Bowling Green State University rugby player Vinnie Pfahl totes the ball during the Falcons’ 39-21 win over Pitt. (courtesy Fitzpatrick Metzger | BGSU Rugby Club)
Bowling Green State University rugby (3-1, 2-0 Mid American Conference rugby) has now won 10 MAC Conference games in a row following an away win in Pittsburgh on Graham Field. Although the Falcons were not at their best, they were still able to emerge victorious, 39-21.
As part of Homecoming weekend (September 26-29) the Falcons will take on Maryland (2-2, 0-1 MARC) on Saturday. The Terrapins, who were ranked ninth in the NCR Preseason Power 10, and Falcons will face off at the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field at 1 p.m.
This will be the teams’ second ever match contending against each other. The Falcons won their only match against Maryland when they played in 2013. In order for this match to be possible, the current BG rugby players will be hosting the Maryland players.
Alumni can meet at Brewing Green at 6 p.m. on Saturday following the match with Maryland.
This season, the Falcons have victories over Michigan (Big 10, 47-12), Cincinnati (MAC, 38-5) and Pittsburgh (MAC, 39-21) and have only lost to Notre Dame (Big 10, 33-15).
The season’s first MAC win was the home opener victory over Cincinnati at the Mazzarella Field. Next, the Falcons won at Pitt’s Graham Field.
This away win extended the win streak to 10. The streak started following a 91-0 win over Pitt in Fall 2022. This streak includes the Falcon’s undefeated 2023 season when they went 7-0 in conference play.
Currently, the Falcons sit in first place in the MAC with 10 points, only behind Louisville (plus 145) and Western Michigan (plus 84) on points differential.
The Falcons have scored 72 points from 12 tries and 50% (6 of 12) on conversions. They have conceded 26 points and have a points differential of plus 46. The Falcon’s have nine different try scorers, only behind Louisville with 10.
Freshman Logan Van Hoose currently has 15 points (three tries) and tied for fourth in total points. Junior, and captain, Joey Apel is 6 from 12 in conversions and is tied for eighth with 12 points and senior Owen Slimmer is tied for 12th with 10 points (from two tries) in the MAC.
Overall, the now NCR D-1AA Ranked No. 9 Falcons have only played two non-conference games going into this weekend’s match with Maryland.
The Falcons are 1-1 against Big 10 teams this season.Throughout the entirety of the season, the Falcons have scored 138 points, have 71 points against, and a plus 67 point differential.
Last season Maryland finished third in the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) following a 35-17 victory over Princeton.
This season, Maryland started 2-1 following their preseason. The Terps won 30-0 against Christendom and 22-19 against Virginia, while only losing to the Naval Academy’s B side 62-14.
Over their preseason the Terps scored 66 points, conceded 81, and had a minus 15 points differential. The Terps also began their MARC season with a 38-36 loss to West Chester University on September 21 to start the year 0-1.
The BGSU Rugby team played their first season in Fall 1968. In the club’s first season, there was only one match, a 5-3 victory over Ohio State University. The first ever Bowling Green Club Rugby try was scored by AL Bohl (three points), and the first ever conversion was scored by Jm Gerding (two points).
Since 1968, Bowling Green has emerged as a highly successful program. Since the MAC Championship started in 1973, there have been 50 MAC Championships. Bowling Green has won 41 of 50 MAC Championships, a 82% win rate.
The Falcons had an unmatched win streak from 1981-2021, which saw the Falcons win 40 consecutive MAC Championships. Their most recent MAC Championship win was a 48-15 win over Western Michigan. Since 2021, the Falcons have finished second at the MAC Championship in 2022 and 2023.
Bowling Green will play their next MAC game against Dayton Saturday, October 12 on the Roger Mazzarella Rugby Field at 1 p.m.
