ALLEGANY, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure men's rugby team traveled to West Point to face Rugby East Conference rival Army on Sunday, Oct. 2.

The match saw Bonaventure suffer their first defeat of the season as they fell to Army in a highly contested road game.

The Bonnies played hard and gave their best effort, but the group fell short.

"Rugby East gets harder every year and this year is no exception. We traveled to West Point to take on the other national champions, a very strong Army side. The lads put in a very solid defensive performance and showed a lot of heart and toughness. Unfortunately, we squandered some crucial opportunities in attack as Army too defended their territory well. Being on the tough end of some penalty calls, two yellows and a penalty try before the half the lads showed good discipline and grit to only be down by 12. The forwards played well against a very strong pack and put on an excellent performance in the set piece, especially in the scrum. The front row of Doumbe, Hawthorne, and Aitken all put in huge shifts against their well-respected Army opposite numbers. We came away with a loss but I felt the score was not true to how close the game really was," said Assistant Coach Danny Neighbour.

Army defeated Bonaventure by a final score of 24-7. However, the Bonnies held composure and found several takeaways in the shortcoming.

"It was hard fought from the 1st minute to the last. It was a gritty, barbarous test, and we matched their physicality punch for punch. Our offensive drives were haltered by costly mistakes and unfortunate penalties. Despite our loss, we found successes throughout the game, showing our immense potential as a team connected. This loss taught us valuable lessons, and we strive to improve every day. A loss, not a defeat," said Team Captain Rick Rose.

The team will now prepare to travel to Kutztown to face the Golden Bears on Saturday, Oct.15.