Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
St. Bonaventure University
Men’s Rugby Triumphs Over St. Bonaventure
October 18, 2024 | Men's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point men's rugby team (5-1) secured a thrilling 25-21 victory under the lights against St. Bonaventure (2-2).
Benji Kemp led the charge for the Black Knights, scoring two tries, while Gabe Savage, Elijah Manges, and Joey Knight each added a try to the tally.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Black Knights set the tone early, gaining possession and driving straight to the try zone. Just four minutes into the match, Kemp crossed the try line, putting Army up 5-0.
St. Bonaventure responded by working past Army's strong defense. A penalty in the 20th minute gave the Bonnies a chance to score their first points with a penalty kick, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
Eight minutes later, another penalty on Army's side allowed St. Bonaventure to take the lead, 6-5, with another successful kick.
Army regained momentum, pushing past the Bonnies' defensive line. With 12 minutes left in the first half, Kemp scored his second try of the game, putting the Black Knights back in front, 10-6.
Building on their momentum, Army continued their offensive push. Manges powered through the defense, extending the lead to 15-6.
St. Bonaventure fought back, breaking through the Black Knights' defense just before halftime to narrow the gap to 15-11.
The second half began with Army on the attack. Knight broke through the Bonnie defense, scoring another try to increase the lead to 20-11.
The Bonnies answered nine minutes later with a penalty kick and quickly followed with a converted try, seizing the lead at 21-20.
The match turned into a fierce back-and-forth battle. With nine minutes left, Kemp found the try zone once more, sealing the 25-21 victory for the Black Knights.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
"We came together for a close win, which everyone is happy about. That being said, we have a lot to learn from and improve on after this game. Moving forward, we hope wins like this will come cleaner, but tonight we're grateful to have come out on top," said Joey Knight.
"Great to be back on Warrior Field again after a long stint on the road. There's a lot to improve on in that performance, but our ability to connect under pressure and be accurate in the next job allowed us to come out on top. Looking forward to the next opportunity to grow as a team," added Elijah Manges.
