BOYDS, Maryland - Though competitive in every game, the American International College men's rugby team went 2-3 at the Collegiate Rugby Championship National 7s Tournament on April 25-26, winning 17-7 against Rio Grande University, falling 26-17 to Queens University of Charlotte and 19-14 to Kutztown University, bouncing back to down the University of Notre Dame 26-14, and falling 19-7 to Indiana University.
The result was a 14th-place finish in the pool of 32 teams in the Men's Premier Cup, the top-level event at the Championship.
AIC opened the scoring late in the first half against Rio Grande, as Terry Jayaguru put down AIC's first try of the weekend. In the second half, Demitrius Ta'ape scored and German Rossi converted, before Filimone Manu flew in for a score. Rio Grande notched the game's final try, but AIC advanced with a win.
In the round of 16, it was a furious battle with Queens, AIC's longtime rival, and Tyler Cathers started the scoring, but the Royals countered with two tries and a conversion before the break. Manu scored right out of halftime to pull AIC within two, and Augusto Arguello scored seven points with a try and conversion, but the Royals answered each of AIC's scores with their own to win 26-17.
Facing Kutztown in the Plate Quarterfinal, the Bears quickly struck, but Jayaguru scored and Rossi converted for a 7-7 tie at halftime. AIC then countered a Bears try in the second half with a try and conversion by Ivan Rossi, but Kutztown scored in stoppage time to steal the 19-14 victory, ending day one.
The following morning, AIC faced off with Notre Dame, and the Yellow Jackets got the better of the Irish thanks to tries by Ta'ape, Manu, Leiukamea Schaaf, and David Eppinger, as well as conversions by Manu and Rossi to earn a 26-14 win.
In the final match of the weekend, AIC fell to Indiana 19-7; German Rossi scored AIC's seven points with a try and conversion, leaving AIC in 14th.
The Yellow Jackets totaled 79 points in five matches and allowed 85; Manu was the team's high scorer with 17 points.
