Army West Point Athletics
Saturday, October 10
Morgantown, WV
1 PM
Army West Point
at
West Virginia
No. 4 Men’s Rugby Travels to West Virginia
October 08, 2015 | Men's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Hitting the road for the second consecutive week, the fourth-ranked Army West Point men's rugby team will travel to Morgantown, W.Va., for a meeting with the Mountaineers of West Virginia.
The Black Knights (4-0), will face off with the Mountaineers (0-2) for the first time in program history. West Virginia joined the Rugby East prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.
HOW TO FOLLOW
As always, fans can visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywprugby.
THE GAME
The fourth-ranked Army West Point men's rugby team hits the road for the second of five straight road contests, traveling to West Virginia for an afternoon battle with the Mountaineers. Army enters the game with a mark of 4-0, sitting in sole possession of first place in the Rugby East with 20 points. The Black Knights are coming off of a thrilling 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State in their first road match of the season.
The Mountaineers have struggled early on, falling to 0-2 on the season with losses to Penn State and Iona. They joined the Rugby East at the start of the 2015-16 season after a successful 2014-15 campaign where they captured the Keystone Conference title in 15s action and qualified for the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships.
"Our number one goal is always to improve every week, regardless of our opponent," said head coach Matt Sherman. "Whether it's the best team in the country or the worst team in the country. That remains our goal this week. I think this is going to give us an opportunity to give guys who earned it a chance, who maybe haven't had as many chances with the first team. We expect them to, not have a drop off, but to energize the group. I think, even though West Virginia hasn't had the results they've wanted, we're going to respect them as a tough team. It's a tough league and they're new to it so I think we expect them to be improving each game."
NATIONAL RANKINGS
With the impressive victory on the road against national powerhouse Penn State, the Black Knights jumped up one spot to No. 4 in the Canterbury D1A Top 20 National Poll.
Army spent a considerable amount of time as the nation's fifth-ranked team, opening the season in the spot and holding it until this jump. The Cadets have reached as high as the third spot, a position they held from Oct. 30, 2014-March 19, 2015.
"It doesn't really mean much, I think for us it's just about getting better every week and that's our number one goal," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I think if we're improving and we're a steadily improving team then, at the end of the day, that's going to give us the most value competing against the best teams in the country."
The D1A Top 20 Poll determines the 12 teams who advance into postseason play in the spring to play for a national championship. The Rugby East is well-represented among the nation's top squads, boasting five of the top 20 programs. Army leads the way in the fourth spot, followed by Kutztown at No. 7, Penn State at No. 8, Wheeling Jesuit at No. 10 and Iona in the 20 spot.
ARMY'S LAST TIME OUT
Army earned a tough battle when it traveled to State College, Pa., to take on the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions of Penn State. Five try-scorers led the team to a 46-36 triumph over the Nittany Lions to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The victory marked the second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent for the Cadets who lead the Rugby East with 20 points.
Penn State got an early jump, scoring a converted try in the 13th minute to take the 7-0 lead as the Black Knights played man-down following a yellow card to Thomas Del Pino.
Firstie Cameron Hargis scored his first of the evening in the 18th minute as the try was converted by Andrew Borer in his first start of the season. Hargis would dot down again just five minutes later, with Borer connecting on his second kick, to put Army up 14-7.
The Nittany Lions booted a penalty kick in the 28th minute to cut the Black Knights' lead to just four, but Del Pino would gain those points back with a penalty kick of his own 10 minutes later to put Army on top 17-10 heading into the half.
Vice-captain Jacob Banarhall sparked his team in the opening minute of the second half with a try to put Army up 22-10.
Penn State answered just four minutes later, cutting the Black Knights lead to five.
Luke Heun found the try zone in the 51st minute of action but Penn State again rebounded, cutting the Army lead to just 27-24 through 57 minutes.
The defending Rugby East champions took control of the game as Andrew Irwin scored in the 63rd minute and David Huff found a burst of speed down the far side in the 69th. Del Pino converted both scores to put the Cadets up 41-24.
