After back-to-back wins, the men's rugby team is headed to Virginia to take part in National Collegiate Rugby's (NCR) Sweet 16 tournament.
The River Hawks went on the road to defeat Loyola (MD) in their final regular season contest, with
Colin Butler and
Eli Shaw Jr. each converting on multiple tries to lead SU to a 43-15 victory that qualified the team for the postseason.
In their postseason opener, the River Hawks downed No. 8 Christendom 41-17, avenging a loss from the previous season while qualifying for the NCR Sweet 16. Butler recorded three tries in the contest.
Liam Frayne and
Jorge Arriaga also had strong performances.
Susquehanna is ranked No. 9 in the most recent NCR coaches' poll. It will take on Duke in the Sweet 16 round at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Culpeper, Virginia. It is the second straight year that the team has qualified for the Sweet 16.
Regardless of the result of Saturday's match, the River Hawks will play again on Sunday. Should they lose to the Blue Devils, they will play a consolation match up at 10 a.m. Sunday. If the River Hawks pull off the win against the much larger institution, they will play the winner of Catholic & Charleston at 2 p.m. Sunday. SU previously lost 32-39 to Catholic in Washington D.C. on Oct. 26.
A win in both contests will qualify the River Hawks for the NCR Final Four, to be contested on Friday, Dec. 13 & Saturday, Dec. 14 at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, Texas.
