Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Penn State University
Men’s Rugby Defeats Penn State
October 13, 2024 | Men's Rugby
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Army West Point men's rugby team (4-1) secured a 24-7 road victory over Rugby East rival Penn State (0-4).
Sophomore Howard Heller led the scoring effort with a career-best two tries. Kolbet Schrichte contributed three conversions and a penalty kick to help power the Black Knights to victory. Jack Reed also added a try, his second of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Black Knights dominated possession in the opening nine minutes, consistently challenging the Nittany Lions' defense. At the 9:30 mark, Heller broke through to put Army on the scoreboard, with Schrichte successfully converting to make it 7-0.
Just ten minutes later, following a solid defensive stand and sustained offensive momentum, Heller crossed the try line again, and Schrichte's conversion doubled Army's lead to 14-0.
In the 21st minute, a Penn State penalty led to a successful penalty kick by Schrichte, extending Army's lead to 17-0. Over the next 13 minutes, possession changed hands several times, but Army's defense held firm.
As the first half drew to a close, Reed broke through the defense to score another try for Army in the 37th minute. Schrichte's conversion sent the Black Knights into halftime with a commanding 24-0 lead.
The second half saw both teams locked in a defensive battle, with neither side giving ground easily. It wasn't until the 52nd minute that Penn State managed to break through Army's defense, scoring a try and a successful conversion to make it 24-7.
For the remainder of the match, both teams' defenses stood strong, preventing any further scoring. When the final whistle blew, Army emerged victorious with a 24-7 win over the Nittany Lions.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
"The brothers fought hard for a great bounce-back win after the loss two weeks ago. We played a clinical first half but weren't satisfied with the second. All the boys are excited to get back after it next week," said Howard Heller.
"Coming off of the bye week, we really wanted to put in a performance that defines our team's identity for the season. We were very accurate in the first half, playing intense, smart rugby. Although there was a slight drop-off in the second half, we are looking forward to building off this win going into next week," added Kolbet Schrichte.
Players Mentioned