The Nittany Lions would pull within 10 through 74 minutes, but Huff's second try of the evening sealed the victory as he dotted down in the 77th minute.
Penn State was able to find the try zone in stoppage time but it was not enough as Army walked away with the 46-36 win.
The victory was the first road win of the season for the Black Knights as they take to the road for the remainder of the season after playing three straight home contests to open the year.
WEST VIRGINIA'S LAST TIME OUT
The Mountaineers faced another tough loss as they fell to Iona by a score of 55-0 on Sunday. The setback was the second straight for the Mountaineers who were unable to find the score sheet all afternoon.
On the season, West Virginia has fallen to 0-2, dropping a 79-5 decision to No. 8 Penn State the previous weekend.
GOFF NAMED RUGBY EAST PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Four Rugby East victories to open the season have earned the Army West Point men's rugby team national attention, as captain Donny Goff has been the leader on and off the pitch for the fourth-ranked Black Knights. For his guidance and impact on the pitch, Goff has been named the Rugby East Player of the month.
"I couldn't do anything without my team," Goff said, "my Brother to my left and my Brother to my right. As a group we fight for 80 minutes and never give up. Each and every guy on the pitch has contributed to our success so far this season and we'll continue to get better every day."
As the team's captain, Goff provides the vocal leadership for the Black Knights, backing up his words with hard-work and tough play. He scored a try in the team's 48-0 blanking of Buffalo to start off the season.
"Donny is a leader in every aspect of his life," said head coach Matt Sherman. "He constantly strives to achieve his best and improves his standard in everything he does. It's no different on the rugby field where he works hard to get the most of himself and the team."
Army opened the year with back-to-back dominant performances, claiming a pair of shutout wins over Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. The Black Knights were faced with a bit of adversity in a highly penalized Wheeling Jesuit match but were able to come away with the 35-23 win to remain unbeaten on the season. At eighth-ranked Penn State, Goff captained a team that earned a hard-fought 46-36 victory on the road.
A consummate professional, Goff credits his teammates with much of his success. Joined by vice-captain Jacob Banarhall, 15 different Black Knights have found their way to the score sheet in just four contests. Army is averaging 46 points per game, surrendering just 14.75.
HUFF EARNS AAA HONORS
Scoring two tries in the second half to lead the Army to a 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State has earned yearling David Huff the title of Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.
This is the first Athlete of the Week honor for Huff who has amassed a team-leading 18 tries since the group joined the Army Athletic Association in August of 2014.
In the 69th minute of action, with Penn State attempting to mount a comeback and the Army lead at just 10, Huff scored his first of the evening with a burst of speed down the far side of the field.
He would find the try zone again in the 77th minute, dotting down to put the game out of reach for the Nittany Lions.
On the year, Huff has posted three tries in three matches, earning his first of the season in the 35-23 win over Wheeling Jesuit before his two-score performance at Penn State. His 18 tries since the start of the 2014-15 season account for 11 percent of the team's total offense
ARMY WHO TO WATCH: ANDREW BORER
Earning his first start of the season in Saturday's 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State, Andrew Borer converted two kicks in the first half to help the Black Knights remain undefeated. In his firstie season with the team, Borer was listed amongst the starting 15 in the Penn State and West Virginia contests, subbing in against Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. He's recorded six conversions for a total of 12 points on the year.
"I liked Andrew's aggressiveness last Friday night," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I thought he was aggressive and physical over the ball and challenged the point of contact. I also think he really attacked the line with the ball in hand well, so I thought he was aggressive and forward. I'd like to see more of the same from him this week."
Borer joined the A-Side on a regular basis following the Air Force game in the fall of 2014, entering the contest after an injury to then vice-captain Logan Pearce sidelined him for the remainder of the fall and the majority of the spring season.
