Following key halftime adjustments,
Luca Holloway found the try zone just 30 seconds into the second half. Minutes later,
Preston Frazier capitalized on an assisted try to pull the Saints within five points at 17-12. Siena maintained relentless pressure, but two scoring opportunities narrowly missed the mark. A late turnover allowed SVU to secure an insurance try, ending the match at 22-12.
Tournament Outlook
While the Saints narrowly missed the semifinals, their performance was validated by the caliber of their competition; SVU went on to win the tournament, defeating Kutztown in the semis and St. Bonaventure in the final.
Siena returns to the pitch on
April 11 at the Fairfield 7s.
Tournament Scoring Summary
