Knicks Enjoy Success at Home Opener

Albany v. Syracuse Chargers
Albany, NY
April 14, 2012 

On a beautiful April Saturday the Knicks hosted the Syracuse Chargers in a friendly at Dick Green Field.  Syracuse used this match to prepare for their upcoming USA Rugby Division III Sweet 16 game in Pittsburgh, PA later this Spring.  It took about 20 minutes for Albany to find their groove as they found themselves down 13-10.  Silly penalties inside the Albany 40m line were easily converted by the Syracuse pivot but a try by Brandon Bailey and conversion & penalty kick converted by captain Tom Breslin kept Albany in the game early on.  After settling in the Knicks began working their game plan and started seeing results.  The game plan of aggressive pick & goes coupled with quick ball to the back line; along with crafty tactical kicking from flyhalf David O'Neill and wing Breslin worked well on the day.  Albany was able to control the remainder of the match and ran in 9 more unanswered tries.  Additional points came from the boot of Tom Breslin who slotted 6 of 10 conversions and 3 penalty kicks.  David O'Neill was awarded Man of the Match for his skillful distribution & tactical kicking. 

Albany Knicks               71
Syracuse Chargers        13 

A side: Malizia, Rufer, Murphy, O'Brien, Boehme, Lynch, Kos, Bailey, Cirone, O'Neill, Breslin, Morton, Pardo, Bergen, Martin. Subs - Roy (Malizia), Grimm, (Rufer), Ayoreh (Martin), Reigart (Lynch), Mertz (Pardo), Kuzia (Kos), Protain (Cirone) 

Albany - tries: Bailey, Pardo, Bergen, O'Neill, Morton (2), Breslin, Ayoreh, Mertz, Protain.  
Conversions: Breslin (6). 
Penalty kicks: Breslin (3)
Man of the Match - David O'Neill
Referee - Fred Greenaway  

The B side then took the field against a spirited UAlbany team.  Knicks wing Sean Mertz put down a marker as to why he should be on the starting 15, and with that fire, could not be denied as he crossed the try line 4 times; for his effort he was awarded Man of the Match.  Additional tries came from inside center Rev Protain and eightman Joe Judge.  

Albany Knicks    38  
 UAlbany             10 

Albany - tries: Protain, Mertz (4), Judge. 
 Conversions: Colley (4)
Man of the Match - Sean Mertz
Referee - JoAnne Kos 

B side: Roy, Rufer, Clapp, Kuzia, Drake, Pozzouli, Brooks, Judge, Burns, Colley, White, Protain, Halligan, Mertz, Warren. Subs - Rich O'Brien, L. Jones, Zedacker, Pillsworth, Reigart 

The Knicks will look to remain unbeaten at home next Saturday, April 21, as they host the Union Mudturtles (New Jersey) in another Spring friendly.