In the fall, he earned starts against Wheeling Jesuit and Life, serving as both fullback and kicker. He finished the season as Army's fourth leading scorer, registering two tries and eight conversions. In the spring, he tied for fourth on the team with a total of 20 points, successfully booting 10 conversions.
In addition to his leadership role on the pitch, Borer also holds a high-rank amongst the Chain of Command for the Corps of Cadets, serving as the 4th Regimental Commander.
RUGBY EAST STANDINGS
Through four weeks of competition, the Black Knights are atop the Rugby East standings, boasting a record of 4-0 and earning 20 points.
"It's always nice to win and do well when we compete," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I think the last two victories were especially nice for us because they were against strong opponents. That tested us and, I think, the greatest thing about our win over Penn State was that we applied some things that we learned from the week before that, if we didn't apply those very well, we would have lost."
Iona and Penn State sit in a tie for second, each recording 15 points with records of 3-1. Kutztown checks in at No. 4 with a mark of 2-0 to earn 10 points.
Wheeling Jesuit slides to fifth with a mark of 1-2, earning seven points.
At the bottom of the pack sits West Virginia (0-2), Buffalo (0-3) and St. Bonaventure (0-4).
RUGBY EAST DOMINANCE
The Black Knights have been a formidable foe in the Rugby East, capturing the title in 2014 and earning a perfect 10-0 conference record since the start of the 2014-15 season.
In the last 10 Rugby East contests, the Black Knights have outscored opponents by an average of 40.6-18.6. Army has held four opponents to 15 points or less, including both shutouts to open the season.
The 2015-16 squad features five of the eight All-Rugby East honorees from 2014-15. Andrew Fargo, Thomas Del Pino and David Huff landed on the first team, while vice-captain Jacob Banarhall earned second-team recognition and Peter Basnight garnered honorable mention honors.
ARMY IN THE PRESS
The men's and women's rugby teams were featured in a piece written by Martin Pengelly of the Guardian US, documenting the history of the program since it made a tour of the UK in 2002.
The story connects the audience with the Class of 2002, the first to graduate from West Point in a time of war since the Vietnam era. It also tells the story of the three 2002 graduates who have lost their lives in the time since leaving the Academy.
To read the piece, view the features section on www.GoArmyWestPoint.com through the men's rugby page.
SHERMAN ERA
The 2015-16 season ushers in a new chapter for the Black Knights as it officially kicks off the Matt Sherman era. The former All-American and national team member's hiring was announced on Aug. 11 by Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. Sherman joins the Black Knights staff after a five-year tenure as the Director of Rugby at Stanford. With his hiring, he becomes the first full-time coach in Army West Point men's rugby history, filling the void after Mike Mahan announced his retirement in May. The men's rugby program joined the Army Athletic Association in August 2014.
"I am honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Army West Point men's rugby program," stated Sherman. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join one of the great institutions of leadership, dedicated to service of our country, as well as a rugby program with a distinguished tradition and history. I am proud to become your head coach and excited to get to work on the challenges ahead."
Since 2011, Sherman has led all rugby efforts at Stanford, including coaching, staffing, recruiting, administration and scheduling for both the men's and women's programs. Under his tutelage, the men's team reached the national quarterfinals twice and the women's program advanced to the national final four three times. In addition, he helped the rugby programs fundraise more than $1 million and increased admitted recruits from zero to seven.
While leading the Cardinal program, Sherman also served as the Men's College All-Americans Head Coach from 2012-2014. In both of his years with the team, he earned a winning record and more than 50 percent of his athletes moved on to play for the senior men's national team.
From 2009-11, Sherman worked with the U.S. Men's National Team as an assistant coach, working with the back line. His squad produced a victory over Russia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Sherman is joined at West Point by his wife, Kristen, daughter, Piper (infant), and dog, Cooper.
FARGO NAMED D1A NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Following a two-score performance in the season-opener against Buffalo, Andrew Fargo earned the distinction as the D1A National Player of the week on Sept. 17. He ranks second amongst the Black Knights with four tries on the season, earning a pair of scores against Buffalo and St. Bonaventure.
