The Georgetown men’s club rugby team began their quest for a national championship on Saturday with a hard-fought 19-7 victory over Mary Washington in the Mid-Atlantic regional finals. The win earned the team its third straight appearance in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Final Four, where they will play VMI on Saturday in Princeton.
On a cold and muddy afternoon, Georgetown took control early against Mary Washington on a try by senior flyhalf Jake Ludwigson. Junior wing Paul Detjen followed soon after with another try, which, coupled with Ludwigson’s conversion, gave the Hoyas a 12-0 lead to take into halftime.
The second half saw a rejuvenated Mary Washington squad methodically work their way into the Georgetown end. Georgetown tried to counter and move the ball back downfield, but would be ultimately undone by penalties.
“We’d get down there and do something stupid to ruin it,” Ludwigson said.
Mary Washington finally capitalized on the Hoyas’ penalties and scored a try and conversion to cut the Hoya lead to 12-7 with about 20 minutes remaining in the game.
Visibly upset with their play, the squad rallied to march downfield behind runs from senior flanker Greg Suellentrop and a rumble down the sideline from junior prop Kerr Mone. Eventually the Hoyas’ junior eightman Mike Zoch punched through the Mary Washington defense for a try with just under 10 minutes remaining to seal the Hoya victory.
“Today was the start of something,” Ludwigson said. “We may be Georgetown’s best chance at a national championship this year.”
The team’s confidence is well deserved. So far this year the team has already destroyed the defending champions Salisbury State 34-0 in the Potomac Rugby Union Championship last fall. Should the Hoyas defeat VMI, a possible rematch looms with Salisbury.
“Salisbury beat us the year before in the Potomac championships, and we returned the favor, so it has developed into something of a rivalry,” Ludwigson said.
Georgetown will play VMI in Princeton this Saturday, April 2 at 11:45 a.m. The Hoyas will then play in either the regional finals or the consolation game on Sunday, April 3 at a time to be determined.
