Demon Deacons Roster for Greensboro 7s Released

The squad of fifteen players who will be representing Wake Forest at the Greensboro 7s this weekend has been finalized. Leading the team will be All-ACRL performers Rob Kelly, James Watson! And Ryan Tacon.  The Deacs kickoff at 11:06am against the University of North Carolina, and follow with pools games against NC State and UNC-Wilmington.

Wake Forest Roster for Greensboro 7s

Weston Bloomer, Sr.
Robert Kelly, Sr.
Jim Kavalec, Sr.
Johnny McMurray, Sr.
Ryan Tacon, Jr.
James Watson, Jr.
Bruce Lambert, Jr.
Matt McCurdy, Jr.
Jaime Drewery, Jr.
Tommy Kinzer, So.
Christian Gutowski, So.
Ted McGuiggan, So.
Max Wohlmuth, So. Kurt Walker, Fr. JC Reynolds, Fr.

Ben Cohen, '12 Makes Elite Performance Squad for USA Maccabiah Rugby Team

Cohen hugs Brendan Shea, '12 after a victory over Virginia Tech

in April in their last game for Wake Forest

Ben Cohen, '12, had made the Elite Performance Squad for the USA Maccabiah Rugby Team.  Full details can be found below in the article on RugbyMag.com

http://www.rugbymag.com/international-news/5691-players-try-out-for-maccabi-usa-team.html

UNC-G Withdrawal Forces Another Schedule Change

UNC-G notified Wake Forest earlier this week that it no longer intended to honor its commitment to a joint training session and scrimmage on September 15.  The Demon Deacons will instead now be travelling to Johnson City, TN on Sunday, September 16 to participate in some 7s scrimmages with the University of Tennessee.

Fall Schedule Sees Some Late Changes

Wake Forest has voluntarily withdrawn from the Blackburg, VA leg of the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s Series because the Sept. 15th tournament received more applications for participation than spots available.  Head coach Patrick Kane, who is also the Commissioner of the ACRL, said that while Wake was excited to be playing in Blacksburg, it made sense to withdraw Wake from the tournament in order to accommodate the participation of another non-ACRL team.  Instead, the Demon Deacons will be playing a contolled scrimmage with UNC-G at home that day.

Additionally, the format for Alumni Weekend has been modified slightly and instead of playing 7s, the current players will be facing off against the alumni in a series of 10s matches.

NAVY JOINS THE ATLANTIC COAST RUGBY LEAGUE

GREENSBORO, NC (June 13, 2012) – The United States Naval Academy’s men’s rugby team has joined the Atlantic Coast Rugby League effective immediately, league commissioner Patrick Kane announced today. Navy will play in this fall’s Atlantic Coast Rugby Sevens Championship and compete in the ACRL beginning in the spring 2013 conference 15s season. The addition of Navy to the ACRL will keep the conference at eight teams, as Georgia Tech voluntarily terminated its membership in the conference following the 2012 conference season.


The inclusion of Navy in the ACRL is significant, as it marks the first time that a team from a school not in the Atlantic Coast Conference has been admitted to the now three year old league. Said Kane of the inclusion of the Midshipmen, “While we founded this conference to be the rugby analog to the ACC, adding the United States Naval Academy to our membership was really a no-brainer. They have a tremendous rugby history, great support from their university, and most importantly they are a perfect fit for our conference’s geographic and academic footprint. There are very few teams from non-ACC schools that I think we would even consider opening the door for, but Navy was certainly one of them.”

Navy comes to the ACRL after two years in the College Premier Division/Division 1-A of USA Rugby where they made the quarterfinals in 2011 and barely missed out on a playoff berth in 2012. However, uncertainty with the direction of that competition led Navy’s administration to look at other options. “The Atlantic Coast Rugby League was an incredibly attractive opportunity for us,” said Navy’s long-time Head Coach Mike Flanagan. “The conference is comprised of teams from like-minded and similarly situated academic institutions and we are excited to begin, and in some cases rekindle, rivalries on the rugby field with these schools.”

With the addition of Navy and the departure of Georgia Tech, the ACRL immediately becomes a much more competitive conference from top to bottom, as Georgia Tech had won only one conference game in two years. “We are disappointed to see Georgia Tech leave, but we understand that they need to do what they feel best for their program,” said Kane. “They will still be heavily involved with our Atlantic Coast Rugby Invitational 7s Series and will continue to compete in our 7s championship. We are hopeful that at some point they will rejoin the ACRL as a full member, competing in both 7s and 15s.”

The Atlantic Coast Rugby League, the Atlantic Coast Invitational Rugby 7s Series, and the Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Wake Forest Releases Fall 7s Schedule

The Wake Forest men's rugby team will be playing a full slate of Rugby 7s tournaments this fall in the Atlantic Coast Invitation Rugby Sevens Series, culminating in the Atlantic Coast Rugby Sevens Championships in Virginia Beach on October 27-28.  This will be the first year that the team has focused on Rugby 7s almost exclusively in the fall, as the Olympic version of the sport continues to gain popularity at the collegiate level.

Wake Forest Fall 7s Schedule

Sept. 15: ACI 7s Series, Blacksburg, VA
Sept. 22: Homecoming Weekend Alumni Sevens tournament, Wake Forest
Sept. 29-30: ACI 7s Series, Greensboro, NC
Oct. 13: ACI 7s Series, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 27-28: Atlantic Coast Rugby Sevens Championship, Virginia Beach, VA

Many Honored at Year End Awards Banquet

Seven of Wake's Nine Graduating Seniors After Their Final Game Against Virginia Tech Last Weekend

The Wake Forest men's rugby team held its annual year end awards banquet on Sunday night on campus at "the Barn."  The team honored its nine graduating seniors, the largest graduating class that the team has had in almost a decade.  The team also recognized a number of individuals who played key roles in the program's success this year, including team physicians Dr. Neil Sparks and Dr. John Lucas, Wake Forest Stregnth and Conditioning Coach Ethan Reeve, and faculty advisor Dr. Bill Marcum.

