October 1, 2016
Air Force Academy Men’s Rugby Nips Navy in Shea Cup
Photo: Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Rugby Teams
Doug Coil
On Friday, September 30th Air Force Academy Men’s Rugby hosted the U.S. Naval Academy team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At stake was the Shea Cup. As the seconds waned, a penalty kick by Gregor Kerdikoshvili, sunk Navy’s hopes for victory as the Zoomies won 32-31.
Air Force jumped out to a 12-0 lead before navy scored a try prior to halftime to cut the lead to 12-5.
The second half featured more scoring in a back and forth match. In the closing minutes, Navy reclaimed the lead as their forwards plowed the ball over in goal for a try and a 31-29 lead. That might have been the match, however after a Navy penalty, Gregor Kerdikoshvili slotted a difficult kick through the uprights for a 32-31 win.
Air Force Head Coach Denny Merideth said “congratulations to both service academies for a hard fought match deserving of the legacy of Kevin Shea.”
Air Force Rugby vs. Navy Rugby: The Importance of the Shea Cup
Next week Air Force, #9 in the D1A Rugby Polls, hosts #17 Colorado State. Navy, an independent, hosts Notre Dame in Annapolis, Maryland.
