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Rugby Cats Claim 2nd in Midwest Tournament

By Joe Ginley, 05/08/17, 10:45AM EDT

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Sans seniors, the Wildcats performed well.

As the squad's seniors enjoyed Prom weekend, the young Rugby Cats worked hard over the weekend at the Midwest Tournament.

Without many of the team's playmakers, the Saint Ignatius rugby squad still managed to win two contests and nearly defeat Penn in the third match, claiming second place.

The Wildcats, led by veteran Head Coach Dan Arbeznik '00, advanced to 15-2 on the year with the 2-1 effort in Elkhart, Indiana this weekend. The No. 1 ranked Wildcats hoped to win the tournament, but a pair of wins will still boost the team's confidence heading into the stretch run. 

The tournament began with a noon matchup against Bishop Dwenger on Saturday. The Wildcats came out swinging, as Aidan Gill powered it into the try zone and Andrew Boldy nailed the conversion for an early 7-0 lead.

A 50-yard dash for a try by Alex Chura extended the lead to 12. The Wildcats doubled the lead to 24 by the end of the first, thanks to tries by Nick Zolikoff and Michael Fitzgerald and a conversion by Boldy. 

Zolikoff scored once again at the start of the second, placing the contest fully out of reach. The Wildcats scored one more time on a nice pass from Chura to Chris Harrington, and a Boldy conversion made the score 36-0. 

Bishop Dwenger tallied a pair of tries, but Zolikoff responded with his third try of the day, and a Boldy conversion finalized the score at 43-10.

After a brief respite, the Wildcats returned to the pitch at 4 p.m. for a showdown with La Salette. 

La Salette struck first with a try and conversion, but the lead did not last too long. Chura and Harrington each touched down a try after inspiring runs, granting the Wildcats a 10-7 lead that stood through halftime. 

The powerful Wildcats used their strength to pound the ball into the try zone early in the second half, as Juan Pen touched down his first try of the weekend. Boldy's conversion made it a 10-point game. 

Not long after, the pack drove it in for another try and Boldy perfected the conversion. La Salette quickly responded with a try and conversion, but could not complete the comeback. The Wildcats stood strong for a 24-14 victory, clinching a spot in the championship. 

The Single School Midwest Championship pitted the Wildcats against a familiar foe – Penn. The two teams faced off earlier in the year, with the Wildcats emerging with the win. 

This time, on neutral turf, Penn started out hot. The opponents scored two tries and a conversion before the Wildcats could get on the board. Pen touched it down to narrow the deficit to 12-5.

Penn then responded in kind with a pair of tries, sending the Wildcats into the break with a 22-5 deficit. 

The Rugby Cats adjusted in the second, keeping Penn off the board. Boldy kicked for points off a Penn penalty, slimming the margin to 22-8. The Wildcats' pack pushed it in for a try, bringing the score to 22-13. 

Try as the Wildcats might, they could not overcome the 9-point deficit, as Penn claimed the Midwest title.

Following the close loss, the Wildcats will prep for the end of the season. The Rugby Cats close out the regular season with a home match against Avon on Wednesday and a home contest versus Archbishop Moeller on Saturday. 

Then, the Rugby Ohio playoffs begin. Stay tuned for updates on the bracket and schedule.