The team also said thanks and goodbye to assistant coach Rob Duryea, who is graduating from the Wake Forest MBA program and is moving with his family to Iowa, where he will be working in an executive position with Target.  Coach Rob was a huge asset to the team over the past year and a half, motivating and instilling confidence in the players and helping to develop a backline that produced four All-ACRL honorees this season.

Finally, the team presented its own awards for standout performances over the course of the 2011-2012 season.  Award winners were:

Rookie of the Year: Christian Gutowski
Most Improved Player: Robert Elmore
Most Valuable Back: Johnny McMurray
Most Valuable Forward: Matt Storck
Most Valuable Player: Brendan Shea

Seven Wake Players Named to All-Conference Teams, Kane Named Coach of the Year

Junior Johnny McMurray named First Team All-ACRL for the Second Consecutive Year

http://www.atlanticcoastrugby.com/1/post/2012/04/2012-atlantic-coast-rugby-league-all-conference-teams-and-award-winners-named.html

Rugby team wins Pump Up For Piccolo

Senior Ben Cohen and Sophomore Ryan Tacon won the annual Pump Up for Piccolo strength event put on by the football team and Pi Kappa Alpha as a cancer fundraiser. Teaming up with two football players, Cohen and Tacon dominated the bench press, tire flip, and other events en route to their victory. http://www.wakeforestsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/042512aaa.html

Second Half Outburst Propels Demon Deacons to Win Over Hokies

Wake Forest After Season-Ending Victory Over Virginia Tech

Trailing 22-5 at halftime, Wake Forest ran in six second half tries to finish their 2012 spring season with a remarkable 43-29 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday in Winston-Salem.  The win gives the Demon Deacons a 4-3 record in Atlantic Coast Rugby League play and a fourth place conference finish.  The Deacs finish with an overall spring record of 6-3.

From the opening kickoff, Virginia Tech looked to exert their style of play, focusing on starving the Demon Deacons of possession, gaining ground with their well-drilled forward pack, and running their offense through All-Conference senior center Matt Heitzer.  The Hokies executed very well for the first part of the game and Wake's defense did not look to be up to the challenge.  The Hokies went up 3-0 in the early going on a penalty kick, then extended the lead to 10-0 after a well worked try.  On the few occasions that Wake Forest had possession they looked dangerous in attack, but saw many opportunities fall by the wayside with sloppy passing and poor ball retention.  However, a sustained period of pressure inside the Hokies 22 resulted in senior scrumhalf Will Hank scoring off the fringe of a ruck and Wake cut the defecit in half at 10-5.

The teams then endured a prolonged stoppage in play, as Wake Forest sophomore flanker Tim Zage suffered a suspected neck injury making a tackle and had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution. (All examinations came back negative and Zage was released from the hospital later that evening with nothing more than a sore neck).  

When play resumed, Wake Forest again showed a promising attack, but continued to make mistakes with the ball that the opportunistic Tech side turned into two more tries before the break.  As the teams changed sides the Hokies held a commanding 22-5 lead and looked to be in easy control of the match.

However, inspired play by the Wake seniors who were playing their final game and spurred on by a boisterous home crowd, the Demon Deacons looked like a different team in the second half.  The forwards shut down the Virginia Tech forward attack and when the Hokies sought to swing it wide, they were bottled up quickly and began to make mistakes.  Ten minutes into the half one of those mistakes took place inside the Tech 22 and senior Ben Cohen toed a loose ball ahead and it was gathered in by sophomore outside center Ryan Tacon who touched down between the posts.  Junior flyhalf Rob Kelly, who had taken over kicking duties from Johnny McMurray who was hampered by an injured ankle, slotted the conversion and suddenly the Demon Deacons were down 22-12 and looked to be in the game.  Moments later, Kelly slithered through the Virginia Tech backline to score under the posts and his conversion brought Wake to within 3.  The momentum had shifted and Wake brought on fresh legs in sophomores Jack Zimmerman, Bryce Lambert, and Jaime Drewery to try to increase the pressure.

Taking a page out of the Hokies playbook, Wake began to control possession for long periods, with the forwards setting a good platform and the backline alternating with attacks through the middle and out wide.  Senior captain Brendan Shea was virtually unstoppable with ball in hand, and gave the Deacs their first lead of the game with 20 minutes to play when he powered over a Hokie defender to put Wake Forest ahead 24-22.  Wake continued to execute their attack pattern almost to perfection and a backline movement saw Johnny McMurray isolated against two Hokie defenders on the wing.  McMurray chipped over the defense and gathered in the bouncing ball and went in for the try.  Kelly's conversion was true and suddenly Wake appeared in full control of the match, leading 31-22.  Wake struck again soon afterwards, when the forwards drove in a maul off a lineout from 10 meters out and senior Matt Storck touched down in the corner.  36-22.

The Hokies were not about to roll over, however, and on their next possession ran a well-executed play off of a lineout that saw their winger go 50 meters untouched through the center of the Wake defense for try under the posts and after the conversion Wake's lead was cut to seven.  Tensions were high as the clock ticked down and Wake was awarded a scrum in their attacking third.  A miscommunication in the backline resulted in a broken play, but Rob Kelly capped off a stellar performance by again weaving through a maze of Tech defenders to dot down for the second time in the half.  His conversion put Wake up 43-29 with a minute to play.  Wake received the ensuing restart and ran out the clock with some tight forward phases.

