Reading, PA - The Bowling Green Men's Rugby Team (11-1, 6-0 MAC) will continue their quest for another National Title against Virginia Tech (8-0-1 Overall, 4-0-1 MARC) in a neutral site match on Saturday, December 7th at 3 pm on the Penn State Burkes Fields.

"I'm confident with the team that we've had all year, we've got a great group of guys that know what to do and how to support each other. I think we're in a position where the whole year we've been working on the mentality of only controlling what we can control, and that's our same mentality going into this game," said Assistant Coach Austin Morris. "We're respecting all these teams, obviously they're good enough to make it to the final four. So we'll respect them, but we know playing on our strengths we're confident that we can be the better team as long as we're able to play the best game we can. So, I'm very excited about it, but it's one game at a time."

Bowling Green has managed to make it to the NCR Semifinal after a 29-18 win over SCRC runners-up Clemson on Saturday, November 23rd. The Falcons now face the MARC Champions Virginia Tech who were crowned National Champions in 2021 and 2022. Bowling Green goes into the match with limited information on the Hokies and without the home field advantage. However, the Falcons have been able to perform away from home this season with wins over MAC Runners-up Louisville and Third place Western Michigan. BG will need to be ready and keep the momentum moving in order to make their return to the National Championship final.

"The team is once again dealing with some major adversity at the moment but throughout the season we have been very resilient and I have faith that everyone will step up and perform at the highest level we can," said vice-captain Phil Tracey.

"Following an amazing game vs Clemson, we are looking to keep our momentum going," said captain Joey Apel. "This is a game where it is important for everyone in the team to take a step up, both the young players and the veterans, and I am very excited to see what Saturday brings."

Last Time on the Field

The Falcons kicked off to start the MAC Final. Once again, a beautiful kick from Captain Joey Apel allowed the Falcon's reclaim the ball instantly. The Falcons went on the attack, working all the way into Clemson 22. Although the Falcon's didn't score on the opening drive, they dominated the open 15 minutes of the game putting lots of pressure on the Tigers. 8-Man and Vice-captain Phil Tracey broke the stalemate and gave the Falcon's their first lead. Clemson soon drove down the field to score and convert for their first lead of the game. Phil again would give the Falcon's the lead with his second try and Joey Apel converted. Clemson punched one back before halftime. In the second half, Clemson took the lead with a penalty kick. Phil scores again, completing his hattrick and sparking a 17 point unanswered run by the Falcons. Prop Evan Holderer scored off a powerful run and Joey Apel converted his second of the game. Nico LaBianca scored his first of the match making it 29-13 going into the final minutes of the game. Clemson ended the Falcon's 17 point scoring run with a try, however, it wasn't enough to win the match. Overall, the Falcon's played a solid match, doing well to manage Clemson's kicking game. BG was able to advance through the NCR National Tournament Semifinal with a 29-18 win.

Milestone Markers

• BG has qualified for Nations from 1986-1988, 2001-2004, 2008-2021 and now 2024.
• BG won the National Championship in 2018 under Head Coach Tony Mazzarella.
• BG finished Runners-up in the 2021 National Championship in a 31-36 loss to Tennessee

About Virginia Tech:

This season, Virginia Tech finished 8-0-1 Overall, winning the MARC Conference Tournament. The Hokies began their season 2-0 in the MARC with wins over Princeton (55-7) and West Chester (40-22). Then the Hokies tied with James Madison 29-29. Following the tie, the Hokies finished the season undefeated, defeating Maryland 65-13, Pittsburg (Non-conference, MAC) 46-21 and Rutgers 62-17. VT finished 4-0-1 in the MARC going and qualified for the MARC Conference Tournament. The Hokies beat West Chester 47-31 in the semifinals to advance to the final, where they defeated Saint Joseph 31-27 to win the MARC Conference Tournament. Throughout the regular season the Hokies scored 251 pts, conceded 88, and had a points differential of +163. Throughout the MARC Tournament, the Hokies scored 78, conceded 58, and had a +20 points differential.

In the postseason, Virginia Tech hosted Boston College (4-3-1 Overall, 3-1-1 Liberty) in the NCR National Championship Quarterfinal. Virginia Tech found themselves tied 39-39 with Boston College after regulation time. Through a 10 minute extra time period Virginia Tech ultimately scraped by Boston College with a 44-39 victory.

Bowling Green vs. Virginia Tech

Reading, PA | Penn State Burkes Field

Saturday, December 7th | @ 3 p.m.

Up Next

Bowling Green plays for the opportunity to play the winner of UMass and Kentucky in the NCR 15s Championship Final in Houston TX, on December 14th.

Follow the Falcons

Be sure to follow the Falcons Rugby team on social media for schedule updates and any information:

• Instagram: @rugbgofficial
• Facebook: BGSU Men's Rugby