West Point move on to NRU Final
19 Nov 2009
by: CDT K. Palmer
Army First XV v. Fordham
Score: 49-7
Try Scorers: Peter Belden, Dave Geib (2), Kevin Kerr, Ben Leatigaga, Cole Morrison, Bobby O’neill, and Miles Rowan
Conversions: Tommy Moentmann (1 for 1), Dave Geib (2 for 7)
Penalty Kicks: Tommy Moentmann (1 for 2), Dave Geib (0 for 1)
Storyline:
Saturday, West Point came out to face Fordham for the Semi-finals match of the Northeast Championship. Facing not only the poor weather, but also a team which has studied West Point closely, the First XV took the field. They started off strong and kept the pressure on Fordham keeping them in their half much of the first half. The first score came about half way through the first half. After running a direct phase off of the scrum, flyhalf Dave Geib was able to create space in the Fordham line. On the second phase, he was able to work his way through the line and score the try from about 20 meters out. Due to the weather and the stakes that were on the line, both teams suffered from numerous penalties, mostly around the break down. After a Fordham penalty, West Point was awarded a free kick. Winger, Tommy Moentmann, took the kick for Army and was able to tack on another three points towards West Point’s score. Not long after this, Fordham intercepted a pass in the back line and ran it in for the try. The score at the half was a close 10-7 in favor of the Black Knights.
The second half was a different story. After making a few adjustments at the half, West Point came out hungry for more points in the next forty minutes. One of these subs was flanker, Bobby O’neill, who wasted no time getting involved in the game. On a scrum about five minutes in, O’neill blocked a kick by Fordham’s flyhalf and forced the penalty. O’neill proceeded to take the quick tap from about 15 meters out; working his way through five would be defenders for the try. The weather continued to prove detrimental to both sides. Fordham was called for repetitive penalties, resulting in a sin bin for the Scarlet Knights. Down a man, Fordham was not able to stop the attack Geib would set up off of the scrum. Geib moved the ball to winger, Ben Leatigaga who took on the Fordham defense all the way down the line for the try. On the following kick off, Kevin Kerr returned the kick deep into Fordham territory evading the would-be tacklers. After running a few phases of picks around the breakdown, the ball was moved to Miles Rowan who carried it in for the try. Moving at a quick pace and hungry for more, West Point was able to score again when Geib scooped up the ball that popped out of a breakdown about thirty meters out; he went in untouched for the try. Hooker, Cole Morrison, also had his moments in the match after coming in at the half. Following a 5 meter scrum and a few phases of work around the breakdown, Morrison was able to gather the ball and dive in for the try. His next feat would be his line break through the Fordham defense where he gained about thirty meters into Fordham territory. After this phase, the ball was moved to Kerr who carried it in from five meters out. In the final minute of the game, with their backs against the wall, Fordham tried to clear their lines with a kick. The kick was executed poorly and wound up in the hands of West Point’s 8-man Peter Belden who carried the ball in for the try to close out the game with a solid 49-7 victory.