In the junior varsity game, Virginia Tech used its superior scrum to overwhelm the Wake second side.  Tech jumped out to a 28-0 haltime lead, but Wake Forest battled back and scored three tries in the second half, two by sophomore #8 Liam McIntyre and all converted by sophomore scrumhalf Steve Hemric to make the final score a respectable 35-21.

The first side victory over Virginia Tech was the culmination of a season that had many ups and downs, but by most measures must be considered one of the most successful in the history of the Wake Forest rugby program.  In only their second year of Division 1-AA, and having been picked to finish second to last in the ACRL preseason coaches poll, the Demon Deacons instead finished fourth in the conference with a winning conference record and at the mid-point of the season garnered their first ever D1-AA Top 25 national ranking.  Assistant coach Mike Wills, who was a standout player for the Deacs from 2005-2009, put the season's success in perspective.  "When I began playing rugby at Wake as a freshman, we were a Division 3 program whose rivals included Guilford College and Elon University.  The thought of even setting foot on the same field as Division 1 teams like Virginia and Virginia Tech would have been unfathomable, much less actually beating those teams like we accomplished this year.  It is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the players who have come through this program over the past 8 years, both the current ones and those who have graduated but continue to offer substantial support, that we have been able to progress to this level."   

Wake graduates a number of key seniors, including four year starters Matt Storck and Brendan Shea and former North Carolina Collegiate All-Star players Brandon Turner and Ben Cohen.  But fifteen freshmen and sophomores saw time on the varsity side for Wake Forest this season and juniors Johnny McMurray, Rob Kelly, Wes Bloomer, and Jim Kavalec are an experienced group who will undoubtedly provide solid senior leadership both on and off the field next year.

Wake Forest will hold its end of the year awards banquet next Sunday evening, and then will turn their focus towards exams and, for some, graduation.  A core of returning players will be remaining at the University for the summer to take classes and train together for the upcoming fall sevens season, while the remainder of the team will be training with senior men's teams in their hometowns.  Wake's 2012 collegiate 7s season opens on Sept. 15 with the first Atlantic Coast Invitational Sevens Series event in Blacksburg, VA.

Wake Varsity Lineup vs Virginia Tech

1. Matt Storck, Sr.

2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 52)

3. Nick Conte, Sr.

4. Christian Gutowski, Fr. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 65)

5. James Watson, So.

6. Tim Zage, So. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 18)

7. Robert Elmore, So. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 7, Elmore @ 13, Jamie Drewery, So. @ 52)

8. Brendan Shea, Sr.

9. Will Hank, Sr. (Jack Zimmerman, So. @ 52)

10. Rob Kelly, Jr.

11. Franco Cima, So. (Drew Ammons, So. @ 54)

12. Ben Cohen, Sr.

13. Ryan Tacon, So.

14. Brandon Turner, Sr.

15. Johnny McMurray, Jr.

Tries: Hank, Tacon, Kelly (2), Shea, McMurray, Storck

Cons: Kelly (4)  

Wake Finishes Season on Winning Note

Wake Forest allowed the visiting Virginia Tech Hokies to jump out to a 22-5 haltime lead, but then exploded for 38 second half points to win 43-29. The Demon Deacons finish the season with a 6-3 record overall and 4-3 record in conference play.

Full game report to follow.

Tries: Hank, Tacon, Kelly (2), Shea, McMurray, Storck
Cons: Kelly (4)

Second Half Troubles Lead to Second Straight Loss

For the second consecutive weekend, Wake Forest played a good first half and a terrible second half, resulting in a 41-24 loss to Clemson in Charlotte today.

As was the case against Maryland last weekend, Wake Forest struck first in the game when sophomore center Ryan Tacon made a line brak and popped the ball from the deck to sophomore wing Franco Cima who was in perfect support and went in for the try. Junior fullback Johnny McMurray made the conversion and Wake lead 7-0. However, Wake let Clemson strike right back, when a poor kick from inside the Wake 22 allowed Clemson a quick, multiphase counter-attack resulting in a try under the posts.

The Demon Deacons regained the lead when prop Matt Storck gathered in an errant pass near midfield and fed freshman lock Christian Gutowski who outpaced the Clemson backline for a 50 meter try. McMurray converted again and Wake was up 14-7. A linebreak by junior flyhalf Rob Kelly culminated in a Clemson penalty between the posts, and McMurray slotted the kick to extend the Demon Deacons lead to 10. Wake Forest looked in prime position to take control of the match when a well worked play off a driving maul saw senior wing Brandon Turner slice through the Tiger defense and brought down 5 meters from the line. But the Wake support was over anxious and an ill-advised pick from the base of the ruck allowed Clemson to turn the ball over and kick to touch to relieve the pressure. This swung the momentum in Clemson's favor and soon play was at the other end of the field with the Tigers going in for a convertd try to make the score 17-14. Wake held on for the rest of the half and kept the lead after Cima held up a Clemson ball carrier in the tryzone and then Tacon forced a knockon as Clemson looked to ground the ball and take the lead.

Holding a 17-14 advantage as the second half began, and having run on some fresh legs, Wake looked to take control of the match. But instead, it was Clemson who came out of the locker room on fire. A powerful run and try in the corner from the Clemson wing put the Tigers ahead 19-17. Then, from a Wake Forest scrum seven meters from the Demon Deacons tryline, an errant pass went out the back of the tryzone and the Tigers were able to put in another unconverted try from the ensuing five meter scrum to extend their lead to 24-17. Wake looked to strike back and were inside the Tigers 22, but Clemson forced a turnover on the wing and immediately went 80 meters down the sideline for a try and a 31-17 lead. A penalty goal extended the Clemson lead to 34-17 and the game looked to be in the books.