Last season, the Del Mar, Calif., native was named to the All-Rugby East first team squad, garnered All-American Collegiate Rugby Conference first team recognition, was selected to play for the All-Army team at the Las Vegas 7s 2015 Men's ACR Tournament, was named the AAA Athlete of the Week once during the spring and scored a try against Davenport, which earned AAA Play of the Week. He's recorded 14 career tries since joining the Army Athletic Association in August of 2014.
RUGBY EAST EXPANSION
Rugby East teams will gain a new rival this season as the Mountaineers of West Virginia join the conference. The Mountaineers posted a successful 2014-15 season, capturing the Keystone Conference title in 15s action and qualifying for the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships.
Army will meet with West Virginia for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 10 as they travel to Morgantown, W.Va. for an afternoon matchup.
So far this season, West Virginia is 0-2, having fallen to two of the top teams in Penn State and Iona.
MEET YOUR CAPTAINS
The 2015-16 squad will be captained by senior Donny Goff, with Jacob Banarhall serving as the vice-captain.
Goff, a prop from Framingham, Mass., was not active on the fall 2014 roster due to injury. He rejoined the team in the spring, recording a score in Army's 37-0 victory over Seton Hall at the Four Leafs Tournament and earning the start in the team's meetings with UMass, Navy, St. Mary's and Davenport. He opened the 2015-16 season with a try against Buffalo, scoring in the 10th minute of action.
A native of Auburn, N.H., Banarhall earned the start in each of the team's nine fall contests. He recorded two scores in the fall, posting tries against Iona and Buffalo. During the spring, he tied for second on the team with five tries, earning two scores against Stony Brook in the title game of the Four Leafs Tournament. He led a second-half comeback in the match with Navy, scoring three times, including the game-tying score and go ahead marks. He was named to the All-Rugby East second team in the fall and posted his first try of the 2015-16 season at Penn State in the 46-36 victory.
CADET CHAIN OF COMMAND
Three members of the men's rugby team have been elected into positions of leadership in the cadet chain of command, representing the largest contingent of any corps squad team at the Academy. Andrew Borer leads the way as the 4th Regimental Commander, while Cameron Hargis earns the title of 1st Regimental Command Sergeant Major and Donny Goff serves as the 3rd Regimental Command Sergeant Major.
CLASS RINGS
The Class of 2016 received their class rings in a ceremony held at Trophy Point on Aug. 28, 2015. A time-honored West Point tradition, the Class of 2016's rings contain gold from 356 West Point graduates donated to the West Point Association of Graduates in addition to steel melted down from the World Trade Center.
FARGO TRAVELS TO NEW ZEALAND
Cow Andrew Fargo closed out his summer training at the Crusaders International High Performance Unit on the South Island of New Zealand, working alongside many international players.
Fargo, who led the Black Knights' spring 15s squad with six tries, had a spectacular sophomore campaign, earning All-Rugby East first team honors in the fall. He was tabbed the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the week following his performance in the win over UMass and his impressive score against Davenport earned him the Army Athletic Association Play of the Week. He recorded two tries in the season-opener against Buffalo and another pair in the win over St. Bonaventure.
Documenting his excursion, Fargo kept a blog of his experiences in the hot bed of international rugby. Visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for more information.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights will visit Iona on Saturday, Oct. 17 in a 4 p.m. meeting from New Rochelle, N.Y. Last season, the Black Knights earned an early-season scare from the Gales as they were pushed to the edge, but managed to come away with a 26-19 victory from Anderson Rugby Complex.
Army will continue its road trip as it travels to preseason Rugby East favorite Kutztown on Oct. 24 before closing out the year at service academy rival Air Force on Nov. 6.
The Black Knights (4-0), will face off with the Mountaineers (0-2) for the first time in program history. West Virginia joined the Rugby East prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.
HOW TO FOLLOW
As always, fans can visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for up-to-date information and follow the Black Knights on Twitter @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywprugby.
