Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Mary Washington
Men's Rugby Downs Mary Washington
September 14, 2024 | Men's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point men's rugby team staged a second-half comeback to defeat Rugby East rival Mary Washington, 27-17.
Benji Kemp led the Black Knights with a crucial try, while Howie Heller contributed eight points, converting two penalty kicks and a conversion.
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the first 15 minutes, both teams battled for possession but remained scoreless. It wasn't until a Mary Washington penalty allowed Heller to slot a penalty kick that Army took a 3-0 lead. Ten minutes later, another Eagles penalty saw Heller extend the lead to 6-0 with his second successful kick.
Mary Washington responded late in the first half, driving down the field to score a try in the closing minute, taking a narrow 7-6 lead. As both teams fought to break each other's defenses, it was the Eagles who managed to add another try just before halftime, increasing their lead to 14-6.
In the second half, Army quickly closed the gap. Seven minutes in, the Black Knights were awarded a penalty try after Mary Washington committed a foul on the try line, cutting the lead to 14-13. Though the Eagles responded with a penalty kick to push their advantage to 17-13, Army's relentless forwards continued to press.
Just four minutes later, another Eagles foul gave Army their second penalty try, putting them ahead 20-17. After a tense 13 minutes of trading possession, Kemp broke through Mary Washington's defense with eight minutes remaining to seal the victory. Heller's conversion brought the final score to 27-17.
Army will be back in action next Friday when they take on Southern Virginia University on the road.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
"I was happy with our performance in the second half. Going down in the first 40 wasn't ideal, but we stayed composed and finished strong in the last 40," said Nate Gould. "Next week should be a good challenge on a short week."
Benji Kemp echoed Gould's sentiments: "I thought we were able to come together as a team and overcome obstacles. Once we figured those out, we utilized our strengths and came out on top. Today was a solid step forward and a great win, but our match Friday is our next priority."
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