However, Wake continued to battle and senior Brendan Shea went in under the posts to keep Wake alive. But any hopes for a comeback were dashed shortly thereafter when Clemson ran in their sixth try of the day and sealed the win, 41-24.

Wake's JV side did not fare much better, falling 29-7 to the Tigers second side. Wake's try was scored by freshman Tommy Kinzer and converted by sophomore Steve Hemric.

Wake concludes its 2011-2012 campaign next weekend at home against Virginia Tech. Both teams are 3-3 in the conference and will be looking to finish with a winning record.

Wake Lineup for Clemson

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Bryce Lambert, So. (Jeff Millar, Sr. @ 55)
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Jaime Drewery, So. @ 60)
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Jack Zimmerman, So. @ 40)
7. Kip Lewis, Sr. (Rob Elmore, So. @ 30)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Sr.
10. Rob Kelly, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Jim Kavalec, Jr. @ 45)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So. (Ted McGuiggan, Fr. @ 70)
14. Brandon Turner, Sr. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 65)
15. Johnny McMurray, Jr. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 75)

Tries: Cima, Gutowski, Shea
Cons: McMurray (3)
Pens: McMurray

Strong Second Half Propels Terrapins Past Wake Forest

#11 Maryland defeated #25 Wake Forest 39-7 in College Park yesterday to remain undefeated in ACRL play and in first place in the conference. Maryland played a virtually flawless second half, outscoring the Demon Deacons 29-0 in the second stanza.

Wake Forest came into the game riding a three game winning streak and nationally ranked in Division 1-AA for the first time in the program's history. The Terrapins, meanwhile, had won ten straight conference games and were playing their first home game of the league season. Wake Forest came out of the gates fast, getting ahead 7-0 in the first ten minutes on a try under the posts by senior Brandon Turner. The try was set up by a well executed lineout and maul from the Wake forwards, but the lineout would prove to be a trouble point for the Demon Deacons for the rest of the game.

Maryland struck back quickly with a try from All-ACRL fullback Trevor Tanifum after he tracked down a ball that was kicked into the tryzone and was adjudged to have grounded it before knocking it forward. The Terps scored again in similar fashion later in the half when their winger beat a number of Wake Forest defenders to a ball kicked into the tryzone to put Maryland ahead 10-7. Wake Forest had numerous opportunities to scored in the half, but failed to execute and despite having the run of possession and territory in the first forty minutes, found themselves trailing at the break.

Maryland opened up the second half quickly with a converted try to extend their lead to 17-7, grabbing the momentum and never looking back. The Terrapins would go on to score five tries in the half, while Wake Forest rarely showed any signs of offensive threat. The Demon Deacons were constantly on the back foot and although they defended well in spurts, Maryland retained possession well and took advantage of every opportunity that presented itself.

Wake Forest now falls to 3-2 and fourth place in the conference. The squad has games remaining against third place Clemson (4-1) and second place Virginia Tech (3-3). The ACRL championship is now likely out of the equation for Wake Forest, but solid wins against the Tigers and Hokies could put them in the conversation for an at-large bid to the national playoffs.

The Wake Forest JV side gained a measure of redemption for the program in the day's second match, defeating Maryland 24-15. Senior Will Hank, playing wing, led the way with two tries while sophomore flanker Andrew Estes and senior hooker Chris Ryan also touched down.

Wake Forest will play Clemson next Saturday in Charlotte at Skilbeck Rugby Complex. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Wake Forest, but had to be moved due to field availability issues.

Wake Varsity Lineup vs Maryland

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 50)
3. Nick Conte, Sr.
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. Paul Shumaker, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Matt McCurdy, So. @ 65)
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Jaime Drewery, So. @ 50)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Sr. (Jack Zimmerman, So. @ 40)
10. Rob Kelly, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Tommy Kinzer, Fr. @ 40)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, Jr.

Tries: Turner
Cons: McMurray

Wake Ends Losing Streak Against State in Dramatic Fashion

Sophomore wing Franco Cima led the Wake Forest first half comeback (Kyle Ray O'Donnell Photo)

Sophomore flanker Rob Elmore had a monster game defensively (Kyle Ray O'Donnell photo)

For the second consecutive year, Wake Forest let NC State race out to an early 14-0 lead. However, strong defensive play and offensive patience lead to two late first half tries from the Demon Deacons and the momentum carried over into the second half with two more tires to give Wake a 24-21 victory in Raleigh. The win puts Wake at 3-1 in the conference and in a tie for first place, while the Wolfpack drop to 0-3 in ACRL play.

Both teams played less than stellar rugby throughout the day, as missed passes, knockons, and penalties disrupted the flow of the game. But the first 20 minutes belonged to State, as their forwards used a very methodical attack off the fringes of the ruck to maintain territory and possession for long periods of time. Wake Forest defended well at times, but the Wolfpack were able to run in two converted tries complements of Wake Forest mental breakdowns and were unlucky not to have added more points as they had a ball knocked on in the tryzone and another ball held up.

Despite the disparity in possession and territory, Wake Forest remained calm and positive and slowly worked to establish their offensive pattern. Their patience was finally rewarded when a multiphase attack culminated in sophomore wing Franco Cima receiving the ball on the wing and stepping inside two defenders to touch down. Fullback Johnny McMurray added the conversion and the score was 14-7. With no time remaining in the half, Wake had a scrum 40 meters out on the left side of the field. A well executed move from the back of the scrum sent Cima into space and a few phases later Cima received the ball on the wing, was brought down short of the line but offloaded from the deck to sophomore lock James Watson for the try in the corner. The whistle blew with Wake within two at 14-12.