THE GAME
The fourth-ranked Army West Point men's rugby team hits the road for the second of five straight road contests, traveling to West Virginia for an afternoon battle with the Mountaineers. Army enters the game with a mark of 4-0, sitting in sole possession of first place in the Rugby East with 20 points. The Black Knights are coming off of a thrilling 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State in their first road match of the season.
The Mountaineers have struggled early on, falling to 0-2 on the season with losses to Penn State and Iona. They joined the Rugby East at the start of the 2015-16 season after a successful 2014-15 campaign where they captured the Keystone Conference title in 15s action and qualified for the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships.
"Our number one goal is always to improve every week, regardless of our opponent," said head coach Matt Sherman. "Whether it's the best team in the country or the worst team in the country. That remains our goal this week. I think this is going to give us an opportunity to give guys who earned it a chance, who maybe haven't had as many chances with the first team. We expect them to, not have a drop off, but to energize the group. I think, even though West Virginia hasn't had the results they've wanted, we're going to respect them as a tough team. It's a tough league and they're new to it so I think we expect them to be improving each game."
NATIONAL RANKINGS
With the impressive victory on the road against national powerhouse Penn State, the Black Knights jumped up one spot to No. 4 in the Canterbury D1A Top 20 National Poll.
Army spent a considerable amount of time as the nation's fifth-ranked team, opening the season in the spot and holding it until this jump. The Cadets have reached as high as the third spot, a position they held from Oct. 30, 2014-March 19, 2015.
"It doesn't really mean much, I think for us it's just about getting better every week and that's our number one goal," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I think if we're improving and we're a steadily improving team then, at the end of the day, that's going to give us the most value competing against the best teams in the country."
The D1A Top 20 Poll determines the 12 teams who advance into postseason play in the spring to play for a national championship. The Rugby East is well-represented among the nation's top squads, boasting five of the top 20 programs. Army leads the way in the fourth spot, followed by Kutztown at No. 7, Penn State at No. 8, Wheeling Jesuit at No. 10 and Iona in the 20 spot.
ARMY'S LAST TIME OUT
Army earned a tough battle when it traveled to State College, Pa., to take on the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions of Penn State. Five try-scorers led the team to a 46-36 triumph over the Nittany Lions to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The victory marked the second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent for the Cadets who lead the Rugby East with 20 points.
Penn State got an early jump, scoring a converted try in the 13th minute to take the 7-0 lead as the Black Knights played man-down following a yellow card to Thomas Del Pino.
Firstie Cameron Hargis scored his first of the evening in the 18th minute as the try was converted by Andrew Borer in his first start of the season. Hargis would dot down again just five minutes later, with Borer connecting on his second kick, to put Army up 14-7.
The Nittany Lions booted a penalty kick in the 28th minute to cut the Black Knights' lead to just four, but Del Pino would gain those points back with a penalty kick of his own 10 minutes later to put Army on top 17-10 heading into the half.
Vice-captain Jacob Banarhall sparked his team in the opening minute of the second half with a try to put Army up 22-10.
Penn State answered just four minutes later, cutting the Black Knights lead to five.
Luke Heun found the try zone in the 51st minute of action but Penn State again rebounded, cutting the Army lead to just 27-24 through 57 minutes.
The defending Rugby East champions took control of the game as Andrew Irwin scored in the 63rd minute and David Huff found a burst of speed down the far side in the 69th. Del Pino converted both scores to put the Cadets up 41-24.
The Nittany Lions would pull within 10 through 74 minutes, but Huff's second try of the evening sealed the victory as he dotted down in the 77th minute.
Penn State was able to find the try zone in stoppage time but it was not enough as Army walked away with the 46-36 win.
The victory was the first road win of the season for the Black Knights as they take to the road for the remainder of the season after playing three straight home contests to open the year.
