Army West Point Athletics
Saturday, September 5
Ontario, Canada
1:00 p.m.
Army West Point
at
Guelph
Photo by: Laurel Jarvis - Guelph University
Men’s Rugby Rallies in Second Half for Win at Guelph
September 05, 2026 | Men's Rugby
GUELPH, Ontario – Twice in the opening half, Army West Point men's rugby trailed by 14.
But the Black Knights scored 19 unanswered in the second half to take down the Guelph Gryphons in Ontario, 40-26, to move to 2-0 on the season.
Army also secures at least a share of the rivals' Cannon Cup with the win, and can win the trophy for the second straight year with a home win in the spring.
Coach's Corner
"I'm really proud of the mentality our team showed today. Guelph is a good team, and winning on the road against a quality opponent is never easy. We found ourselves under a lot of pressure and then behind in the second half, but the guys never lost belief in one another or in the process. They showed tremendous trust, composure, and mental toughness to fight their way back and find a way to win," said head coach Matt Sherman.
"We'll certainly relish the victory and the resilience the team showed, but we're equally excited about the lessons this game will provide. There are a lot of areas where we know we can be better, and we look forward to learning from this performance and improving again next week.
"We have a tremendous amount of respect for Guelph and really value the relationship we're continuing to build between our two programs. The Cannon Cup is becoming something very meaningful to both teams, and we're already looking forward to welcoming them to West Point for the return leg in the spring."
Match Scoresheet
4' | Guelph – Try 0-5
Guelph – Conversion 0-7
9' | Guelph – Try 0-12
Guelph – Conversion 0-14
24' | Luke Leech – Try 5-14
Nick Trout – Conversion 7-14
38' | Guelph – Try 7-19
Guelph – Conversion 7-21
40' | Ilen Menon – Try 12-21
Nick Trout – Conversion 14-21
42' | Luke Leech – Try 19-21
Nick Trout – Conversion 21-21
47' | Guelph – Try 21-26
55' | Porter Kuebler – Try 26-26
Nick Trout – Conversion 28-26
62' | Nick Trout – Try 33-26
65' | Howie Heller – Try 38-26
Nick Trout – Conversion 40-26
Next Up
Army is back in action on Friday night of next week against St. Thomas (Fla.). Kickoff from Anderson Rugby Complex is set for 7:00 p.m.
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Men's Rugby on X @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywp_rugby. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about men's rugby and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
—www.goarmywestpoint.com—
But the Black Knights scored 19 unanswered in the second half to take down the Guelph Gryphons in Ontario, 40-26, to move to 2-0 on the season.
Army also secures at least a share of the rivals' Cannon Cup with the win, and can win the trophy for the second straight year with a home win in the spring.
Coach's Corner
"I'm really proud of the mentality our team showed today. Guelph is a good team, and winning on the road against a quality opponent is never easy. We found ourselves under a lot of pressure and then behind in the second half, but the guys never lost belief in one another or in the process. They showed tremendous trust, composure, and mental toughness to fight their way back and find a way to win," said head coach Matt Sherman.
"We'll certainly relish the victory and the resilience the team showed, but we're equally excited about the lessons this game will provide. There are a lot of areas where we know we can be better, and we look forward to learning from this performance and improving again next week.
"We have a tremendous amount of respect for Guelph and really value the relationship we're continuing to build between our two programs. The Cannon Cup is becoming something very meaningful to both teams, and we're already looking forward to welcoming them to West Point for the return leg in the spring."
Match Scoresheet
4' | Guelph – Try 0-5
Guelph – Conversion 0-7
9' | Guelph – Try 0-12
Guelph – Conversion 0-14
24' | Luke Leech – Try 5-14
Nick Trout – Conversion 7-14
38' | Guelph – Try 7-19
Guelph – Conversion 7-21
40' | Ilen Menon – Try 12-21
Nick Trout – Conversion 14-21
42' | Luke Leech – Try 19-21
Nick Trout – Conversion 21-21
47' | Guelph – Try 21-26
55' | Porter Kuebler – Try 26-26
Nick Trout – Conversion 28-26
62' | Nick Trout – Try 33-26
65' | Howie Heller – Try 38-26
Nick Trout – Conversion 40-26
Next Up
Army is back in action on Friday night of next week against St. Thomas (Fla.). Kickoff from Anderson Rugby Complex is set for 7:00 p.m.
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Men's Rugby on X @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywp_rugby. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about men's rugby and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
—www.goarmywestpoint.com—
Players Mentioned
Scrumhalf
/ Men's Rugby
Scrumhalf
/ Men's Rugby
Lock
/ Men's Rugby
Flyhalf/Fullback
/ Men's Rugby
Center/Fullback
/ Men's RugbySaturday, October 29
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