The second half saw messy rugby from both backlines, as neither seemed to be able to get in sync. NC State's usually reliable goalkicker Bryan Maxwell missed a penalty kick and then the favor was returned when McMurray missed a shot at goal as well. But from the ensuing 22 meter drop, which was actually gathered in by State, a dropped ball in the backline was kicked forward by flyhalf Rob Kelly. A fortuitous bounce came right into Kelly's hands and he raced in for a try to put Wake ahead 17-14.

The momentum was now clearly in Wake Forest's favor, but the Demon Deacons were sloppy on multiple set pieces inside the Wolfpack 22 and the game hung in the balance as the clock wound down. But from a 5 meter scrum to the left of the posts, senior captain Brendan Shea picked from the base and broke 3 tackles to touch down and give the Demon Deacons some breathing room. The breathing room was much-needed, as NC State's replacement wing took advantage of lackadaisical defense by the Deacs to bring State back within 3 with two minutes remaining. But Wake Forest was able to hold on for the final few minutes to claim the victory.

Wake's JV side continued to struggle in ACRL play, giving up a number of first half tries to the Wolfpack second side. But the Deacs stepped up their efforts in the second half and matched the Pack two tries apiece with sophomore prop Jaime Drewery and sophomore scrumhalf Andrew Estes scoring tries. Drewery's try was converted from the touchline by sophomore wing Steve Hemric.

Wake Forest travels to College Park, Maryland next weekend to take on the Maryland Terrapins, the defending ACRL champion. The Terps are undefeated this season at 3-0, but face a tough test on the road tomorrow at UVA.

Lineup vs. North Carolina State

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @60)
3. Nick Conte, Sr.
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Jaime Drewery, So. @ 40)
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Matt McCurdy, So. @ 77)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Sr. (Jack Zimmerman, So. @ 40)
10. Rob Kelly, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Tommy Kinzer, Fr. @40)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Jr.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, Jr.

Tries: Cima, Watson, Kelly, Shea
Cons: McMurray (2)

Wake Overcomes Adversity to Claim Victory over Cavs

Johnny McMurray added to his ACRL leading point total with a try and conversion

Despite being forced to relocate the game from the Wake Forest campus to Danville, VA three hours hours before scheduled kickoff, Wake Forest improved to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in conference play with a hard-fought 27-13 victory over the University of Virginia. The Demon Deacon forwards led from the front all day, while Wake's midfield defense put in an impressive performance containing a very dangerous UVA backline. Five different Deacs scored tries in the win, including Atlantic Coast Rugby League leading scorer Johnny McMurray.

The game was originally scheduled to be played at noon on Saturday on Poteat Field, but overnight rains caused standing water on the playing surface and the University closed the field to play at 9am. In order to get the game played and avoid the problems affiliated with rescheduling, both teams travelled an hour and a half to Danville, VA, to play on a field that, ironically, was far more waterlogged than Poteat.

With both teams liking to play wide open rugby, it was clear that the game would be decided by which team could best adapt to the less than ideal conditions. That turned out to be Wake Forest, as the Deacon forwards won the battle in the trenches and used a tight attack pattern to maintain possession and territory. When the Wake backline did get into the action, they made the most of it, with sophomore outside center Ryan Tacon, junior fullback Johnny McMurray, and senior wing Brandon Turner all making long probing runs into space. Wake got on the board first with a try from senior scrumhalf Will Hank, converted by McMurray. UVA answered back with an unconverted try of their own, but Wake responded immediately with a try by McMurray. UVA closed out the scoring in the half with a penalty goal to make the scoreline 12-8 at the break. UVA were unlucky not to have put more points on the board, but were held up in goal once and knocked on while touching the ball down in goal another time.

While the first half was a relatively even contest, the second half belonged almost entirely to Wake Forest. The forwards continued to control the attack, but opened it up a bit and used long periods of offloading and quick recycling to move down the field. Sophomore lock James Watson and senior #8 Brenadan Shea continually broke through the Cavaliers defense and finally freshman lock Christian Gutowski went over to extend Wake's lead to 17-8.

Meanwhile, Virginia's backline attacks were repeatedly stopped cold by almost flawless midfield defense from centers Ben Cohen and Ryan Tacon. Unable to consistently break the gainline, the Cavaliers opted to kick and chase, but McMurray covered the field superbly from his fullback position and counterattacked well at every opportunity. With UVA on its heels, Wake ran in two almost idential tries. Both began with long linebreaks, one by Tacon and the other by Turner, and culminated in a series of quick forward phases capped off by unconverted tries from senior prop Matt Storck and Watson.

With Wake holding a commanding 27-8 lead and time running down, Virginia finally found some gaps and showed some flashes of the offensive skill that saw them establish themselves as a top collegiate 7s team last fall. But another ball kocked on in goal stymied any chance for a comeback, and although they did manage to touch down a nicely worked try in the final 5 minutes, it was not enough and the final whistle blew with Wake claiming a 27-13 victory. The five tries scored by Wake garnered a bonus point and kept the Demon Deacons in the heart of the race for the ACRL title. UVA also controls its own destiny with 5 games remaining, including games against all the teams in front of them in the conference standings.

Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane said after the game, "This was a big win for us. UVA is a great team and we frankly were lucky to play them in conditions that kept them from playing to their strengths. But those same conditions took away some of what we like to do and I was impressed with the way our guys adjusted our attack to dictate play and create opportunities outside of our preferred pattern. And our backline defense was superb. To be able to shut down a backline as talented as UVA's is a tremendous feat. My only regret on the day is that our guys weren't able to put on this performance in front of a home crowd."