WEST VIRGINIA'S LAST TIME OUT
The Mountaineers faced another tough loss as they fell to Iona by a score of 55-0 on Sunday. The setback was the second straight for the Mountaineers who were unable to find the score sheet all afternoon.
On the season, West Virginia has fallen to 0-2, dropping a 79-5 decision to No. 8 Penn State the previous weekend.
GOFF NAMED RUGBY EAST PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Four Rugby East victories to open the season have earned the Army West Point men's rugby team national attention, as captain Donny Goff has been the leader on and off the pitch for the fourth-ranked Black Knights. For his guidance and impact on the pitch, Goff has been named the Rugby East Player of the month.
"I couldn't do anything without my team," Goff said, "my Brother to my left and my Brother to my right. As a group we fight for 80 minutes and never give up. Each and every guy on the pitch has contributed to our success so far this season and we'll continue to get better every day."
As the team's captain, Goff provides the vocal leadership for the Black Knights, backing up his words with hard-work and tough play. He scored a try in the team's 48-0 blanking of Buffalo to start off the season.
"Donny is a leader in every aspect of his life," said head coach Matt Sherman. "He constantly strives to achieve his best and improves his standard in everything he does. It's no different on the rugby field where he works hard to get the most of himself and the team."
Army opened the year with back-to-back dominant performances, claiming a pair of shutout wins over Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. The Black Knights were faced with a bit of adversity in a highly penalized Wheeling Jesuit match but were able to come away with the 35-23 win to remain unbeaten on the season. At eighth-ranked Penn State, Goff captained a team that earned a hard-fought 46-36 victory on the road.
A consummate professional, Goff credits his teammates with much of his success. Joined by vice-captain Jacob Banarhall, 15 different Black Knights have found their way to the score sheet in just four contests. Army is averaging 46 points per game, surrendering just 14.75.
HUFF EARNS AAA HONORS
Scoring two tries in the second half to lead the Army to a 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State has earned yearling David Huff the title of Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week.
This is the first Athlete of the Week honor for Huff who has amassed a team-leading 18 tries since the group joined the Army Athletic Association in August of 2014.
In the 69th minute of action, with Penn State attempting to mount a comeback and the Army lead at just 10, Huff scored his first of the evening with a burst of speed down the far side of the field.
He would find the try zone again in the 77th minute, dotting down to put the game out of reach for the Nittany Lions.
On the year, Huff has posted three tries in three matches, earning his first of the season in the 35-23 win over Wheeling Jesuit before his two-score performance at Penn State. His 18 tries since the start of the 2014-15 season account for 11 percent of the team's total offense
ARMY WHO TO WATCH: ANDREW BORER
Earning his first start of the season in Saturday's 46-36 victory over eighth-ranked Penn State, Andrew Borer converted two kicks in the first half to help the Black Knights remain undefeated. In his firstie season with the team, Borer was listed amongst the starting 15 in the Penn State and West Virginia contests, subbing in against Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. He's recorded six conversions for a total of 12 points on the year.
"I liked Andrew's aggressiveness last Friday night," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I thought he was aggressive and physical over the ball and challenged the point of contact. I also think he really attacked the line with the ball in hand well, so I thought he was aggressive and forward. I'd like to see more of the same from him this week."
Borer joined the A-Side on a regular basis following the Air Force game in the fall of 2014, entering the contest after an injury to then vice-captain Logan Pearce sidelined him for the remainder of the fall and the majority of the spring season.
In the fall, he earned starts against Wheeling Jesuit and Life, serving as both fullback and kicker. He finished the season as Army's fourth leading scorer, registering two tries and eight conversions. In the spring, he tied for fourth on the team with a total of 20 points, successfully booting 10 conversions.
In addition to his leadership role on the pitch, Borer also holds a high-rank amongst the Chain of Command for the Corps of Cadets, serving as the 4th Regimental Commander.
RUGBY EAST STANDINGS
Through four weeks of competition, the Black Knights are atop the Rugby East standings, boasting a record of 4-0 and earning 20 points.
"It's always nice to win and do well when we compete," said head coach Matt Sherman. "I think the last two victories were especially nice for us because they were against strong opponents. That tested us and, I think, the greatest thing about our win over Penn State was that we applied some things that we learned from the week before that, if we didn't apply those very well, we would have lost."
Iona and Penn State sit in a tie for second, each recording 15 points with records of 3-1. Kutztown checks in at No. 4 with a mark of 2-0 to earn 10 points.
Wheeling Jesuit slides to fifth with a mark of 1-2, earning seven points.
At the bottom of the pack sits West Virginia (0-2), Buffalo (0-3) and St. Bonaventure (0-4).
RUGBY EAST DOMINANCE
The Black Knights have been a formidable foe in the Rugby East, capturing the title in 2014 and earning a perfect 10-0 conference record since the start of the 2014-15 season.
In the last 10 Rugby East contests, the Black Knights have outscored opponents by an average of 40.6-18.6. Army has held four opponents to 15 points or less, including both shutouts to open the season.
The 2015-16 squad features five of the eight All-Rugby East honorees from 2014-15. Andrew Fargo, Thomas Del Pino and David Huff landed on the first team, while vice-captain Jacob Banarhall earned second-team recognition and Peter Basnight garnered honorable mention honors.
ARMY IN THE PRESS
The men's and women's rugby teams were featured in a piece written by Martin Pengelly of the Guardian US, documenting the history of the program since it made a tour of the UK in 2002.
The story connects the audience with the Class of 2002, the first to graduate from West Point in a time of war since the Vietnam era. It also tells the story of the three 2002 graduates who have lost their lives in the time since leaving the Academy.
To read the piece, view the features section on www.GoArmyWestPoint.com through the men's rugby page.
SHERMAN ERA
The 2015-16 season ushers in a new chapter for the Black Knights as it officially kicks off the Matt Sherman era. The former All-American and national team member's hiring was announced on Aug. 11 by Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. Sherman joins the Black Knights staff after a five-year tenure as the Director of Rugby at Stanford. With his hiring, he becomes the first full-time coach in Army West Point men's rugby history, filling the void after Mike Mahan announced his retirement in May. The men's rugby program joined the Army Athletic Association in August 2014.
"I am honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Army West Point men's rugby program," stated Sherman. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join one of the great institutions of leadership, dedicated to service of our country, as well as a rugby program with a distinguished tradition and history. I am proud to become your head coach and excited to get to work on the challenges ahead."
Since 2011, Sherman has led all rugby efforts at Stanford, including coaching, staffing, recruiting, administration and scheduling for both the men's and women's programs. Under his tutelage, the men's team reached the national quarterfinals twice and the women's program advanced to the national final four three times. In addition, he helped the rugby programs fundraise more than $1 million and increased admitted recruits from zero to seven.
While leading the Cardinal program, Sherman also served as the Men's College All-Americans Head Coach from 2012-2014. In both of his years with the team, he earned a winning record and more than 50 percent of his athletes moved on to play for the senior men's national team.
From 2009-11, Sherman worked with the U.S. Men's National Team as an assistant coach, working with the back line. His squad produced a victory over Russia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Sherman is joined at West Point by his wife, Kristen, daughter, Piper (infant), and dog, Cooper.
FARGO NAMED D1A NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Following a two-score performance in the season-opener against Buffalo, Andrew Fargo earned the distinction as the D1A National Player of the week on Sept. 17. He ranks second amongst the Black Knights with four tries on the season, earning a pair of scores against Buffalo and St. Bonaventure.
Last season, the Del Mar, Calif., native was named to the All-Rugby East first team squad, garnered All-American Collegiate Rugby Conference first team recognition, was selected to play for the All-Army team at the Las Vegas 7s 2015 Men's ACR Tournament, was named the AAA Athlete of the Week once during the spring and scored a try against Davenport, which earned AAA Play of the Week. He's recorded 14 career tries since joining the Army Athletic Association in August of 2014.