The Wake Forest second side suffered its third stright close defeat, falling to the UVA JV side 17-8. Freshman center Ted McGuiggan continued to impress, scoring the Deacs lone try, while sophomore wing Steve Hemric kicked a penalty goal. Flankers Andrew Estes and Kip Lewis were especially active on defense, and center Jim Kavalec and fullback Tommy Kinzer were stalwarts in the backline attack.

Wake Forest takes on North Carolina State next weekend in Raleigh in a game that the Demon Deacons have been looking forward to for some time. "Last year we lost to State on a legnth of the field try on the last play of the game," said senior Ben Cohen. "Then they beat us pretty handily in the quarterfinals of the ACI 7s this fall. So we've had this game circled on our calendar. Today's win was nice, but it means nothing if we don't refocus and put in another good performance next weekend."

The Wolfpack have struggled through a difficult early season conference schedule, falling to second place Virginia Tech in the opening week of conference play and then losing to first place North Carolina today. "NC State is an excellent team and the chances of them losing three straight are slim. So we will need to play our best if we want to go into their place and come away with a win next weekend," said Kane.

Wake Forest Varsity Lineup vs University of Virginia

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 74)
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 73, Conte @ 77)
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 58)
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Matt McCurdy, So. @ 52)
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Jaime Drewery, So. @ 52)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (capt.)
9. Will Hank, Sr.
10. Rob Kelly, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So.
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, Jr.

Tries: Hank, McMurray, Gutowski, Storck, Watson
Cons: McMurray

Exciting News from Atlantic Coast Rugby League

GREENSBORO, NC (March 13, 2012) – The Atlantic Coast Rugby League has announced the launch of a new collegiate Rugby 7s series, the Atlantic Coast Invitational Rugby 7s Series, to be run in the fall of 2012. Four one-day tournaments will be held in different locations up and down the east coast, which will lead up to the Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship, sponsored by USA Sevens, LLC, which will be held in late October.

The idea behind the series originated with Clemson Head Coach Justin Hickey.

“With the Olympic inclusion of Rugby 7s and the current trend of 7s competition in the United States, the Atlantic Coast Rugby League (ACRL) has the opportunity to set the standard on how Rugby 7s operates and competes at the collegiate level.”

Each ACRL team will have the option to enter any of the Series tournaments. Once it is established how many ACRL teams will be attending each tournament, the extra slots will be opened to non-ACRL collegiate teams through an application process. The one-day Series tournaments will have either eight or twelve teams depending on the venue. The Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship will be contested over two days and will be limited to the men’s rugby teams from the universities in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Patrick Kane is the ACRL League Commissioner and Co-tournament Director of the Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship. “The expansion from a single tournament to a series is a natural progression given the increasing popularity of Rugby 7s. It will expose our teams to more and better competition while providing competition opportunities for collegiate teams outside of the ACRL,” said Kane.

ACRL teams who will be allowed to enter each event of the series will represent the following universities:

• Clemson University

• Georgia Tech

• N.C. State University

• University of Maryland

• University of North Carolina

• University of Virginia

• Virginia Tech

• Wake Forest University

As well as the eight members of the ACRL, Florida State and Duke have also been extended invitations to the Series events and to the Atlantic Coast Rugby Sevens Championship.

Tentative dates and venues to be confirmed are:

September 15th – Blacksburg, VA

September 29th – North Carolina (Raleigh, Charlotte, or Greensboro)

October 13th – Atlanta, GA

October 13th – College Park, MD

October, 27th-28th – Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship (Location TBD)

Information on the application process for non-ACRL teams will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Atlantic Coast Rugby League, the Atlantic Coast Invitational Rugby 7s Series, and the Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s Championship are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Wake Moves to 1-1 in Conference Play with Win at Georgia Tech

Wake Forest shook off their disappointing result from last weekend and evened their ACRL record with a 67-10 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Demon Deacons opened the scoring in the third minute with a try from sophomore lock James Watson and never looked back, running in 10 tries on the day. Watson lead the way with a hat trick and senior center Ben Cohen bagged two tries. Junior Johnny McMurray accounted for 22 points on the day with a try, penalty goal and seven conversions. Senior scrumhalf Will Hank stepped in seamlessly for the injured Jack Zimmerman, while junior Rob Kelly directed the offense from flyhalf with McMurray moving back to fullback.

Wake now has two weekends off to prepare for the Virginia Cavaliers who travel to Winston-Salem on March 24. UVA has yet to play an ACRL game, as their scheduled game with defending champions Maryland was postponed this weekend due to field conditions in Charlottesville.

Wake's JV side lost to a more experienced Tech side 20-7. The Deacs were behind 10-0 at the half, but dominated most of the second stanza. But they were only able to notch one try from their sustained pressure and a loose ball at the goal line was scooped up by a Tech player who went 95 meters for a backbreaking try.

Wake Varsity vs Georgia Tech

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 50, Matt McCurdy, So. @ 75)
3. Nick Conte, Sr.
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 40)
7. Jaime Drewery, So. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 45)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Sr.
10. Rob Kelly, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Drew Ammons, So. @ 72)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, Jr.

Tries: James Watson (3), Ben Cohen (2), Ryan Tacon, Brandon Turner, Johnny McMurray, Brendan Shea, Christian Gutowski
Cons: McMurray (7)
Pens: McMurray

Demon Deacons Rue Missed Opportunities in Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Wake Forest 29-17 tonight in Chapel Hill in the opening weekend of Atlantic Coast conference play. Missed tackles in the midfield and failure to secure ball in the tackle plagued the Demon Deacons all night and left Wake wondering what could have been.