RUGBY EAST EXPANSION
Rugby East teams will gain a new rival this season as the Mountaineers of West Virginia join the conference. The Mountaineers posted a successful 2014-15 season, capturing the Keystone Conference title in 15s action and qualifying for the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships.
Army will meet with West Virginia for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 10 as they travel to Morgantown, W.Va. for an afternoon matchup.
So far this season, West Virginia is 0-2, having fallen to two of the top teams in Penn State and Iona.
MEET YOUR CAPTAINS
The 2015-16 squad will be captained by senior Donny Goff, with Jacob Banarhall serving as the vice-captain.
Goff, a prop from Framingham, Mass., was not active on the fall 2014 roster due to injury. He rejoined the team in the spring, recording a score in Army's 37-0 victory over Seton Hall at the Four Leafs Tournament and earning the start in the team's meetings with UMass, Navy, St. Mary's and Davenport. He opened the 2015-16 season with a try against Buffalo, scoring in the 10th minute of action.
A native of Auburn, N.H., Banarhall earned the start in each of the team's nine fall contests. He recorded two scores in the fall, posting tries against Iona and Buffalo. During the spring, he tied for second on the team with five tries, earning two scores against Stony Brook in the title game of the Four Leafs Tournament. He led a second-half comeback in the match with Navy, scoring three times, including the game-tying score and go ahead marks. He was named to the All-Rugby East second team in the fall and posted his first try of the 2015-16 season at Penn State in the 46-36 victory.
CADET CHAIN OF COMMAND
Three members of the men's rugby team have been elected into positions of leadership in the cadet chain of command, representing the largest contingent of any corps squad team at the Academy. Andrew Borer leads the way as the 4th Regimental Commander, while Cameron Hargis earns the title of 1st Regimental Command Sergeant Major and Donny Goff serves as the 3rd Regimental Command Sergeant Major.
CLASS RINGS
The Class of 2016 received their class rings in a ceremony held at Trophy Point on Aug. 28, 2015. A time-honored West Point tradition, the Class of 2016's rings contain gold from 356 West Point graduates donated to the West Point Association of Graduates in addition to steel melted down from the World Trade Center.
FARGO TRAVELS TO NEW ZEALAND
Cow Andrew Fargo closed out his summer training at the Crusaders International High Performance Unit on the South Island of New Zealand, working alongside many international players.
Fargo, who led the Black Knights' spring 15s squad with six tries, had a spectacular sophomore campaign, earning All-Rugby East first team honors in the fall. He was tabbed the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the week following his performance in the win over UMass and his impressive score against Davenport earned him the Army Athletic Association Play of the Week. He recorded two tries in the season-opener against Buffalo and another pair in the win over St. Bonaventure.
Documenting his excursion, Fargo kept a blog of his experiences in the hot bed of international rugby. Visit www.GoArmyWestPoint.com for more information.
UP NEXT
The Black Knights will visit Iona on Saturday, Oct. 17 in a 4 p.m. meeting from New Rochelle, N.Y. Last season, the Black Knights earned an early-season scare from the Gales as they were pushed to the edge, but managed to come away with a 26-19 victory from Anderson Rugby Complex.
Army will continue its road trip as it travels to preseason Rugby East favorite Kutztown on Oct. 24 before closing out the year at service academy rival Air Force on Nov. 6.
Players Mentioned
Scrum Half
/ Men's Rugby
Flanker
/ Men's Rugby
Fullback
/ Men's Rugby
Fly Half
/ Men's Rugby
Center
/ Men's Rugby
Prop
/ Men's Rugby
Center
/ Men's Rugby
Wing
/ Men's Rugby
Wing
/ Men's Rugby
No. 8
/ Men's Rugby
Fullback
/ Men's RugbyArmy vs Air Force
Saturday, October 29
Army vs St. Bonaventure
Sunday, October 02
Army vs Kutztown
Friday, September 09
Army vs. Life
Saturday, April 16