Wake Forest missed an opportunity to take an early lead as flyhalf Johnny McMurray was just wide on a penalty goal attempt in the opening minutes. UNC had made clear their intentions to run their attack through their centers from the opening whistle and were unlucky not to have scored an early try when the referee adjudged the Tar Heel inside center to have possibly stepped on the dead ball line before touching the ball down for what would have staked UNC to a lead in the first few minutes. UNC got the try a few minutes later, however, as missed tackles allowed UNC in under the posts and gave them a 7-0 lead. Moments later McMurray was true an another penalty attempt and cut the lead to 7-3. Wake's forwards began to assert themselves and a tight multi-phase attack inside the Tar Heel 22 resulted in prop Mat Storck powering over for a try. McMurray's conversion put Wake ahead 10-7. Both teams had scoring opportunities in the remainder of the half, but neither was able to turn pressure into points and the halftime whistle blew with Wake leading by 3.

UNC opened the second half with a sustained attack that culminated in a try in the corner to regain the lead 12-10. Wake Forest dominated the scrum and breakdown for the next twenty minutes, but saw many opportunities go lacking as twice McMurray smartly kicked into space, but the ball unlickily rolled past the dead ball line and gave UNC scrums in Wake territory. Meanwhile, UNC repeatedly turned Wake ball over in the tackle. The Tar Heels were able to extend their lead to 19-10 when their flyhalf sent a deep kick into Wake territory and recovered a fortuitous bounce to go in for the score.

Wake responded well, and after a number of powerful scrums inside Tar Heel territory, #8 Brendan Shea went over for a try. McMurray's conversion brought the Demon Deacons within 2 and Wake had the momentum and looked poised to steal a road win. But on the ensuing restart Wake committed another turnover inside their own 22 and the Tar Heels wasted no time in capitalizing, using their midfield attack to go in under the posts and essentially ice the victory. As Wake pushed hard to get within 7 and at least garner the bonus point, UNC was awarded another penalty which they converted at full time to make the final score 29-17. UNC moves to 1-0 in conference play with 5 points, having secured the 4 try bonus point, while Wake begins the season at 0-1 with 0 standings points.

A disappointed Coach Kane said after the loss, "The game was there for us to win, but we simply didn't execute when we needed to, both offensively and defensively. We knew coming in that their strength was in the midfield and how we handled that defensively would determine the outcome. Unfortunately, as you would expect from a team as well-coached as UNC, they exploited our weaknesses in defensive structure and fundamentals and deserved the victory."

In the JV game, Wake suffered its second loss of the night, falling 14-10. Scrumhalf Will Hank continued his impressive play this spring, directing play extremely well and scoring his 4th try in 3 games this spring. Freshman Jake Marshel scored Wake's other try, while freshman Ted McGuiggan and sophomore Jaime Drewery also had standout performances.

Wake travels to Atlanta next weekend to take on Georgia Tech in what is now a must win game for the Demon Deacons if they hope to have any shot of garnering the ACRL's automatic qualifying bid to the national playoffs. Georgia Tech lost handily at Clemson today, but were undermanned and will have a much stronger side on the field next weekend to face Wake Forest. Kickoff is at 2pm at Silverback Stadium.

Wake Varsity vs North Carolina:

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr.
3. Nick Conte, Sr.
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. James Watson. So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 45)
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 30)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (c)
9. Jack Zimmerman, So. (Will Hank, Sr., @ 73)
10. Johnny McMurray, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So.
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Storck, Shea
Cons: McMurray
Pens: McMurray

Wake Takes Care of Business Against Eagles on the Road

Wake Forest travelled to Fredericksburg, VA for a preseason matchup with the University of Mary Washington Eagles. UMW is a rising rugby power in Virginia and will soon be afforded full varsity status by their University. Wake narrowly escaped Fredericksburg with a win last year and was expecting a stern test from the Eagles prior to the start of ACRL conference play next weekend. This time, however, there was no question about who was the stronger team, as Wake ran away 42-26 winners.

The match opened with Wake putting UMW on its heels and it wasn't long before sophomore center Ryan Tacon went over for the first of his three tries on the day. Junior flyhalf Johnny McMurray slotted the conversion for a 7-0 lead. The Eagles struck back with a converted try of their own to knot the score at 7 and it looked like it would be another closely contested match between the two sides. However, with a stiff wind at their backs, the Demon Deacons dominated the remainder of the first half, running over three more converted tries to put the score at 28-7 at the break. Wake was unlucky not to have put more points on the board, as they struggled with the referee's interpretation at the breakdown and were repeatedly penalized while attacking the UMW tryline.

The second half opened with UMW taking advantage of the wind and pressing the attack. A converted try closed the gap to 28-14, but a McMurray try extended the Wake lead back to 35-14. After a sustained period of pressure inside the Wake 22, UMW scored in the corner to make it 35-19, but Tacon's third try of the day iced the game for the Demon Deacons. UMW got a late intercept try when the result was no longer in doubt to make the final score 42-26.

Wake's JV side followed up the varsity's performance with an impressive victory of its own. Scrumhalf Will Hank lead the Deacs with two tries, while sophomores Drew Ammons, Jaime Drewery, and Franco Cima all notched tries and freshman Jake Marshel scored as well.

On Saturday Wake Forest opens ACRL conference play in Chapel Hill against the University of North Carolina. UNC were the 2011 ACRL Regular Season champions, but lost in the ACRL championship match to Maryland. The Demon Deacons will head to Tobacco Road as heavy underdogs, having been picked by the ACRL coaches to finish in the basement of the conference.

Wake Varsity vs University of Mary Washington

1. Matt Storck, Sr. (c)
2. Jeff Millar, Sr.
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Jaime Drewery, So. @ 53)
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So. (Matt McCurdy, So. @ 50)
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Kip Lewis, Sr. @ 70)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr.
9. Jack Zimmerman, So. (Will Hank, Sr. @ 68)
10. Johnny McMurray, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Andrew Estes, So. @ 72)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Steven Hemric, So.
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Tacon (3), Cohen, Shea, McMurray
Cons: McMurray (6)

Wake Forest 34 Georgetown 30

Captain Brendan Shea wins a lineout against Georgetown

On a cold and windy day in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest defeated Georgetown 34-30 in an exceptionally well-played first game of the season for both teams. The Hoyas rolled up to Poteat Field ranked #23 in the country in Division 2 and beginning their preparation for the Mid-Atlantic D2 Conference playoffs. The Demon Deacons were readying for their second season in the D1-AA Atlantic Coast Rugby League, and looking to improve on a disappointing finish to the fall exhibition season which saw them lose to another highly-ranked Division 2 opponent, UNC-Wilmington (currently ranked #10 in D2).

Wake Forest looked to be the better team from the start, taking the opening kickoff and dominating both possession and territory and jumping out to an early 14-0 lead. Freshman fullback Tommy Kinzer started the scoring with a nifty try under the post, which was followed up by a spectacular openfield run from senior captain and #8 Brendan Shea. Both tries were converted by junior flyhalf Johnny McMurry. But Wake would lose some focus and discipline and a string of penalties allowed the Hoyas to get back into the game with a try from former High School All-American Jordan Maitland and two penalty goals from sophomore scrumhalf Jack Sheridan to make the score 14-11. The Demon Deacons regained composure and extended the lead to 19-11 with a try from senior center Ben Cohen, but also let a number of other first half opportunities slip away as they repeatedly found themselves attacking at the Hoya tryline and coming up empty-handed.

The second half started with two unconverted tries for Wake, one from sophomore scrumhalf Jack Zimmerman and Shea notching his second of the game. With the score 29-11, Wake looked to be comfortably in control of the game. Penalties again began to hurt the Deacs, however, and Georgetown took advantage of a stiff tailwind to continually pin Wake deep in its own end. Maitland proceeded to put the team on his back, and in quick succession the Hoyas dotted down three tries-two from Maitland and one from center Mike Wrotniak. Sheridan converted two of the three and with less than 10 minutes remaining Wake Forest suddenly found itself trailing 30-29.

Georgetown looked to be in good position to take the game, as on the ensuing restart Wake sophomore scrumhalf was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, meaning the Hoyas would enjoy a man advantage for the rest of the game. The final minutes were played at a frantic pace, as Georgtown tried to retain possession with their powerful forwards and run down the clock, while the shorthanded Demon Deacons pressed to take back the lead. Wake made numerous forays inside the Hoya 22, but mental mistakes and penalties stymied scoring opportunities. With 3 minutes remaining it looked as if Georgetown would ice the game, as their winger scooped up a loose ball around his own 22 meter line and raced untouched down the sideline. But sophomore center Ryan Tacon tracked him down from behind 10 meters from the line and forced a penalty for not releasing. Wake took the quicktap, worked the ball to the opposite sideline, secured a breakdown and then went through the hands the other way to junior wing Wes Bloomer. Bloomer was tackled into touch 10 meters from the line, but managed to toss the ball back infield before going out of bounds. The supporting Wake forwards gathered possession and four tight phases later Zimmerman went over the line to put Wake back in the lead, 34-30 with less than two minutes on the clock. Wake took the restart cleanly and ground down the clock until finally McMurray booted the ball into touch to cap off the dramatic finish.

Given that it was the first game of the spring for both teams, the quality of play was excellent on both sides. While Wake dominated in many phases of the game, the well-coached Hoyas exploited the Demon Deacons weaknesses well and were unlucky not to have come away with the victory. Georgetown should clearly be a favorite to advance far into the Mid-Atlantic Conference playoffs and this game will hopefully be the beginning of an annual fixture between the two teams.

Wake Forest also emerged victorious in the JV game, winning 15-0. Paul Shumaker, Will Hank, and Liam McIntyre led the way for the Demon Deacons, while sophomore prop Jaime Drewery showed well in his rugby debut.

Wake plays another Division 2 Mid-Atlantic Conference foe next weekend as the Demon Deacons travel to Fredricksburg, Virginia to take on University of Mary Washington. UMW and Wake played a close preseason game in 2011, with Wake scoring late to win the contest.

Wake Forest Varsity Lineup vs Georgetown

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Bryce Lambert, So. (Jeff Millar, Sr. @ 58)
3. Nick Conte, Sr.
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr. (Paul Shumaker, So. @ 58)
5. James Watson, So.
6. Tim Zage, So.
7. Rob Elmore, So.
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (c)
9. Jack Zimmerman, So.
10. Johnny McMurray, Jr.
11. Wes Bloomer, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Kinzer, Shea (2), Cohen, Zimmerman (2)
Conv: McMurray (2)
YC: Elmore

Wake Escapes with Win Over Hoyas

Sophomore scrumhalf Jack Zimmerman scored his second try of the day with 2 minutes remaining to lead Wake Forest to a 34-30 victory over visiting Georgetown University. Wake looked the better team for most of the day and midway through the second half led 29-11. But the resilient Hoyas scored three tries in quick succession in the final 15 minutes to take a 30-29 lead, with two coming from former USA U-19 standout Jordan Maitland. But Wake battled back and despite being down a man after a yellow card to flanker Rob Elmore, the Demon Deacons managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with Zimmerman's try. Full report to follow.

Wake 34
Georgetown 30

Tries: Kinzer, Shea (2), Cohen, Zimmerman (2)
Conv: McMurray (2)
YC: Elmore

Brandon Turner Featured in Rugby Magazine